$72 Million Well Spent, Really?

[Choctaw_fan]

I'm watching network reporting on the latest monstrosity built in Texas dedicated to high school football. Looking at the stadium, it is NOT multi-use, has luxury boxes for corporate sponsors (that's so wrong), only seats 12,000, and doesn't look that much better than the stadiums built in Florida.

Joe Etheredge Stadium at Choctawhatchee High School seats 8,700 and often has 12,000 watching a rivalry game. It is a multi-use, natural grass stadium. It usually hosts track and field events for Okaloosa County because the track at Niceville is not legal size and Ft Walton did not have the room to add a track to their new stadium. I don't know why track events are not held at Crestview. It also hosts a regional marching band competitions, men and women soccer games, and flag football. Other stadiums throughout the panhandle provide almost as much seating for the visitors as they do for the home team. They also have adequate restrooms and concessions. There is adequate parking at Choctawhatchee, at the middle school across the street, and in the surrounding areas.

Why would anyone build a $72M stadium? Because someone donated the money to do so. That's the only reason. Will students and families be able to afford to attend games? Who knows!

Please do not get the bug to build ridiculously expensive stadiums just to compete with Texas. Build stadiums that support all students and provide an adequate, comfortable environment for the teams and the fans.

 

[DarterBlue2]

I am in agreement with your point of view above. This is not money well spent.

 

[peezy28]

I'm watching network reporting on the latest monstrosity built in Texas dedicated to high school football. Looking at the stadium, it is NOT multi-use, has luxury boxes for corporate sponsors (that's so wrong), only seats 12,000, and doesn't look that much better than the stadiums built in Florida.

Joe Etheredge Stadium at Choctawhatchee High School seats 8,700 and often has 12,000 watching a rivalry game. It is a multi-use, natural grass stadium. It usually hosts track and field events for Okaloosa County because the track at Niceville is not legal size and Ft Walton did not have the room to add a track to their new stadium. I don't know why track events are not held at Crestview. It also hosts a regional marching band competitions, men and women soccer games, and flag football. Other stadiums throughout the panhandle provide almost as much seating for the visitors as they do for the home team. They also have adequate restrooms and concessions. There is adequate parking at Choctawhatchee, at the middle school across the street, and in the surrounding areas.

Why would anyone build a $72M stadium? Because someone donated the money to do so. That's the only reason. Will students and families be able to afford to attend games? Who knows!

Please do not get the bug to build ridiculously expensive stadiums just to compete with Texas. Build stadiums that support all students and provide an adequate, comfortable environment for the teams and the fans.

Do not worry... Florida will NEVER build high school stadiums like that. Hell the new schools around us are lucky to get erector set bleachers that go higher than 10 rows. Its Texas and its Oil Money. People have money to waste so they do on what they like... and in Texas they all like football. I dont think the games are anymore expensive but it might be difficult to get a ticket on Friday nights.

 

[peezy28]

But to your point I agree... not money well spent.

 

[anon_00zx5879k0jmw]

Whats the name of the $72million dollar stadium? Photos? And yes the oil big wigs are the ones who builds these stadiums. Its like "Lets see if he can outdo my stadium"..

 

[peezy28]

Whats the name of the $72million dollar stadium? Photos? And yes the oil big wigs are the ones who builds these stadiums. Its like "Lets see if he can outdo my stadium"..

Or the less PC version "My D is bigger than yours"

 

[Choctaw_fan]

Here you go!
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston...katy-isds-new-70m-football-stadium-ready.html

We have just as much money in Florida. The problem is half of it is spent up north in the summer. If we need better facilities, raise taxes. Sales taxes are relatively cheap in most parts of the state.

 

[gatorman-uf]

Let's assume that the stadium is used by all 12,000 seat holders x 6 games a year (which might be high) for 25 years straight for $72,000,000. In order to pay off the 72 million, every single seat at a high school game would have to sell for $40. i know Texas loves football, but I seriously doubt they love football that much. Of course, this assumes no changes to the stadium or field ever. A stadium like this only make sense if there are multiple schools teams sharing the stadium.

If you prefer, the city of Katy, Texas has a population of 16,158 that means for the next 25 years that every man, women, and child living in Katy has a bill of $178 per year to pay off the stadium.

I am not one who feels the need to tell a city how to spend it's money, I do think that stadiums should be better than they are. If only for the sense of permanence. Also many old stadiums in the North (Ohio, Michigan, PA, NJ) were built during the New Deal WPA. While not a fan of the current administration, I do believe that he is serious about two things in America: solving the opioid crisis and improving infrastructure. I would love to see him roll out a WPA-style commitment to building schools, highways, stadiums, etc.

 

[peezy28]

Well I hope they did not use the same people that built the Allen Texas Stadium... It started falling apart about 2 years in. Katy is a very wealthy area with a good football team near Houston.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcoo...otball-stadium-soon-will-reopen/#46efa3bd46ff

 

[peezy28]

Let's assume that the stadium is used by all 12,000 seat holders x 6 games a year (which might be high) for 25 years straight for $72,000,000. In order to pay off the 72 million, every single seat at a high school game would have to sell for $40. i know Texas loves football, but I seriously doubt they love football that much. Of course, this assumes no changes to the stadium or field ever. A stadium like this only make sense if there are multiple schools teams sharing the stadium.

If you prefer, the city of Katy, Texas has a population of 16,158 that means for the next 25 years that every man, women, and child living in Katy has a bill of $178 per year to pay off the stadium.

I am not one who feels the need to tell a city how to spend it's money, I do think that stadiums should be better than they are. If only for the sense of permanence. Also many old stadiums in the North (Ohio, Michigan, PA, NJ) were built during the New Deal WPA. While not a fan of the current administration, I do believe that he is serious about two things in America: solving the opioid crisis and improving infrastructure. I would love to see him roll out a WPA-style commitment to building schools, highways, stadiums, etc.

A few things I know about Texas... Its an ISD in Katy and usually if it says ISD that means multiple teams will us it like the one in Allen. So I imagine that Katy and surrounding area schools will use it and will probably be full 10 games a year not including playoffs. (Is this stadium on Katy's campus?) As for paying it off... Other methods would be selling the advertisements which are piddly winks in Florida but in Texas they might make really good advertisement dollars. Since this appears to have been an investment and not a loan not sure if its taxed to the area or not.

 

[peezy28]

Did not mean to post all that but some key points below.

The main home entrance will display different colors to reflect the home team, which can be one of any eight Katy-area high schools".
8 Schools which means they will play Thursday Friday and even Thursday through Saturday Varsity game with probably some JV and youth league games as well. So 8 teams who will have a combined 40 home games a year (not sure how they make that all work I am sure not all home games will be there) plus JV or Freshman and Youth league games so you have to change your math there.

Katy ISD has eight high schools that will rotate playing football at Legacy Stadium and Rhodes Stadium.

Katy-based Academy Sports + Outdoors secured the naming rights of the two-stadium complex in December 2016 with a 10-year, $2.5 million deal.
Another way for them to make money sell naming rights.

Katy ISD hopes that the complex will host summer camps, banquets, conerts and movie nights.
Another way to make money


I am not defending this epic waste of money but its not as bad as it seems... I kinda wish we could get one that was similar maybe not as expensive but somewhere centrally located and it could be the host for all state title vents Football, Soccer, Track and Field etc.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

What did Gene Cox stadium in Tallahassee cost? The only complaints I have about that stadium is the visitor side is too small and they really need artificial turf to make it through the season and the playoffs.

And, I too hate those metal stands. Most of the ones in the panhandle are made of concrete and there is little wear and tear all these years later. On the metal stands I feel like I'm part of a lightning rod. And, in the rain, they are extremely slick. Just an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Silver King]

Wouldn't that have been nice to have someone in Miami, where SK has passed dozens of miles of waterways and the ICW that have million dollar yachts sitting behind multi-million dollar homes, throw up money like that into some Dade County stadiums. Imagine the front end loading that could do to snatch some kids away from the street. Might make 48 hours look for a new location.

 

[AmstaffNole]

So I just moved to the DFW area from Florida a month ago. My wife got hired on at Allen ISD. The stadium is pretty awesome lol. Allen ISD only has one high school so it is the exclusive home of the Allen HS Eagles. McKinney ISD(Where we moved to) is in the process of building a brand new 60-70m stadium. I pass by the construction site on my daily commute. I will say property taxes out here are RIDICULOUS! About 4-5 times what I was paying in FL. That being said....Go Niceville!

 

[Cat_Scratch]

Well I hope they did not use the same people that built the Allen Texas Stadium... It started falling apart about 2 years in. Katy is a very wealthy area with a good football team near Houston.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcoo...otball-stadium-soon-will-reopen/#46efa3bd46ff

 

[Cat_Scratch]

A few things I know about Texas... Its an ISD in Katy and usually if it says ISD that means multiple teams will us it like the one in Allen. So I imagine that Katy and surrounding area schools will use it and will probably be full 10 games a year not including playoffs. (Is this stadium on Katy's campus?) As for paying it off... Other methods would be selling the advertisements which are piddly winks in Florida but in Texas they might make really good advertisement dollars. Since this appears to have been an investment and not a loan not sure if its taxed to the area or not.

 

[AmstaffNole]

Here is that last pic(McKinney ISD) as of 5 mins ago.

 

[AmstaffNole]