By Estevan Chavez
Louisville is redefining itself as a metropolitan city, and with the University of Louisville basketball program’s Final Four appearance and move to the Big East conference, a debate has begun over the possibility of a new arena. The problem is, no one knows what’s going on.
On April 2, The Courier-Journal printed an article on a rejuvenated push to build a new arena for U of L basketball. The idea of a new arena dates back a few years. Discussions initially died after a failed attempt to entice the Charlotte Hornets to move their professional franchise to the city in 2002. But the Cardinals’ Final Four appearance has sparked enough excitement to rejuvenate the talks of scrapping Freedom Hall building something new.
The Courier-Journal reported that “Mayor Jerry Abramson has been working quietly on the arena plan, including talking to officials at U of L. He dispatched his downtown development chief, Barry Alberts, to look at how cities such as Jacksonville and Kansas City have built them.”
From that moment on, reports have appeared almost daily concerning a new arena. Editorials have sounded off, the community has spoken out, names have been called and Charles Denny of National City Bank has offered full support for a downtown arena. Amid all the noise nothing has been decided. With only a proposal for building on the Fairgrounds being discussed, everything else is just talk.
WHAS 11 news reported on April 13 that the Kentucky Fair Board offered a deal to invest $162 million. A task force appointed by U of L President James Ramsey was formed to review the deal. However, the task force will not decide on which proposal to back until all possibilities have been looked over.
“University officials say they haven’t shut the door to a downtown facility but they haven’t received a proposal from the city,” reported WHAS 11 news.
Editorials from readers of The C-J blasted U of L officials, expressing their disgust with Ramsey and his apparently half-hearted support of a downtown arena.
“One of my pet peeves at the Fairgrounds is the ever-escalating parking fee, raised to $5 last year,” wrote Louisville citizen Larry Curl in a letter to The C-J. “Then I have to park a good half-mile hike from the arena, only to face the traffic snarls afterwards, exacerbated when other events are in progress. Am I mistaken, or am I paying to park on the pavement my tax dollars paid for? Yes, I understand the university gets part of that, which I’d guess figures into Ramsey’s desire to stay inside Ring Road. Ramsey’s job is to represent the university and its interests. Despite his reassurances, that may not be synonymous with the majority of Louisville citizens’ best interests.”
It seems that Ramsey’s decision to let the governor’s appointed task force review the issue and recommend a location fell under scrutiny as well. In a staff editorial from The C-J, Ramsey was described as reacting “in a bizarre display of both pique and arrogance” when he was asked about the public outcry against an arena anywhere but downtown, but Ramsey contends that he has been misrepresented.
“I am the only individual that is truly open-minded and not formed a position,” Ramsey said. “I have said that every option should be put on the table and evaluated from an objective analytical basis. I don’t understand how the downtown proponents can be so strong in their opinion that it is downtown when they do not know the costs, ownership, governance.”
Currently, the mayor’s office has yet to offer a proposal. The mayor’s office could not be reached for comment; however, they said a proposal will be offered in the next month.
The Louisville Sports Report wrote that the mayor said that he is in favor of an independent study into the best option for Louisville’s economic situation. This is essentially what the governor’s task force is doing. Governor Ernie Fletcher has stated that he will announce his appointments to the task force sometime this week. The task force has a clear and impartial goal in mind: “to get an objective analysis of the cost-benefit ratio of all proposed arena sights,” said Jeanne Lausche, press secretary for Fletcher’s office.
Only after that will Fletcher make a recommendation to city leaders on a site for the new arena. The final decision to build a new arena downtown will rest in the hands of the mayor and city planners. U of L’s role is to decide which arena to back.
The arena will need the U of L basketball program’s commitment to be the major resident of the facility. The Big East task force appointed by Ramsey has stated that certain needs of U of L must be satisfied before the school can make a commitment: a share of concessions and catering revenue at U of L events, control of parking for U of L events, which includes half of the revenue collected, the right to sell and assign club seats, the right to sell 60 luxury suites, the revenue from courtside seating, and the right to sell and keep a portion of permanent advertising at the arena and all game-day advertisements. The university would also like a practice court, a museum, a gift shop, a training room and offices for coaching staff. All of these needs are comparable to the current deal with the Fairgrounds.
“Very clearly, as [the situation] stands, the governor is creating a task force and U of L will be represented on that task force,” said John Drees of U of L’s Communications and Marketing Department.
The downtown site has enjoyed large outcries of support from Louisville residents.
Denny could not be reached for comment, but in a letter to The C-J, he wrote that “National City will commit to participate in financing the building of the multipurpose arena, the purchase of a suite and continuing marketing support for the University of Louisville and other potential arena tenants.”
Wherever the arena is built, it will be a boost to the city economy. Drees said that U of L believes that if the school benefits, the city of Louisville benefits. Drees said that U of L is a major investor downtown and the school is just as interested in growth as anyone.
“U of L has a medical campus downtown, with a $300 million payroll,” he said.
All there is to do now is wait and see what happens. Name-calling and bad information have served only to aid the confusion over a debate that at this time is too unclear to argue about.
