Convention and Visitors Bureau Applauds Decision
None by KCPW
(KCPW News) The Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau applauds today's decision by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon to deny a $35 million funding request to help Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake build a stadium in Sandy. President and CEO Scott Beck says the Convention and Visitors Bureau has been pressing its case against the RSL request for the last two to three months.The big sticking point for the CVB, says Beck, was the fact that the RSL deal would have tied up county funds for 30 years that otherwise would go to promoting and improving tourism and related facilities in the county. Mayor Corroon does not oppose asking voters if they'd like to fund the stadium with a general obligation bond, and such a question could be added to this fall's ballot. Beck says he supports the idea since a successful bond vote would be evidence of broad public support for spending public dollars on a private enterprise.
Real Salt Lake had hoped to use the public funds to buy land at 9400 South and State Street in Sandy for a stadium. The county money would have been generated through the legislatively-approved extension of the 1.25% of the Transient Room Tax (TRT), which was to expire in 2015.
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1. susan Arons said:
How short sighted of the CVB and the Mayor. If you have the stadium and a thriving soccer team/new venue you wouldn't need $30 million to "promote tourism". People would come to SLC for soccer, concerts, special events, etc. The events are your best promotion. Unless you think people would prefer to experience SLC through bus and tv ads.
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