Grand Resorts To Scare Tactics To Win Support For CIB Bailout

CIB Board President Bob Grand told WRTV's Norm Cox on Friday that Lucas Oil Stadium may be closed if taxpayers don't pay for a $47 million bailout of the Capital Improvement Board. Cox reports:

The head of the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Broad said Friday that if a deal isn't reached on a $47 million bailout bill it's possible Lucas Oil Stadium may close . . .

CIB President Bob Grand said Friday that the organization won't have many choices if the Legislature doesn't approve the bill.

"If you want me to give you worst-cases, I mean the worst-case scenario is we could be out of money and the facilities would be, arguably, closed," he told 6News' Norman Cox.

The largest part of the CIB's deficit comes from the higher-than-expected operating costs for Lucas Oil Stadium.

The previous board, appointed by then-Mayor Bart Peterson, didn't budget enough money, at least partly because it didn't know how much operating the new stadium would cost.

The CIB now estimates a total of $26 million in operating costs -- $10 million for salaries of stadium workers, $5 million for utilities, $5 million to the Colts and $6 million for other services, such as game-day setup.

Let's begin by explaining who owns and who doesn't own LOS. The stadium was built by a newly-created state stadium authority. That authority levies regional taxes on food and beverages, hotels and car rentals. It also captures up to $16 million annually in tax revenues generated from LOS as part of an area sports authority. These combined revenues are used to pay the debt service on the $720 million stadium. The CIB merely leases the facility from the state authority. The CIB, in turn, leases the stadium to the Colts. If the CIB is unable to fulfill its obligations regarding the stadium, control of the stadium will revert to the state authority. You can bet the state authority won't close down the stadium with its huge investment at stake. The state has already boasted that revenues for the debt service have been running well ahead of projections. The state authority will assume responsibility for the cost of operating LOS and step into the CIB's shoes regarding the lease with the Colts. Because the CIB has proven itself so inept at handling these affairs, perhaps it is best if the state authority take full responsibility for the stadium. Maybe it can drive a tougher bargain with Irsay than the CIB did. Grand's suggestion that the stadium will be closed if a $47 million bailout plan isn't approved is deceptive and irresponsible.