Ticket plans announced for 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game at Coca-...

Having one of the largest season ticket bases in the International League helped the IronPigs lure the Triple-A All-Star Game to Coca-Cola Park next summer.

[Go Dodgers]

Sa-WEEEEEEEEETT!!

[Sports Group]

Where are all of the prople who said thie was a waste and would be a complete failure
The Pigs are one of the stronest organizations in the country

It is sweet to be a full season ticket holder......yes yes yes
Could become a scalpers dream

[Sports Group]

Go Dodgers wrote:

Sa-WEEEEEEEEETT!!

That what I says

[JHann]

Sports group.

I would point out one thing--if the tickets are bought by people locally, doesn't this sort of undercut the argument that this stadium will bring in millions in outside money to local businesses instead of just redirecting local money?

Do you know where the AAA All Star game was two years ago? Or who won?

The fact that one game will be played on one night does not answer the question of whether this was a good investment of public money in the 25-40 year timeframe. Sorry.

[Sports Group]

JHann wrote:

Sports group.
I would point out one thing--if the tickets are bought by people locally, doesn't this sort of undercut the argument that this stadium will bring in millions in outside money to local businesses instead of just redirecting local money?
Do you know where the AAA All Star game was two years ago? Or who won?
The fact that one game will be played on one night does not answer the question of whether this was a good investment of public money in the 25-40 year timeframe. Sorry.

and either will GW Bush s invading Iraq...come on 25 to 40 yrs

[truth]

The fact that one game will be played on one night does not answer the question of whether this was a good investment of public money in the 25-40 year timeframe. Sorry.

- public money? money was put up by the ownership and they pay a large sum of rent to the county, the rest of the money was put up from a hotel tax in the Lehigh Valley, so unless someone who lives in the Valley stayed in a hotel here in the past 3 years, they didn't pay anything towards it...

[comment]

This stadium proves that it can be done right. In fact, the stadium and a future Lehigh Valley Arena in south Bethlehem should be held in a bi-county created Lehigh Valley Sports Authority with hotel tax in both counties funding the repayment of debt, plus lease fees for repayment of debt.

The owners will put up their required equity stake and collect gate fee of their events, plus merchandise and food sales contracts.

This has proven to be self-sustaining now for two years. In fact, it has been already shown that they underbuilt it at 10,000 seats.

This is reason I have and will call for an arrangement that Lehigh Valley Arena be built in south Bethlehem and not be underbilt at 8,000 seats. It needs to be 14,000-17,000 seats minimum.

There is pent up demand for these types of programming that can occur at these facilities. Once they succeed, AAA Baseball, AHL Hockey, it will put Lehigh Valley in line for a CBA basetball team again, PA Stoners may see their fan base increase, Arena League 2, Indoor Lacrosse, Indoor Soccer, Outdoor Lacrosse may occur.

Imagine a night where 10,000 at Coca-Cola Park, 16,000 at Air Product's Lehigh Valley Arena and 20,000 at J. Birney Crum for sports programming. 46,000 seats for minor league professional sports.

We may not have an overall identity for the Lehigh Valley, but one we do have is a passion for sports and accomplishment in sports, whether gymnastics, wrestling, baseball, football, soccer, basketball. Our college and high schools have been high level elite competitors in some of these sports for decades.

Lehigh Valley is Sports Crazy and that is an identity that has never been leveraged by those who are suppose to be good about tourism marketing.

[JHann]

Truth,

Again, for the millionth time--having two decent years in a 25 year mortgage does nothing to answer for the last 23. The public takes a present interest rate cost, by borrowing more money that could be "invested" elsewhere, and takes a long term risk that the team may or may not stay for the whole mortgage.

The ownership contributed virtually nothing. The County gives the ownership all the stadium revenues, and receives a small part of it back as rent. That's not much of a contribution, given that we own it. Is that how you pay your rent?

Comment, you always say we "underbuilt" not knowing that every stadium nowadays is "underbuilt" to artificially amp up demand for "premium" tickets, at least until people figure out they are watching AAA baseball.

I challenge you to find one CBA team nowadays averaging 16K for basketball, or a MLL team that averages 20K. Indoor soccer disappeared about 15 years ago, in case you didn't notice, and Arena League 1 (if not yet 2) is already done this month. J. Birney Crum barely meets minimum standards for high school sports, unless you think ASD should give up education as a core function completely and spend the money to renovate that too.

Again, don't bother trying to make the case that these stadiums do anything for the economy, but thank God our "identity" is much better off for having a crappy AAA baseball team.

[comment]

Look up IHL attendance figures for Philadelphia Phantoms and Hershey Bears. Also, look up differential of local economies that did not build and had continued out migration.

It is a public infrastructure that adds to the amenities of life that help enhance and economic region.

A 22,000 seat J. Birney Crum with new synthetic turf is nearly unmet by any other stadiums in PA. It does good enough for 2008 Champions, the Pennsylvania Stoners. Better that it be used than not used at all. If any of these other leagues survive, good then they are potential alternatives for entertainment in the Lehigh Valley other than gambling your money away at the Sands Casino, drinking your money away at the corner bar, or going to see the 30th lame movie at a host of cinemas in the region.

I agree that ASD should focus on core education. They can sell their stadium to my proposed bicounty Lehigh Valley Sports Authority and get lease payments from a host of colleges and high schools to have thier events there. Then ASD could focus on education.

These are viable public infrastructure investments that allow for variety of programming that the public is interested in that betters the quality of life. I guess we should have waited for private roads for economic development and quality of life enhancements also.

I get your points, but what is our choice, become Erie, PA or Wheeling, WV?