Albi Committee looking for money
The committee studying the future of Spokane’s Joe Albi stadium concludes it would cost far more to demolish the structure than to keep it operating. The committee also found that operating costs are about double the revenue generated by stadium events. Conclusions from their five-month study were made public Thursday.
The Albi citizens’ advisory committee was formed after former Mayor Jim West and city councilman Brad Stark suggested selling the half-century old stadium.
Its chair, city council President Joe Shogan, says that after crunching the numbers, members decided to spend a year finding additional revenue-producing events to balance the stadium’s operating budget.
Shogan says, ‘At the end of that year, if the facility is not paying its own way, that a separate entity should be found to operate the facility. The entity that’s got the most expertise in running a facility like this would be the public facilities district.”
Except that public facilities district officials have already said they aren’t interested in taking Albi over. And Shogan says he doesn’t know of any other potential managers waiting in the wings.
‘I know the Friends of Albi certainly would like to be in that position. I don’t know if they’re there right now,” says Shogan
An engineering firm retained by the committee found that the stadium does not meet disability act requirements, and a number of areas need repair. But engineers say that with proper repair and maintenance, Albi could continue to operate indefinitely. It would cost the city 2-point-6 million dollars to demolish the aging stadium.
Another of the advisory committee’s recommendations is that the promised sports complex should be developed at the Albi site as originally planned.
Proceeds from the city’s sale to Wal-Mart of property near Holland Road were set aside to build the sports complex. But nearby neighbors, fearing congestion on their neighborhood streets, are fighting construction.
The advisory committee’s report is now on the desk of Mayor Dennis Hession. It can be read at the city web site.