Delay in baseball stadium survey results explained
Mayor Steve Bach released some results of a 2012 downtown baseball stadium survey but said they come too late to be of any use.
On Thursday, Bach directed the City Attorney’s Office to make the results available to the public. The city had the study done, he said, at the request of the Colorado Rockies and Colorado Springs Sky Sox baseball teams.
Bach said at the time, the Sky Sox were considering a move to a new downtown stadium and wanted to measure support for the idea.
“We wanted more information.” he said. “But we can’t provide it because we do not have permission from the franchise owners. They’re a private company. (The survey) discloses their cost, their revenue from concessions and parking — which could be a problem for them if that got out to the competition, for example.”
The city paid $35,000 for the survey and Bach said the results are moot because the stadium concept has changed from baseball-only to a sports/event center as part of the city’s proposed City For Champions project.
That project is designed to boost tourism and revitalize downtown. It includes an Olympic museum, visitors’ center and a sports medicine center.
A final report on the project is expected in another year or two.
Bob Cope, a business climate specialist for the city, said there were no surprises in the survey.
“You’ll see that if you live or work close to the existing location, you’re going to be less favorable of a downtown stadium and events center,” he said. “If you live or work in the downtown area, then you’re going to be highly favorable.”
Cope said a sports/event center can be used in a variety of ways and has a better chance of state support and success than a baseball-only stadium.
Public reaction to the survey results was mixed.
“If it’s just baseball, I’d say no, because I don’t think that’s a big enough draw for us down here,” said Bentley Taylor, a resident. “But if it’s expanded to other activities, I might be a little more persuaded to say yes.”
Kelly Diamond, another resident, shared a different perspective.
“(A stadium) could also create a lot of unwanted tourism, as far as raising the drinking population downtown more than we already have it,” she said.
