| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release: September 15, 2011 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
Mayor, Council President, Support Recommendations to Protect Arena District Jobs
Mayor Michael B. Coleman and City Council President Andrew J. Ginther today declared their support for recommendations announced yesterday by attorney John C. Rosenberger, City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian and Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority Executive Director William C. Jennison that will protect and create thousands of jobs in the Arena District for decades to come. Rosenberger was engaged in December, 2009 by Auditor Dorrian and the FCCFA to lead efforts to explore options to assure the future vitality and productivity of the Arena District as an economic development engine for Central Ohio.
“I thank John Rosenberger, Hugh Dorrian and Bill Jennison for their two years of hard work and for identifying a solution that will protect jobs and secure our future,” Mayor Coleman said. “This is a public-private partnership that will protect more than 10,000 jobs at a time when economic opportunity is at a premium. The Arena District is one of the reasons Columbus is the best city for jobs in the Midwest, and we must ensure that it continues to succeed. This is the right thing to do.”
The recommendation calls for the private sector investments led by Nationwide; Ohio casino revenues from the City of Columbus and Franklin County; and a $10 million investment from the State of Ohio. This revenue would allow the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority to acquire Nationwide Arena and ensure that the Columbus Blue Jackets remain in Columbus. The city and county casino revenue contribution would begin at 25 percent of state casino revenues in 2013 and would be capped at 32 percent.
“This proposal will allow the Arena District to continue to be a powerful economic development and job creation engine in Columbus, and that is why I support it,” said City Council President Andrew J. Ginther. “The success of the Arena District has an impact beyond the Downtown; revenue from the area helps to fund critical safety services like police and fire that protect our neighborhoods everywhere in Columbus.”
An economic impact study conducted by the John Glenn Institute at OSU identified 7,000 jobs in the Arena District in 2006. Since then, the Arena District has added 1,230 jobs, and expansions are underway now that will draw another 2,200 jobs over the next three years. The John Glenn study also determined that the Arena District and Nationwide Arena generate $29.6 million annually in state and local income tax revenues.
Click here to view the entire report from the Finance Subcommittee. City Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson, chair of the Finance Committee, encourages the public to comment on the proposal. Please email the Columbus City Council at columbuscitycouncil@columbus.gov or call 645-7380 during regular business hours.
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