Dispatch
Donors commit $24 million to ballpark
Corporate sponsors back Clippers? home in Arena District
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Robert Vitale
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Corporate donors will sign on the dotted line today for $24 million in sponsorships at the Columbus Clippers? new Arena District ballpark.
The three deals and others that Franklin County officials say are still to come will cover about half the stadium?s total construction cost of $55 million and put corporate logos on the concourse, the scoreboard and the ballpark itself.
Columbus officials also will pledge $9 million today for street improvements and other infrastructure work around the stadium site at Neil Avenue and Nationwide Boulevard.
"This is about a number of partnerships," said Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks.
The agreements will be announced this morning at a courthouse news conference.
Franklin County owns the Clippers and will own the new ballpark, but commissioners have vowed not to use county tax dollars to build it.
A $12 million naming-rights deal announced in February with Huntington Bancshares Inc. is part of today?s news conference. Brooks said the agreement will be finalized today.
The other two sponsorships are new:
? Nationwide will pay $6 million to put its name on the stadium concourse.
? The Dispatch Printing Company, publisher of The Dispatch, will pay $6 million to put its name on the stadium scoreboard.
Brooks said county officials had set a $24 million goal for the three major naming-rights deals.
The $12 million coming from Huntington to keep its name on the stadium for 23 years is the second-biggest for a minorleague ballpark.
Fifth Third Bank paid $5 million to put its name on a new downtown ballpark in Toledo and $4.3 million for a minor-league stadium in Dayton.
Still to come in Columbus, Brooks said, are deals for corporate suites and other ballpark areas that could bring in another $6 million to $11 million.
"There are significantly more dollars to be raised from the private sector," Brooks said.
The county still hopes to get $7 million from the state as well. Several legislators will take part in today?s announcement, even though no state funding has been committed to the project.
Michelle Chippas, a spokeswoman for Nationwide Realty Investors, said Nationwide?s concourse deal comes on top of an estimated $1.25 million in work the company will donate for stadium planning.
Commissioners chose Nationwide Realty in March to oversee the project.
Michael F. Curtin, vice chairman and associate publisher of The Dispatch, said the company was approached months ago by Clippers President and General Manager Ken Schnacke, who thought the media tie-in was a natural for the scoreboard.
County officials said last week that they were moving back the opening of Huntington Park from mid-season in 2008 to opening day in 2009.
They said environmental cleanup at the stadium site ? it once housed a gas station ? will take longer than expected. But lining up donors has taken longer as well.
Some sponsors balked in the spring when commissioners appeared ready to adopt an agreement that would have given central Ohio labor unions control over construction jobs in exchange for a no-strike promise.
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Donors commit $24 million to ballpark
Corporate sponsors back Clippers? home in Arena District
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Robert Vitale
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Corporate donors will sign on the dotted line today for $24 million in sponsorships at the Columbus Clippers? new Arena District ballpark.
The three deals and others that Franklin County officials say are still to come will cover about half the stadium?s total construction cost of $55 million and put corporate logos on the concourse, the scoreboard and the ballpark itself.
Columbus officials also will pledge $9 million today for street improvements and other infrastructure work around the stadium site at Neil Avenue and Nationwide Boulevard.
"This is about a number of partnerships," said Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks.
The agreements will be announced this morning at a courthouse news conference.
Franklin County owns the Clippers and will own the new ballpark, but commissioners have vowed not to use county tax dollars to build it.
A $12 million naming-rights deal announced in February with Huntington Bancshares Inc. is part of today?s news conference. Brooks said the agreement will be finalized today.
The other two sponsorships are new:
? Nationwide will pay $6 million to put its name on the stadium concourse.
? The Dispatch Printing Company, publisher of The Dispatch, will pay $6 million to put its name on the stadium scoreboard.
Brooks said county officials had set a $24 million goal for the three major naming-rights deals.
The $12 million coming from Huntington to keep its name on the stadium for 23 years is the second-biggest for a minorleague ballpark.
Fifth Third Bank paid $5 million to put its name on a new downtown ballpark in Toledo and $4.3 million for a minor-league stadium in Dayton.
Still to come in Columbus, Brooks said, are deals for corporate suites and other ballpark areas that could bring in another $6 million to $11 million.
"There are significantly more dollars to be raised from the private sector," Brooks said.
The county still hopes to get $7 million from the state as well. Several legislators will take part in today?s announcement, even though no state funding has been committed to the project.
Michelle Chippas, a spokeswoman for Nationwide Realty Investors, said Nationwide?s concourse deal comes on top of an estimated $1.25 million in work the company will donate for stadium planning.
Commissioners chose Nationwide Realty in March to oversee the project.
Michael F. Curtin, vice chairman and associate publisher of The Dispatch, said the company was approached months ago by Clippers President and General Manager Ken Schnacke, who thought the media tie-in was a natural for the scoreboard.
County officials said last week that they were moving back the opening of Huntington Park from mid-season in 2008 to opening day in 2009.
They said environmental cleanup at the stadium site ? it once housed a gas station ? will take longer than expected. But lining up donors has taken longer as well.
Some sponsors balked in the spring when commissioners appeared ready to adopt an agreement that would have given central Ohio labor unions control over construction jobs in exchange for a no-strike promise.
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