Prudential Center Upgrades
- Thread starter Piratz
- Start date
More ridiculousness from politicians. Doesn’t the Prudential Center do extremely well? Why do the need $300 million in handouts?
Corruption at its finest.
"To be eligible for incentives, a venue must seat at least 15,000 and have operated for at least 15 years in a city with an international airport in a non-coastal county with at least 550,000 residents and a density of not less than 3,000 people per square mile."
"To be eligible for incentives, a venue must seat at least 15,000 and have operated for at least 15 years in a city with an international airport in a non-coastal county with at least 550,000 residents and a density of not less than 3,000 people per square mile."
It’s all cronyism. Billionaire businessmen getting handouts under the guise of civic investment. The Rock is nice but def needs some upgrades, it’s time.
I assume we think Yankee Stadium had no public contributions. That George realky wanted to move to NJ, or was he posturing for state money. Is any arena ever built without local govt money or incentives?
Remember when Amazon was going to build a campus in Queens. Thousands of jobs, thousands of salaries to tax. As i remember, this was when AOC was elected. She was against it, never happened. Many people thiught that was bad for nyc. MSG gets a very nice tax break.
Cities and states compete. The Rock is benefit to NWK and to NJ. Politicians want it to stay. Be it good or bad, it sure isnt new.
Remember when Amazon was going to build a campus in Queens. Thousands of jobs, thousands of salaries to tax. As i remember, this was when AOC was elected. She was against it, never happened. Many people thiught that was bad for nyc. MSG gets a very nice tax break.
Cities and states compete. The Rock is benefit to NWK and to NJ. Politicians want it to stay. Be it good or bad, it sure isnt new.
Since I was there this past Sunday I can say that I see no reason to do any upgrades unless it is for things I did not see like locker rooms, showers etc.. Also maybe they want to add more seating capacity (probably more expensive boxes for the Oligarchs) or take some seating away from the stands and convert to more expensive and lucrative boxes.
The seats are still the originals and look like it, lol.
If you go to other newer or renovated arenas you can see a difference. But again I don’t think The Rock is bad, it’s pretty nice but standard.
If you go to other newer or renovated arenas you can see a difference. But again I don’t think The Rock is bad, it’s pretty nice but standard.
I took my son to msg around 1998, just before the remodeling started. He looked around and said "This is the worlds most famous arena? This place is a dump"
He was right. i was used to it, hadnt noticed.
He was right. i was used to it, hadnt noticed.
But why doesn’t the owner use the millions of dollars in profit to upgrade the building? All businesses require upgrades and maintenance. It’s part of doing business and should be accounted for in their operation
Because no one exploits state and municipal governments' penchant for corporate welfare more effectively than professional sports owners. And the various publics floating the costs never, ever receive the proposed fiscal or labor benefits that were touted. It's an old scam, but it continues to work.
I think the city owns the arena. I don't know how that works in terms of funding renovations.
Last season was the first year I thought the arena is starting to show some age. Arena is 20 years old already.
Last season was the first year I thought the arena is starting to show some age. Arena is 20 years old already.
The Rock #9 highest grossing revenue in the world
Think of how many events and dinners people have attended in the heart of Newark over the last 20 years. Seems to me like there is a lot worse use of public funds because there is truly a benefit to the public.
How many times did anyone go to Newark after 6 PM before the Rock was built?
Because they know they will get it
Seats? I watched on Sunday as people climbed all over the seats putting their dirty shoes or whatever they were wearing on them. Food and beverage spills etc. going on too. Point being spending money on new seats is dumb since right after the first event they will be soiled. Just clean the current one regularly and replace any that are damaged...which I did not see any where I was located.
i mean i certainly won't be upset going to a SHU game and no longer sitting in a Devils seat.
Prudential Center is owned by city of Newark but run by Harris/Blitzer Sports - owners of the Devils & 76'ers among others.
Look up the tax breaks New Jersey is giving to the Film Industry to build 3 massive film studios in Newark, Bayonne and Fort Monmouth. Yet for everyday citizens our Gasoline Tax just jumped, tolls on all major roads, tunnels & bridges just jumped, Real Estate Tax constantly jumps and raises to sales tax and income taxes are being considered. And if you gamble or play fantasy sports that tax was raised to 20%.
Look up the tax breaks New Jersey is giving to the Film Industry to build 3 massive film studios in Newark, Bayonne and Fort Monmouth. Yet for everyday citizens our Gasoline Tax just jumped, tolls on all major roads, tunnels & bridges just jumped, Real Estate Tax constantly jumps and raises to sales tax and income taxes are being considered. And if you gamble or play fantasy sports that tax was raised to 20%.
They also have to sink a lot of money into stuff people never see - HVAC systems, refrigeration system for the ice needs to always be state of the art…. lots of stuff like that. If you don’t keep things fresh and up to date, your arena winds up like the Hartford Civic Center or Amica Mutual Pavillion.
We are complaining, in today's America, that rich guys are getting breaks. I get it. I dont disagree. But that is kinda hilarius, isn't it?
Context on tax credits which is a great thing for those communities an influx of good waged jobs and a path to small business economic development
NJ film boom driven by tax credits, flourishing infrastructure
New Jersey's film industry is thriving thanks to tax credits, initiatives such as NJ Film Ready and growing infrastructure.
njbiz.com
The gas tax is worthwhile as it funds the Transportation Trust Fund.
Definitely one of the major design flaws of the arena compared to other arenas/stadiums.
This is the game… unless you want it to turn into a Brendan Byrne arena type dump… gotta stay fresh…
does it need that much money? Well, thats probably another story…
does it need that much money? Well, thats probably another story…
Agree, but this kind of thinking, in warped minds, leads to CEO's fearing for their lives on the streets.
If that money actually went where it is purported to go, I would agree with you. If you drive the roads or ride the rails, you would be suspicious.
This was a Tom Kean admin policy innovation. Subsequent admins took TTF and used it for other shortcomings. Specific to where we are now as a state, Christie had no choice but to raise the gas tax from where it had been, 2nd cheapest out of 50 states at the time. It is a direct fund to TTF because he was running out of funding when large scale GSP projects were happening.
Owner: We want $300 M of upgrades from the state.
State: We can’t do that.
Owner: The Sprint Center in KC is willing to give it to us. Kansas City Devils has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
State: Here’s your check.
Follow the money.
NJ has close to the highest taxes in the country. It’s why many including myself left years ago. Now all I been to do is get the federal government to stop stealing my tax $ and wasting them on fraud ads I can retire. lol
Yep. It's the way it goes. Private business leverages the natural partnership you need with the government on infrastructure to look for reduced costs, markets the positive impact for the area (which is true) and wants to be compensated for that to a major degree. They pit communities against one another for best financial value. Old as time. Look at the Chiefs in the NFL. Or Ravens. And these owners are often so active with political/community "investments".
These owners could easily afford to build, renovate, and maintain on their own and then the community enjoys the residual impact without having to subsidize it for the rich, but that's not the point.
NJ is mess. None of the money goes totally to where it's supposed to be. Almost impossible to gauge true ROI although with stadiums there usually is.
Funny, you were exactly whom I was referring to. Glad to see you're self-aware in your middle age, if nothing else. I'm the furthest thing from a CEO and CEO money, but the idea that someone who makes a ton of money should be taken out (particularly if from big pharma or insurance) is sub-human.
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Devils to KC would be a full circle, started their existence as the Kansas City Scouts in 1974, before moving to Colorado in 1976 then onto NJ in 1982.