Millions In Stadium Upgrades On The Way
June 8th, 2011
Giant, fancy hi-def video screens are coming to the C.I.T.S. (community investment tax stadium) courtesy of all the people that paid to build the stadium for Team Glazer and the community.
The Tampa Tribune explains that these huge screens will replace the old ones in the end zones but they won’t be in place until 2013, plus locker room and media area improvements are on the way.
Next year, however, the shortfall will be much larger because of long-deferred maintenance at the 13-year-old stadium.
The county, which budgets in two-year cycles, plans to spend $6 million in fiscal year 2012 and $7.4 million the following year for the stadium upgrades. Tampa is budgeting $2.55 million in next year’s budget.
The county will borrow the money for its portion and use the fourth cent of the 5-cent Tourist Development Tax to pay back the short-term loan. The fourth cent is dedicated to bond payments and capital needs at the football stadium and adjacent Steinbrenner Field.
Surely, the commitment for these improvements are key to the big push to have Tampa host the 2015 Super Bowl. Last week Bryan Glazer shared tough talk about getting that game here.
As for taxes footing the bill for the stadium upgrades, hey, this was voted on 16 years ago.
Joe’s just glad it seems the NFL won’t hit the stated lockout-over deadline for the Bucs to play the Bears in England in 2011. If that game returns to its just and rightful place in Tampa, the taxpayers will get back the revenue they expected when they voted to build — and improve — the C.I.T.S.
June 8th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
The pirate ship video gets me pumped up before every game. I would like it to be a 3D holographic video on the middle of the field with swashbucklers running up the aisles.
June 8th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
plus locker room and media area improvements are on the way..WHO CARES…LOWER THE BEER PRICES
June 8th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
How about paying the ushers who repeatedly check my tickets to take a hike.
June 8th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
ESPO…I like the way you think. That pregame show would be awesome!
June 8th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
ALL WE WANT IS MORE SHADED AREAS! or an indoor stadium then i would definitly get season tickets!
June 8th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
So make the taxpayers pay for the stadium and upgrades and then black out the games. Sounds about right.
Thanks Glazer…
June 8th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Nate, shade is fine, but I say no way to a dome.
Jerry, The Glazers did not make the black out rules, and they did not block fans from buying tickets. The owners are trying to come up with a new black out rule as well. They also did not “make” the people pay for the stadium, the tax payers voted for it. I understand where you are coming from, but come on man!
June 8th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Actually, the Stadium was voted on nearly 15 years ago (exact date: September 3, 1996).
June 8th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Nice to know that taxpayers are footing the bill for stadium upgrades while at the same time the Glazer crooks are lobbying the league to take a game in that stadium away only to give it to the Europeans (not disparaging euros).
I just dont know how any of you defend these owners (except for joe who has a good reason to avoid criticizing).
June 8th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Nate, who is “we?” Football is an outdoor sport, even here in Florida.
June 8th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I agree… all these millions of dollars tax payers are putting into that stadium and the Glazers happily send home games overseas. I dont mind it once… but if they go to London every other year, im finding another sport to root for. If the NFL wants games in London so bad…expand a team over there. Dont take games away from fans in the states so that you can make an extra buck in London.
June 8th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Mcbuc: come on. Yes the taxpayers voted for the stadium but only after some not so subtle threats about the team being taken from this area without a new stadium.
I dont hate the glazers for leveraging a great stadium deal. I do hate them for slashing payroll post super bowl and Manu and disrespecting us by pulling a home game for a few more dollars.
June 8th, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Yes football is an outdoor sport ,but with the planet getting hotter and its cheaper to sit at home and watch the game and be comfortable.. Its easy to see why people stay at home.. By the way the tickets that are never available at bucs stadium is where the shaded areas of the stadium are…
June 9th, 2011 at 2:20 am
whine, bitch and complain….how much money did the ‘cits’ cost you?…a couple bucs…get over it dude…you’re better than this(I think), same line of thinking as your “not a real man if you dont have the NFL Net), are you really that stupid? Some people CANNOT get it, no matter the cost..do you inderstand that?
June 9th, 2011 at 2:22 am
the “pied piper’ and his “pipettes”
June 9th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Above all other things- Shade! Shade for the fans. A little shade over the home team side line . Next would be cheaper beer, lol. But the heat is really a factor.I’ve been watching games since the first season. I am sure it’s me, but it just seems so much hotter than it used to be.
June 9th, 2011 at 8:09 am
No, Joe does not understand false premises. EVERYONE can get it if they want it.
June 9th, 2011 at 8:12 am
bucyea:
You need to lay off the alcohol before reading Joe. This article isn’t remotely critical of The CITS. In fact, Joe caught hell from fans over a year ago when Joe predicted in several posts this would happen.
Joe applauds the upgrades.
June 9th, 2011 at 9:29 am
@Joe: Plain and simple: I’m not buying an inferior DirecTV cable system that goes out every single frikkin’ time it storms so that I can get the NFL network.
Sorry if that makes me less of a man to you.
June 9th, 2011 at 9:41 am
Direct TV isn’t the only provider! Verizon Fios is where I got my NFL Network.
June 9th, 2011 at 10:10 am
Thank you OAR!
June 9th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Yes it is way hotter. If no shade then please more night games! 🙂
June 10th, 2011 at 2:43 am
FYI….Joe, I’m not much a drinker, just opinionated, and some of your ‘opinions’ are annoying, BUT, no harm done. one reason I come to tis site, is to hear “your’ take…may not agree, but wouldn’t it suck of we all agreed!?!
June 10th, 2011 at 2:50 am
Joe here
@bucyea — Absolutely would suck.