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Red Sox stadium offers ray of hope in a slumping economy

By Staff | Jan 12, 2009

Next week, a handful of architectural design firms will present their ideas for the new Boston Red Sox spring training facility. One firm will be selected to begin negotiations with the Board of Lee County Commissioners.

Not everyone is crazy about the project due partly to the unknowns such as cost, location and financing details. What we do know is that the new facility will be modeled after Fenway Park, with an approximately 10,000-seat stadium and other amenities, such as retail space. Other possible facilities include a football stadium and aquatics center.

The cost is the biggest question mark, although preliminary estimates suggest a price tag of $100 million or more. Of course, this depends largely on the location and whether the site is donated. But whatever the cost, the project will be supported in part by a one-cent allocation of Lee’s five-cent hotel/motel bed tax.

But is this a good deal for Southwest Florida? After all, what did the City of Palms Park do for the redevelopment of downtown Fort Myers? Who’s to say that further investment in the franchise will make any sort of positive difference in our area’s economy at all?

Well, here’s my rebuttal to that. First of all, the downtown location was far from perfect and in hindsight, was marginal at best. And because it was an infill development, there was little opportunity to bring additional, significant commerce to downtown. To this day, there simply aren’t enough hotels and restaurants nearby to support this type of sports venue. Besides, are we looking at the next six months or the next six to 10 years?

The point is, the new training facility is a DONE deal. So rather than focus on whether it’s a good idea, let’s examine how we can embrace this opportunity and maximize our investment.

Direct & indirect benefits

There are many benefits to having such a high-profile sports team here, both directly and indirectly. Boston Red Sox fans are some of the most loyal fans anywhere. Personally, I don’t follow baseball, but there are those who make their decision to vacation in Southwest Florida based on the Red Sox. And that’s a good thing!

– Exposure/Image Enhancement. Having the Red Sox here generates a positive public image that translates into room nights for hotels and sales for retailers and restaurants. It also enhances the possibility that some of those visiting fans will buy homes and/or relocate here.

Every time we’re mentioned in the national press, it raises market awareness, which provides priceless branding opportunities. As media mogul Ted Turner once said, “You don’t know the benefits of advertising until you don’t advertise.” So I think there are significant, indirect economic benefits to be gained from having a championship team in our market.

– Development Incentive. Before there was talk of relocating the Red Sox to south Lee County, there was already a need to increase the density on the available land around the international airport and university, near I-75. This would serve as incentive to developers and users to go out into that area.

The other way to get businesses that support the university and airport, or that need to be close to those demand generators, is convenience and ease of development. So in order to steer jobs to that part of the county, it would make sense to push development in that part of the county.

It shouldn’t be a hard sell, as that general area currently offers excellent access to transportation (both air and ground) and the infrastructure to support hotels and retail/entertainment establishments. But before any further development can occur, the county must put the necessary development codes and zoning modifications in place. That will make it much easier for relocating and expanding businesses to choose our area, bringing with them the new jobs that are critical to our economic rebound.

– Demand Generator. Currently, there are approximately 800 rooms in the airport corridor already in place or under construction. A spring training facility will spur demand for development of additional shops, restaurants and accommodations, and help the existing ones stay solvent (including the retailers at Gulf Coast Town Center and Coconut Point).

Think of the spring training facility as a big shopping center. First you have to get the anchor, then the junior boxes and restaurants that make up the entertainment component. If built in one of the more visible prospective sites (near I-75 in south Lee County), the university and airport would be the anchors and the Red Sox stadium would be the entertainment component. More important, the facility also could help illustrate to visiting baseball fans that Southwest Florida is progressive, accessible and beautiful, thereby serving as an economic development showcase.

– Diverse Uses. Baseball isn’t the only game in town, as Hammond Stadium has proven when the Minnesota Twins aren’t in residence. There are plenty of other professional and amateur sports teams and non-profit organizations seeking a suitable venue for their events. These could range from intramural sports and youth league competitions to outdoor concerts, art shows, fireworks displays and band competitions, among other things.

The bottom line is this: Since the county commission has made the decision to build the new spring training facility, let’s leverage their decision in a way that will steer businesses and employment opportunities our way. It’s another cog in a complex economic development wheel. If positioned properly, this project should help further our goal of creating a diversified workforce that will allow us to build a robust local economy.

Gary Tasman is executive director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Southwest Florida office. For more information, please contact him at (239) 489-3600 or gary.tasman@cushwake.com.