Questions still surround ballpark project in Pueblo

Discussions continue to surround the YES project, the deal to bring the Orem Owlz to Pueblo, but some public officials and local business owners are expressing concerns over the way the negotiations are going.

One of the biggest hurdles has been the land supposedly promised to the Owlz Owner Jeff Katofsky. The plan was to build three hotels where the abandoned Police Annex currently stands. However, other developers in the area said that would give the Owlz owner an unfair advantage.

“I had a lot of concerns,” says Avik Amin, a manager with AAA Hotel developers, “but primarily that they were going to basically give the developer three prime sites.”

When the Pueblo hotel developer first heard of the land for hotels possibly being packaged into the deal, he went to the county to voice his disapproval.

“It is going to pose unfair advantages to only us but to all of the lodging companies in the community,” says Amin.

Another big obstacle for that involved with the project is the finances. County Commissioner Garrison Ortiz fears the project will take away funds from other public projects in Pueblo. As the budget currently stands, he doesn’t believe Pueblo has the funds to pay for this stadium. So far, Ortiz has voted against all of the minor league baseball stadium proposals brought before him.

Ortiz also says having a professional baseball team in the county would be great. However, he wants it to be done responsibly.

“If I was seeing TIF (Tax Increment Financing) projections measuring up to the county’s debt service and if was seeing a project budget that actually showed that a stadium could be built at that site for $25 million, [I would vote yes],” says Commissioner Ortiz. “But that is just not what I am seeing at this point and time. When you’re dealing with public money, it has to be correct.”

In a press release issued Friday, Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace says that with taxes and rent, the stadium will pay for itself.

“These are all new tax dollars that otherwise would come without his development,” Pace said. “Plus then he pays rent on top of pay to build the system.

Pace also says the stadium project will not take away funds from other public projects in Pueblo.