BLUE TIGER
June 14th, 2006, 12:42 AM
Officials root for new stadium
Some say demolition best option
By Michael Wallace
[email protected]
Despite spending almost $15 million for renovations to two of Jackson's tradition-rich sports facilities, some state and local leaders are ready to tear them down.
State Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson, wants to bulldoze 65-year-old Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium and build a $60 million to $70 million football stadium on or near Jackson State University.
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton wants Smith-Wills Stadium, a 31-year-old baseball stadium, razed and replaced with a multi-purpose arena in an effort to attract a minor league football team.
Melton and Reeves believe the projects, separately proposed, would bring people downtown after-hours.
"Not only is something like this realistic, it's also necessary," Reeves said. "People have come to realize we can't just sit back and let our capital city slide into complete decay.
"Jackson needs inner-city redevelopment. New sports facilities, naturally, attract a lot of people that go and spend money."
Reeves said he will introduce two bills in the January legislative session. One would allow the state to tear down Veterans Stadium and use the site, located across State Street from University of Mississippi Medical Center, for potential UMC expansion.
The other proposal would seek a $60 million bond that would help build a 45,000-seat stadium at JSU, which has played its home football games at Memorial Stadium since 1967. Reeves said the bond would be repaid by the state - likely over a period of up to 20 years - with money generated from a combination of stadium, tax and tourism revenue.
State House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, said there might be some opposition in the Senate to the project. "But if they see this as something that would benefit UMC and JSU it should go through," he said.
But some people question why the state would spend $14 million in stadium upgrades during the past five years only to rip it apart.
"Why would anyone go waste the taxpayers' money like that?" said Watt Whatley, director of state-owned Memorial Stadium. "No one has come to me with any discussions about this. This kind of stuff really makes you wonder."
House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, said the Legislature has "a long-term bond finance program" for such projects. The program was used to help develop the Nissan plant that opened in 2003 near Canton, along with the construction and renovation of state government buildings, McCoy said.
"There's been much talk over the last few years about what's best for JSU - to totally renovate what's there or to start over and build a new one," McCoy said. "That talk is still ongoing. What I know, as well as a lot of others, is that JSU deserves and must have a very complete, usable and competitive facility. It's going to cost a lot of money either way you go."
Neither stadium turns an annual profit, facility officials said.
Jackson businessman Con Maloney, who is with an ownership group that schedules events at Smith-Wills, said his group has to generate about $100,000 a year through events to break even.
Whatley said Memorial Stadium typically makes enough from JSU home games and the state high school football championships to cover operating expenses. But Whatley also said the stadium could generate about $300,000 in revenues this year, mostly from an Aug. 26 National Football League preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.
Football is the driving force behind both proposed new facilities. Melton wants an arena to help attract a team that would play minor league indoor football in a league known as Arenafootball2.
The city recently spent about $1 million on renovations at the stadium, including the installation of artificial turf.
Since it opened in 1975, the city-owned baseball stadium primarily has been used by minor-league baseball teams. The field has been used for a variety of purposes since the Jackson Senators disbanded after the 2005 season.
Melton would not discuss specific arena plans, how much the project might cost or what team the city will try to attract. "But it's almost a done deal and everything will be a go," he said. "I've been told to sit down and shut up about this, so there's not much I can say."
Marshand Crisler, Jackson City Council president, said he's heard talk about a team potentially moving to Jackson but nothing about an arena. "We're not that far down the road with anything like that, as far as I know," Crisler said.
Maloney said he's heard only "speculation" about an arena.
Meanwhile, talk of tearing down the football stadium is old news.
Whatley said the state conducted a feasibility study 10 years ago.
"From what I recall, it was going to cost $77 million to build a new stadium in 1996 and it was going to take $30 million to fix the stadium we had," Whatley said.
Memorial Stadium thrived decades ago when it was host to University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University football games. But as stadiums on the two campuses expanded - including the addition of lucrative luxury suites, amenities Memorial Stadium lacks - the Jackson stadium lost much of its appeal.
JSU, the state's only Division I or Division I-AA school without an on-campus stadium, became Memorial Stadium's main tenant. "We have needed our own stadium for a long time," JSU President Ronald Mason Jr. said. "It would be one of the biggest investments in this state, Nissan (plant) not withstanding."
Attendance at JSU games has dropped recently, in line with the teams' three consecutive losing seasons. The Tigers drew just 2,700 for one game last season and averaged about 10,000 per game. Historically, the team has drawn well, leading the nation's Division I-AA schools several times in the 1990s with an average of more than 30,000 fans per game.
Several college stadiums have been built similar to what proponents of a JSU stadium envision. Southern Methodist University built a 32,000-seat stadium in Dallas for a reported $43 million in 2000, while the University of Connecticut spent $70 million for a 35,000-seat stadium that opened in 2003.
Mason said he's taking the prospect of a new stadium "a little more serious" this time because the project would be linked to potential UMC growth. UMC Vice Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones told a group of business and community leaders in January the campus needed to expand to include a new research park. Mason said he was even more encouraged after speaking recently with Gov. Haley Barbour about it.
However, Barbour's spokesman, Pete Smith, said the governor did not recall talking to Mason about any stadium plans.
"It wasn't an official conversation, so he probably doesn't remember it," Mason said when informed of Barbour's response. "We spoke more in passing at a dinner function. But I think this is a great idea and is something that should go through ... it's become clear to everyone that the only place for the medical center to expand is where the old stadium is now."
State money was used to help build campus stadiums at MSU, Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi. But much of the cost of expanding and renovating over the years has come largely from private donations.
Alcorn State received $9.4 million for its stadium in 1992 and Delta State received $1 million in 1999, said Annie Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the state College Board.
Reeves said JSU is overdue.
"Building JSU a stadium would help to correct historical underfunding of one of the state's comprehensive universities," Reeves said. "It's only been within the last 10 years that JSU has received the attention that a state comprehensive university deserves. JSU deserves a campus stadium just like Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss."
Rep. Jim Evans, D-Jackson, is confident the Legislature will support funding for a new stadium, one he believes will be on course to open near downtown by the 2009 football season. Reeves, a white Republican who graduated from Ole Miss, and Evans, a black Democrat who graduated from South Carolina State, said the idea of a downtown stadium for JSU is gaining support in the Legislature across race and party lines.
Add those who support UMC's potential expansion onto land now occupied by Memorial Stadium, and there should be enough leverage for everything to fall into place, Evans said.
"So many forces are ready to come together," said Evans, whose district includes part of the JSU campus. "In this case, it's driven by forces stronger than just those who want a stadium at JSU."
Some say demolition best option
By Michael Wallace
[email protected]
Despite spending almost $15 million for renovations to two of Jackson's tradition-rich sports facilities, some state and local leaders are ready to tear them down.
State Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson, wants to bulldoze 65-year-old Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium and build a $60 million to $70 million football stadium on or near Jackson State University.
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton wants Smith-Wills Stadium, a 31-year-old baseball stadium, razed and replaced with a multi-purpose arena in an effort to attract a minor league football team.
Melton and Reeves believe the projects, separately proposed, would bring people downtown after-hours.
"Not only is something like this realistic, it's also necessary," Reeves said. "People have come to realize we can't just sit back and let our capital city slide into complete decay.
"Jackson needs inner-city redevelopment. New sports facilities, naturally, attract a lot of people that go and spend money."
Reeves said he will introduce two bills in the January legislative session. One would allow the state to tear down Veterans Stadium and use the site, located across State Street from University of Mississippi Medical Center, for potential UMC expansion.
The other proposal would seek a $60 million bond that would help build a 45,000-seat stadium at JSU, which has played its home football games at Memorial Stadium since 1967. Reeves said the bond would be repaid by the state - likely over a period of up to 20 years - with money generated from a combination of stadium, tax and tourism revenue.
State House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, said there might be some opposition in the Senate to the project. "But if they see this as something that would benefit UMC and JSU it should go through," he said.
But some people question why the state would spend $14 million in stadium upgrades during the past five years only to rip it apart.
"Why would anyone go waste the taxpayers' money like that?" said Watt Whatley, director of state-owned Memorial Stadium. "No one has come to me with any discussions about this. This kind of stuff really makes you wonder."
House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, said the Legislature has "a long-term bond finance program" for such projects. The program was used to help develop the Nissan plant that opened in 2003 near Canton, along with the construction and renovation of state government buildings, McCoy said.
"There's been much talk over the last few years about what's best for JSU - to totally renovate what's there or to start over and build a new one," McCoy said. "That talk is still ongoing. What I know, as well as a lot of others, is that JSU deserves and must have a very complete, usable and competitive facility. It's going to cost a lot of money either way you go."
Neither stadium turns an annual profit, facility officials said.
Jackson businessman Con Maloney, who is with an ownership group that schedules events at Smith-Wills, said his group has to generate about $100,000 a year through events to break even.
Whatley said Memorial Stadium typically makes enough from JSU home games and the state high school football championships to cover operating expenses. But Whatley also said the stadium could generate about $300,000 in revenues this year, mostly from an Aug. 26 National Football League preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.
Football is the driving force behind both proposed new facilities. Melton wants an arena to help attract a team that would play minor league indoor football in a league known as Arenafootball2.
The city recently spent about $1 million on renovations at the stadium, including the installation of artificial turf.
Since it opened in 1975, the city-owned baseball stadium primarily has been used by minor-league baseball teams. The field has been used for a variety of purposes since the Jackson Senators disbanded after the 2005 season.
Melton would not discuss specific arena plans, how much the project might cost or what team the city will try to attract. "But it's almost a done deal and everything will be a go," he said. "I've been told to sit down and shut up about this, so there's not much I can say."
Marshand Crisler, Jackson City Council president, said he's heard talk about a team potentially moving to Jackson but nothing about an arena. "We're not that far down the road with anything like that, as far as I know," Crisler said.
Maloney said he's heard only "speculation" about an arena.
Meanwhile, talk of tearing down the football stadium is old news.
Whatley said the state conducted a feasibility study 10 years ago.
"From what I recall, it was going to cost $77 million to build a new stadium in 1996 and it was going to take $30 million to fix the stadium we had," Whatley said.
Memorial Stadium thrived decades ago when it was host to University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University football games. But as stadiums on the two campuses expanded - including the addition of lucrative luxury suites, amenities Memorial Stadium lacks - the Jackson stadium lost much of its appeal.
JSU, the state's only Division I or Division I-AA school without an on-campus stadium, became Memorial Stadium's main tenant. "We have needed our own stadium for a long time," JSU President Ronald Mason Jr. said. "It would be one of the biggest investments in this state, Nissan (plant) not withstanding."
Attendance at JSU games has dropped recently, in line with the teams' three consecutive losing seasons. The Tigers drew just 2,700 for one game last season and averaged about 10,000 per game. Historically, the team has drawn well, leading the nation's Division I-AA schools several times in the 1990s with an average of more than 30,000 fans per game.
Several college stadiums have been built similar to what proponents of a JSU stadium envision. Southern Methodist University built a 32,000-seat stadium in Dallas for a reported $43 million in 2000, while the University of Connecticut spent $70 million for a 35,000-seat stadium that opened in 2003.
Mason said he's taking the prospect of a new stadium "a little more serious" this time because the project would be linked to potential UMC growth. UMC Vice Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones told a group of business and community leaders in January the campus needed to expand to include a new research park. Mason said he was even more encouraged after speaking recently with Gov. Haley Barbour about it.
However, Barbour's spokesman, Pete Smith, said the governor did not recall talking to Mason about any stadium plans.
"It wasn't an official conversation, so he probably doesn't remember it," Mason said when informed of Barbour's response. "We spoke more in passing at a dinner function. But I think this is a great idea and is something that should go through ... it's become clear to everyone that the only place for the medical center to expand is where the old stadium is now."
State money was used to help build campus stadiums at MSU, Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi. But much of the cost of expanding and renovating over the years has come largely from private donations.
Alcorn State received $9.4 million for its stadium in 1992 and Delta State received $1 million in 1999, said Annie Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the state College Board.
Reeves said JSU is overdue.
"Building JSU a stadium would help to correct historical underfunding of one of the state's comprehensive universities," Reeves said. "It's only been within the last 10 years that JSU has received the attention that a state comprehensive university deserves. JSU deserves a campus stadium just like Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss."
Rep. Jim Evans, D-Jackson, is confident the Legislature will support funding for a new stadium, one he believes will be on course to open near downtown by the 2009 football season. Reeves, a white Republican who graduated from Ole Miss, and Evans, a black Democrat who graduated from South Carolina State, said the idea of a downtown stadium for JSU is gaining support in the Legislature across race and party lines.
Add those who support UMC's potential expansion onto land now occupied by Memorial Stadium, and there should be enough leverage for everything to fall into place, Evans said.
"So many forces are ready to come together," said Evans, whose district includes part of the JSU campus. "In this case, it's driven by forces stronger than just those who want a stadium at JSU."