Russo and Joe Smith wrote an article today (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6089814/2025/01/28/wild-bettman-xcel-energy-center-renovations-funding/) discussing Bettman helping push for the state to back public funding for the X’s facelift.
However, I personally hate that funding for these projects are primarily pushed on to the public. This article (https://journalistsresource.org/economics/sports-stadium-public-financing/) specifically contradicts the Wild, Bettman and St. Paul’s claim that updating the X would positively impact not only St. Paul, but the state:
“Despite perennial claims from team owners that building new stadiums or revamping existing ones will result in a fiscal and jobs boom for a city or region, research consistently shows that the hundreds of millions of public dollars that are often outlaid are not typically a sound investment…You might see a little bit of a resurgence in the area right around the stadium, but it comes at a cost to less commerce in the outlying area, which is exactly what we’d expect, this is just a transfer of wealth within the community”
I want to emphasize that sure, the X is 25 years old and needs, per Russo and Smith, the X “requires functional updates including the HVAC system, cabling and wiring, kitchens and bathrooms, as well as a second escalator to improve the vertical flow. The home locker room area is virtually the same as it was in 2000. There’s no video room that can fit more than four or five players, so full team video work is done in the locker room”. However, I hope that the majority of this money does not fall on to us, the public. Alas, I don’t think that will be the case.
17 comments
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
I hate to think of a downtown St. Paul without Wild hockey games. But yeah, it’s really tough to justify funding stadium upgrades with all the other challenges the city is having. I don’t think they’d move, but yes if the timberwolves build a new stadium maybe they do a combo arena that could do hockey and basketball? Be a better use of money, but teams don’t want to share.
Tell him to go ask those billionaires if he could *please have some more* and leave people that work for a living the fuck alone.
Unfortunately, the ship has sailed, and cats outta the bag:
If you want pro sports, there WILL be public funding involved.
This issue is very easy for me. Do I prefer having professional sports team in my state? If I do, they will need to have public funding. If we don’t do it, someone else will. I can worry about all the other potential uses, but government spends on all sorts of things that have nothing to do with me, so I am ok with this one. Use my taxes!
there needs to be a two way street with this stuff, profit sharing with the city for public needs
I’ve read some of those studies and I just can’t wrap my head around them. I don’t see how with all the concerts, conventions, sporting events, high school events etc that a positive economic impact can’t be attributed to it. Looking at player income taxes alone the state comes out ahead pretty quickly by my quick math typically. Also at some point there’s a quality of life aspect to these event centers that has to be accounted for when comparing cities etc idk
Do you any idea how much revenue the state and city makes from this stadium? Not wanting to give billionaires more money. But the state/city makes a boat load from these entertainment buildings. They are one of the investors, and they need to participate.
Plus they own the building and the Wild is a renter.
I think if there is public funding there should be a tie to team performance and attendance, with repayment by the team if they fail to meet certain measurable objectives. The pohlads (sp?) for a “free” stadium and proceeded to spend no money fielding a competitive team and now they are going to sell the team with the added value of a “new” stadium lease. All gain no risk. The argument that it brings people to spend money at bars and restaurants to generate tax revenue doesn’t work when no one wants to go to watch the games because the owners don’t invest in the team. Little different with Wild with a cap but same applies. If you aren’t making the play offs (or other measurable targets) you shouldnt get the money.
Here’s my thing about publicly funded stadiums. So tax dollars go into it, right? What do people get from that? Do they get a free Wild ticket once a year? Watching pro sports (even though I love them) isn’t a necessity and shouldn’t be funded by the public. It doesn’t benefit many of the people that pay the taxes.
I get that other functions happen there and it draws money into the local economy, however I’m not sure that it benefits the every day citizen enough that they should pay for it.
Thankfully I don’t play pull tabs or live in the cities, so I’m probably not impacted by it but the point remains.
Hockey is already too expensive to attend at the X for so many fans…. This will only drive up costs and further alienate people.
But it’s America, so the taxpayer will get stuck with the bill regardless. As is tradition.
There are two parts to what we’ve seen of the plan:
– Maintenance & modernization of a 25 year old public facility.
– Money to build new hotel / parking / development around the stadium.
The first is something I can get behind, paying for property development in the form of hotels, etc. – maybe not.
I haven’t been to the X in probably 5 years now because I moved but do we really need a new arena? Obviously it would be nice but 25 years feels pretty quick to talk about replacement. The dome was 40 years old when it got replaced. 21 NHL rinks are as old or older than the X. And obviously VGK and SEA don’t count because they haven’t been teams that long.
The Wilfs and Pohlads did get public money, but that doesn’t mean it was right. These rich fucks can afford to build and maintain their own facilities.
There is nothing wrong with the Xcel Center. What a dumb proposition.
Any solution that doesn’t involve the Wolves and Wild sharing a building is a waste of time. It is inevitable and their current status is absolutely going to play a factor. Both teams have an aging arena thats below standard and both want upgrades or an entirely new building…they need to partner like Philly/Detroit.
This market is big, but it’s not two state of the art arenas big. It’s just not. Best bet is Wolves to Saint Paul to give both cities a share of the sports. Saint Paul would be dead without the Wild.
Fuck Bettman, suck a dick taking more money from St. Paul where it’s needed. Billionaires pay for your own shit for a change and stop leeching from everyone else.