Plans scrapped for $500,000 lounge at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

[thelakelander]

So the courthouse still needs more money?

Mayor John Peyton's office stopped city plans for a $500,000 lounge in the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena â€" even if projections show it would be paid for in about five years.

SMG Jacksonville, the company that manages the arena and other sports venues for the city, was pushing for the lounge, which would have had a bar and six plasma televisions.

The company was looking at other ways to bring in money, and the company estimates $90,000 a year in revenue, records show.

The money to build the lounge would have come from $1.3 million that was left over from construction of the arena that opened in 2003.

Peyton’s staff is now having city attorneys look into the restrictions on the $1.3 million, spokeswoman Misty Skipper said.


The city is hoping to do one of two things with the money: move it to other building projects, such as the much-maligned Duval County courthouse, or use it to pay down the debt borrowed for the Better Jacksonville Plan.

Full article:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-06-08/story/plans-scrapped-500000-lounge-jacksonville-veterans-memorial-arena

[stjr]

...or use it to pay down the debt borrowed for the Better Jacksonville Plan.

Lake, dovetail this with JTA's desire to increase the gas tax to finish BJP projects by... creating more debt.  I love the "partnership" between COJ and JTA.  It explains why Downtown and mass transit flounder.

[tufsu1]

no one is asking for more money here stjr....the article makes clear that there was $1.3 million left over from when the arena was built....the question now is what to do with it.

[Keith-N-Jax]

I'll take it.

[copperfiend]

How much longer are we stuck with Boy Wonder?

[duvaldude08]

Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge  This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.

[tufsu1]

Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge  This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.

Had the City spent $500,000 on the lounge, wanna guess how many people would have complaind about government waste?

[thelakelander]

I don't really care either way but the opposing argument is the lounge would be a revenue generator after five years in operation.  Can't say the same about shifting funds to the courthouse (btw, which people will still complain as government waste).

[Captain Zissou]

Would the lounge have only been open during events, or would it have had regular hours??  This would have been great to have in the arena, but not a necessity.  I am fine with the Mayor's office tabling this for a while, but they should not scrap it all together.

[duvaldude08]

Yeah I agree. It shouldnt be scrapped altogether. But if the money is there, and it is money left over for the arena, then why not? I just been reading alot of negative comments about the arena's amenties and it would be nice to resolve some of them. It seems as if Peyton is trying to divert money to one of his "pet projects", which seems to be a trend with him. Why use 500,000 for the lounge and divert the remainder? Its not like they asking for 1.3 million for the lounge. They are not even asking for half. What Im wondering is how long has that money been sitting there, and why is Peyton just taking interest in it?

[copperfiend]

My issue is the funds were originally meant for the arena. We can use the 500k for a lounge that will generate revenue at the arena. Instead Peyton is talking about putting it towards the courthouse? The courthouse will no doubt go down in the history of this city as the biggest cluster-you know what.

[Captain Zissou]

My issue is the funds were originally meant for the arena. We can use the 500k for a lounge that will generate revenue at the arena. Instead Peyton is talking about putting it towards the courthouse? The courthouse will no doubt go down in the history of this city as the biggest cluster-you know what.

I agree.  Was the arena under budget then?  If so, then of course they should get their own surplus money to build a bar. 

This is kind of an interesting contrast between a Delaney era project and a Peyton era project.  One is a great asset to the city and cost efficient, one is a blight on downtown and a money drainer.

[hightowerlover]

I think they should scrap the courthouse and turn it into a lounge

[fieldafm]

Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge  This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.

Liquor is served in the Everbank Club.  During JU's 1-26 year, they got a lot of my business!

To me, another lounge option would be very well utilized at the Vet.  Paying down debt is fine(thats never a bad thing), but diverting it to the courthouse would be just another nail in the coffin of disaster that thing has been on the city's finances.

[Shwaz]

Personally I wouldn't build squat for SMG - how about they start opening up & staffing ALL the concessions during major arena events before they ask for a swanky new one.