1997-10-12, By Glenn Rogers
为评估体育场支持度而进行的民意调查
旨在将新设施问题纳入投票议程
圣安东尼奥体育基金会(San Antonio Sports Foundation) 和大圣安东尼奥商会(Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce) 准备启动调查，以评估公众对建造一座新的多功能体育场的支持度。
这两个组织在收集必要信息后，可能会发起签名活动，为是否建造该设施的公投进行请愿。
该体育场将容纳 20,000 到 25,000 名观众。
体育基金会对体育场进行的调查将与其吸引 2007 年泛美运动会 (Pan Am Games) 到圣安东尼奥的职责相一致。
未来将进行的调查是在马刺队决定退出体育场推动模式之后进行的。
马刺队在 7 月进行的一项由球队赞助的民调显示，61% 的圣安东尼奥人反对使用任何形式的税收来支付该设施的费用。
《圣安东尼奥快报》(San Antonio Express-News) 在 4 月进行的一项调查显示，80% 的受访者反对使用州和地方税收为体育场提供资金。
在该调查中，71% 的受访者也反对使用酒店旅馆和汽车租赁税来为同一目的提供资金。
达拉斯小牛队 (Dallas Mavericks)、达拉斯星队 (Dallas Stars) 和达拉斯市 (city of Dallas) 已达成协议，共同建造一座新的体育场。
该市已同意向体育场投资 1.1 亿美元，并投入高达 1500 万美元用于基础设施建设，资金将通过提高酒店和租车税获得。
这两支球队将在建设成本中投入 1.05 亿美元，并支付 1.32 亿美元的租赁费用。
圣安东尼奥人将在 1 月的公投中对该提案进行投票。请参考上面的更正
“我们正在竞标举办泛美运动会，”体育基金会主席帕特·弗罗斯特 (Pat Frost) 说。“其中一个计划包括一个新的体育场，另一个不包括。”
“我不知道我们是否能成为推动建造新体育场的唯一领导者，但我们可以成为推动建造新体育场的一个组织的成员。我们的使命之一是改善体育设施。”
弗罗斯特说，基金会已与马刺队、牲畜展览会和牛仔竞技表演组织者以及音乐会策划人进行了讨论。
“我们正在试图搅动局面，”弗罗斯特说。“这个体育场将是多用途的。我们必须向投票者证明这个地方会被使用。”
大圣安东尼奥商会主席鲍勃·博默 (Bob Bomer) 说，他的组织将组建一个由商业和社区人士组成的联盟，进行调查，以了解谁支持建造新的体育场，谁反对。
“我们还不知道具体会问哪些问题，”博默说。“但我们会收集信息，并将这些信息转达给市议会，让他们决定应该采取什么行动。”
“我们想提供数据，表明体育场是否被需要，如何融资，以及在哪里建造。这些是每个人现在都在问的问题。我们会尽力找到答案。”
博默还强调了该提议的建筑将满足不同需求的观点。
“我认为，拟议中的体育场将成为一个多功能场所，可用于体育比赛、音乐会、牛仔竞技表演等等，”他说。“我们将通过电话、书面调查等方式收集信息。我们甚至可以去其他城市，了解体育场是如何在那里融资的，以及这些建筑物的用途。”
博默说，实际推动建造体育场的行动不会由商会主导，但商会将提供信息。他表示，即将进行的调查需要几个月的时间才能完成。
这位主席说，将在 10 月中旬之前组建一个负责进行调查的任务组。博默说，该任务组随后可以决定是否进行签名活动符合其最佳利益。
基金会执行董事苏珊·布莱克伍德 (Susan Blackwood) 说，他们小组的可行性研究将在年底之前完成。
“到那时，也许我们可以提出我们能够做什么来建造这个设施，”她说。“例如，我们董事会上的很多人认为，弗里曼体育馆 (Freeman Coliseum) 已经 50 年了，应该被替代设施所取代。”
“我们将接受必要的角色，来追求任何圣安东尼奥市需要建造的新体育设施，以改善圣安东尼奥的整体设施。它可以容纳马刺队、音乐会、曲棍球队、牛仔竞技表演——一个社区设施。”
马刺队董事会主席彼得·霍尔特 (Peter Holt) 宣布，球队不会成为规划新体育场或领导关于该问题的公投的倡导者。
“我们将专注于篮球业务，专注于赛季，”他说。
尽管如此，霍尔特说，如果球队继续在阿拉莫穹顶 (Alamodome) 比赛，收入可能不足以让球队在蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 的合同在三年后到期时重新签下这位顶级选秀球员。邓肯这样的级别的球员已经签下了为期六年的价值高达 1.2 亿美元的合同。
霍尔特说，他将赞赏这两个组织为确定设施需求而付出的努力，并表示马刺队愿意加入任何旨在推动建造新体育场的团体努力。
“我希望任何行动的基础都比仅仅是体育组织和商会更广泛，我希望市政府和县政府也参与进来，”他说。
马刺队在阿拉莫穹顶的四个赛季中还没有亏损。赢得比赛带来的稳定观众人数和现在正在谈判中的全国电视转播合同带来的额外收入，应该能让球队至少在未来几个赛季保持盈利。
但是，不断上涨的薪水可能会导致球队无法留住大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 和邓肯这样的顶级球员。
Texace Corp. 的老板、前马刺队总裁鲍勃·科尔曼 (Bob Coleman) 认为，任何真正推动建造新体育场的行动都还很遥远。
“有人必须通过民意调查和研究表明，这座体育场是值得的，人们会支持它，”科尔曼说。“我认为我们现在可能应该放弃推动它。我们可以等到马刺队开始前进，重新点燃人们对他们价值的兴趣。我们必须证明体育场带来的收入将会很高。”
“新建筑当然不仅仅是为了泛美运动会，那就像锦上添花。从政治角度来说，现在支持建造体育场并不明智。”
科尔曼是 1989 年推动阿拉莫穹顶公投获得支持的主要力量。
“那需要一个长期的策略。比尔·格里希 (Bill Greehey)，瓦莱罗能源公司 (Valero Energy Corp.) 的董事会主席，和我每周一都会和不同的商人一起吃早餐，大约持续了一年，”科尔曼说。
科尔曼确实表达了对没有更多鼓吹建造新设施的失望。
“天哪，我知道牛仔竞技表演的人告诉我，没有人带着任何计划来找他们，”他说。“在马刺队放弃之前，从来没有人真正提出过建造体育场的计划。”
尽管马刺队不愿在两次早期调查发现的负面情绪之后推动这个问题，但许多社区领导人认为，经过精心策划的运动可以说服大多数选民投票批准建造一座新的体育场。
市长霍华德·皮克 (Howard Peak) 正在采取观望态度。
“我们将采取的行动将取决于（这些组织）的调查结果，以及他们如何得出这些结果，”皮克说。“正如我告诉相关人士的那样，研究必须客观和公正。我们必须考虑社区的需求。”
“我会看看他们得出的结论。我和一些商会的人谈过，他们正在考虑采取行动。我确实还不知道他们是否会继续下去。”
“但他们必须向人们解释如何为它买单以及它将用于什么。他们可以将他们的信息带到市议会或县政府。”
“我现在没有看到我有什么作用。到目前为止，这只是一些谈话。需要做一些详细的工作，我们必须看看该设施将服务于什么，如何为它提供资金，以及它与我们其他设施的关系，特别是与阿拉莫穹顶的关系。”
皮克补充说，他已告诉霍尔特，该市将讨论帮助阿拉莫穹顶更适合篮球比赛的方法。市长说，在改变现有特许经营收入方面，几乎没有办法做到。
有人说，新的设施可以建在县政府土地上，位于市中心东北部的弗里曼体育馆附近。
“我们希望确保市政府和县政府不会陷入领土之争，”贝克萨尔县法官辛迪·克里尔 (Cyndi Krier) 说。“我们不希望两者相互对抗。”
“我知道人们一直在关注雷塔马地区 (Retama area)，但我认为牛仔竞技表演真的无法负担得起这样的行动，考虑到要建造马厩以及所有其他需要做的事情。”
“如果捐赠（县政府）区域是难题的一大块，那可以考虑，因为这将有助于牲畜展览会和牛仔竞技表演。但我还没有看到足够的信息来判断我是否支持。”
点击查看原文：Groups to conduct polls to assess arena's support Efforts could lead to placing new facility issue on the ballot
Groups to conduct polls to assess arena’s support Efforts could lead to placing new facility issue on the ballot
The San Antonio Sports Foundation and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce are primed to launch surveys to gauge public support for the construction of a new multipurpose arena.
Either group, after the necessary information is collected, conceivably could conduct a drive for signatures to petition for a referendum on whether a facility should be built.
The structure would seat anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 fans.
The Sports Foundation arena study will be in conjunction with its role in attracting the 2007 Pan Am Games to San Antonio.
The future surveys come after the Spurs decided to pull out of the arena-push mode.
A team-sponsored poll in July indicated 61 percent of San Antonians were opposed to using taxes of any kind to pay for such a structure.
A survey conducted in April by the San Antonio Express-News showed 80 percent in opposition to the use of state and local taxes to fund the arena.
In that poll, 71 percent of the respondents also opposed the idea of using hotel-motel and auto-rental taxes for the same purpose.
The Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars and the city of Dallas have reached an agreement to build a new arena.
The city has agreed to invest $110 million in the arena and up to $15 million in infrastructure costs, raising the money by boosting hotel and rental car taxes.
The teams will invest $105 million in construction costs and pay $132 million in lease payments.
San Antonians will vote on the proposal in a referendum in January.***See correction above***
“We’re in the process of putting in a bid for the Pan Am Games,” said Pat Frost, chairman of the Sports Foundation. "One plan will include a new arena; one will not.
“I don’t know that we could be the sole leader in a push for a new arena, but we could be a member of a group that would push for one. One of our missions is to improve sports facilities.”
Frost said the foundation has had discussions with the Spurs, Stock Show & Rodeo organizers and concert promoters.
“We’re trying to stir the pot,” Frost said. “The arena would be multiple purpose. We have to prove to the voters that the place will be used.”
Bob Bomer, chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, said his organization will assemble a coalition of business and community people who will conduct surveys to discover who is in favor of a new arena and who is not.
“We don’t know yet exactly what questions will be asked,” Bomer said. "But we will gather information and relay that to the City Council and let them determine what should be done.
“We want to present data that shows whether or not the arena is wanted or needed, how it will be financed, where it will be located. These are the types of questions everybody is asking right now. We will try to get the answers.”
Bomer also stressed the notion that the proposed building would serve varying needs.
“I imagine the proposed arena would be a multipurpose venue for sports, concerts, the rodeo, what have you,” he said. “We would gather the information via the telephone, through written surveys. We might even go to other cities and learn how arenas were financed there and what those buildings are used for.”
Bomer said the actual push for an arena would not be chamber- driven, but the chamber would provide information. He indicated the coming surveys would require some months to complete.
The chairman said the task force that will conduct the surveys probably will be put together by mid-October. Bomer said the task force could then determine whether a drive for signatures would be in its best interest.
Susan Blackwood, executive director of the foundation, said her group’s feasibility study should be completed by the end of the year.
“At that time, maybe we can propose what we can do to build the facility,” she said. "For instance, a lot of people on our board believe Freeman Coliseum, being 50 years old, should be replaced by an alternate facility.
“We will accept the role needed to play to pursue any new sports facility that the city needs to improve overall facilities in San Antonio. It could house the Spurs, concerts, hockey teams, the rodeo - a community facility.”
Peter Holt, Spurs chairman of the board, has announced that the franchise will not be the instigator for planning a new arena or spearheading a public referendum on the issue.
“We are going to focus on the business of basketball, on the season,” he said.
Nevertheless, Holt said that if the team continued to play in the Alamodome, the revenue probably would not be sufficient to allow the team to re-sign top draft choice Tim Duncan when his contract expires in three years. Players of Duncan’s expected status already are signing pacts worth up to $120 million over six years.
Holt, who said he would applaud the efforts of the two organizations to determine the need for a facility, said the Spurs are willing to join in any group effort to push for a new arena.
“I would hope that the base of any move would be broader than just the sports organization and chamber, and I hope the city and county get involved in it,” he said.
The Spurs have yet to lose money in any of their four seasons in the Alamodome. The anticipation of solid attendance from winning campaigns and additional revenue from a national TV contract now under negotiation should keep the team in the black for at least a few more seasons.
But rising salaries have the potential of leaving the team unable to keep prime players such as David Robinson or Duncan.
Bob Coleman, owner of Texace Corp. and former Spurs president, figures any real drive for a new arena is well in the future.
“Somebody does have to show, through polls and studies, that the arena is worthwhile and that people will support it,” Coleman said. "I think we probably should forget about pushing for it right now. We can wait until the Spurs get going and rekindle the interest in their value. We’re going to have to show that the numbers generated by an arena will be good.
“The new building certainly wouldn’t be just for the Pan Am Games; that would be like the icing on the cake. Politically, right now, being in favor of an arena is not on the right side.”
Coleman was a major force in the drive to earn support for the Alamodome referendum in 1989.
“That required a long-term approach. Bill Greehey (chairman of the board of Valero Energy Corp.) and I held breakfasts every Monday for about a year with various businessmen,” Coleman said.
Coleman did express disappointment that more drums haven’t been beaten in favor of a new facility.
“Heck, I know the rodeo people told me that nobody went to them with any kind of a plan,” he said. “No play for an arena was ever really presented before the Spurs pulled away from it.”
Despite the Spurs’ reluctance to press the issue in the wake of the negative sentiment found by the two earlier surveys, many community leaders figure a well- planned campaign could persuade a majority of the voters to approve construction of a new arena.
Mayor Howard Peak is taking a wait-and-see position.
“What we in the government will do will depend on the findings (of groups) and how they came about those findings,” Peak said. "As I’ve told people involved, studies will have to be objective and unbiased. We have to look at the need of the community.
"I’ll look at what they come up with. I’ve talked to some chamber people, those thinking of taking some action. I really don’t know yet whether they will go forward.
"But they will have to describe to people how it’s going to be paid for and what it will be used for. They can bring their information to the City Council or to the county.
“I don’t see much of a role for me right now. So far it’s just talk. There needs to be some detail work, we have to see what the facility will serve, how it can be funded and how it relates to our other facilities, especially the Alamodome.”
Peak added he has told Holt the city would discuss methods to help make the Alamodome more amenable to basketball. The mayor said little could be done by way of altering existing streams of revenue from concessions.
There’s talk that the new facility could be constructed on county ground, in the area of Freeman Coliseum northeast of downtown.
“We want to make sure the city and county don’t get into some kind of turf war,” Bexar County Judge Cyndi Krier said. "We don’t want the two posturing against each other.
"I know that the Retama area has been looked at, but I don’t think the rodeo could really afford to make such a move, considering the building of stables and all else that is involved.
“If donating (county) area would be a big piece of the puzzle, that could be considered because that would help the Stock Show & Rodeo. But I haven’t seen enough information to say whether or not I’d be for it.”
By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News