Can City’s Hockey Deal Pass The Swap Test?

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With all the commotion in Janesville over a venture capitalist group gaining the inside track to a taxpayer built and operated facility for a junior hockey team, would the owners of a privately owned and operated indoor ice arena offer the same contract to the city?

For starters, nobody is stopping the hockey investment group from coming to Janesville and setting up shop for business. The WHP are at will to do as they please. We have several local banks who would probably be glad to give them a commercial loan for whatever amount they need. They can build their own hockey facility and pay all the utility bills, maintenance and property taxes on it like everyone else – the hockey group shouldn’t let anyone stop them from doing this.

With any luck, the City Of Janesville can then rent the new facility from the hockey investment group for school youth hockey and skate nights at a cost of $450 per event. Of course the City can keep all the admissions, concessions and dollars paid for billboards and advertising as per contract. The arena owners could prepare the contract at their own expense and act as the city's agent in the deal. The owners could also put the city’s logo under the ice and keep the parking lot clear of snow in the winter. The city wouldn't need to rent the office space so we could save on the monthly rent. With that, the city could save over $35,000 a year in subsidies paid to the current Ice Arena. We could let someone else worry about the ice and all the other bills. Why not? This is almost the same deal the city administration has been spending taxpayer funded hours on preparing to agree to with now. It's just as fair - we can call it a public/private partnership.

What to do with the current ice arena? That's easy. Since we would no longer need the ice, the city could decommission the ice-making system and leave the concrete intact. Then upgrade the arena with a new roof and some video and audio electronics for a lot less than the $1.5 million they claim it will need anyways in a few years, and turn the place into a multi-purpose community and business-use convention center. This is something the city does not have but will desperately need in the coming years in order to sell itself for economic development.

Of course, don't bet on any of this to happen. There is no way the local elites would allow city taxpayers to own and operate such a unique and profitable facility.

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Saturday's Gazette contained an article about the 52nd annual Mid-West Blind Bowlers Tournament held at the RiversEdge Bowl on South River Street in Janesville.

JG Excerpt:
The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau estimated that the three-day event will result in $110,250 being spent at Janesville restaurants, hotels and retailers.

This little piece of information buried in what otherwise was a good article about the event wouldn’t be some sly but still cheesy attempt to sway public opinion in favor of socializing the losses involved in supporting a private investment group’s hockey venture into Janesville – now would it?

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Surprise - Surprise!!

Janesville Veto Not Meant For Janesville