Let’s look at downtown revitalization as a result of the creation of the ball park.
Texas requires that a mixed beverage gross receipts tax of 6.7% be paid by the owner of the establishment (not the customer) . The state maintains a web site where we can see receipts for each facility (bar, restaurant …) in the state that sells such beverages. Let’s call those places bars for the sake of simplicity.
The file that the state made available in April, 2014 reflects taxes for March and earlier (sometimes a bar will report late). The amount for our bars in 79901 (the downtown district) was $80,020.75. This was before our ball park opened.
The July, 2014 file from the state shows $86,368.28 in receipts for the 79901 area.
Looks good
It appears that we have had a $6,000 or so increase in collections after the ball park opened. That comes to roughly 8%. More beverages were sold.
Except
One thing that is different between July in April is that our ball park was open in July and not for the period represented by the April file.
How much did the ball park contribute to the $86,368.28? The answer is $11,883.52. That means that business for the rest of the 79901 area was down to $74,484.76, a decline of $5,535.99 or almost 7% lower.
To get to real sales numbers, the state says to divide any of the numbers above by 14 and then multiply the result by 100. Using that technique the downtown bars lost $39,542.78 in sales.
The winner is
The state pays the city the money that is collected.
I don’t expect that the bar owners downtown will send thank you notes to the city for cannibalizing their businesses.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
There is only so much money that the El Pasoans HAVE.
So, maybe they spend it here. .. . . . or over there.
Someones gonna come up short.
Same thing with sports. Even though Foster supports some UTEP games/ sports, the El Pasoans STILL only HAVE so much money, so when they spend that at a baseball game, their sports/play money is now less and I think UTEP games will now suffer in attendance overall because of this.
Baseball downtown will rob UTEP sports attandance and money.
Stealing from the children, the students, money they need to operate their sports programs.
On purpose, I and my family and many of our friends have not spent ONE DIME at Fountains shopping center, because of Foster’s greed.
HEY, merchants at Fountains, if your sales arnt just what you would like, there are many citizens that WILL NOT shop there because of the forced downtown baseball by Foster.
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Glad you mentioned the Fountains thing. I, too, have not gone near the place, but that is mainly because I hate shopping centers anyway. Get it. Get what you came for. Get out. That’s my motto. But, kidding aside, I agree with you about that place and the greed that drives some people.
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I don’t know the Mountainstar people, and while I can speculate about motives, it’s entirely possible they thought the project would be a good thing for the city. The people who should be the target of the rage here are the city officials who forced the ballpark idea through under the false flag of an “emergency” that required that the public be shut out of the process, and using revenue figures that were at best foolish and at worst cooked. The same city officials who allowed the Muir building to be demolished. And now all of them, elected and unelected, have all slipped away, some moving on to other jobs at the public expense.
Anyone here read El Diario? Over $5 million of transportation projects funding lost because the project proposals were not ready on schedule. Such a record MIGHT have led to Ms. Shang being fired, if she had not been protected by Ms. Wilson on her way out the door. But that’s a “personnel matter” that cannot be discussed in public.
Enjoy your weekend.
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But, wait a minute! Niland says we’re “growing” our tax base! And, they all said that the ballpark was going to “turn things around!” You are not possibly suggesting that they might have been wrong, are you? How could they have been so wrong?! How?! Oh, the woe of it all…(snark, snark).
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Perhaps the reason for the decline is that I stay away from downtown if there is a game on, and certainly would not try to go to a restaurant on a game night! Fortunately the season stops on September 1….but the upshot is that whatever boost might occur from the ballpark (which, to give it credit, is doing a great job of marketing with the cute T-shirts, etc) does not even last during six months. I’l return to other events downtown after September 1. IF they’d put the ballpark somewhere else…and if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
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Mountainstar has exclusive rights to the ballpark 365 days out of the year, so there will be concerts and other events after the season ends. That will mean more expenses for the city with no revenue-sharing to offset those expenses, which in all probability were not included in city management’s financial projections.
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Which puts them in some competition with the Multipurpose Entertainment Center downtown, eh? Except of course that one will probably have a roof.
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Don’t look for too much to change here given the Mexican-style apathy and non-involvement. Where is an Emiliano Zapata to shake them up?
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Do your figures take into account the businesses that are booming around the ballpark. Would there be any money generated with a dilapidated city hall there? The ballpark is the best thing that has happened to EL PASO since the Sun Bowl. New businesses will be breaking ground around the park. Each and every game is sold out and the Chihuahuas have gained national notierity for theie promotions and marketing. The naysayers will always be around but the majority of El Pasoans love this team and the ballpark.
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How would you know if the stadium is making or losing money on each event? No doubt MS is doing OK with sold out games, but the city share of revenues is sparse per terms of their contract with MS. And city costs are high.
I doubt we will ever see even a rudimentary financial statement for the stadium contract, assuming even that the city bean counters could do it. Until then, it is just the usual hot air blowing from city hall and uniformed athletic supporters like yourself.
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Raiderman is Mark Mena. He is your typical idiot without a pot to piss in.
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I have an extra pot at the house. He’s welcome to it.
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Problem is no money is finding its way into the general fund. In fact the city is projecting the same amount of Sales tax that the city received in 2005. So with all of this growth downtown they have been talking about I have but one simple question. Where is the money?
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Where exactly are businesses going to be built around the park? On the north side is the Masonic theater and I-10. East side is Cleveland park and the Museum of History. Southside is the Convention Center. Westside is a private parking lot and the small street of old apartment buildings – I suppose they could be torn down??? Union Plaza was doing very well before the park was built.
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I keep reading that the baseball games are always sold out. Yet the photos show a lot of empty seats and many people say they receive free tickets. A technique used by UTEP to get more fans to the football games. So what is the truth?
Can someone why is the Plazita taking so long, we’re building Central Park !
I agree with homeowner, this is not a city with a lot of high wages. The money goes so far and some entertainments event will have reduced attendance. But, then this city made(title the city does it best to hide) list of cities with the worst credit ratings in the nation. So, people will most likely confuse wants with needs and opt for entertainment vs life necessities.
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