Nearly a year after pausing on plans for a multipurpose entertainment venue in Gregg County, city and county leaders still are waiting for economic storm clouds to clear up.
"I'm not a doomsday sayer, but from where I sit, I've got to be realistic," Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt said. He said the county has several capital and infrastructure projects to consider.
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City of Longview Illustration |
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"We've got a lot of wants that we want, but we've got to be realistic about our needs."
No timetable is set, but Stoudt and Mayor Jay Dean said the city and county might consider building a covered or indoor livestock pavilion first, before taking on the full multipurpose center project.
For more than three years, Gregg County commissioners have suggested using at least part of the county's $29 million in reserves to combine with the city of Longview contributions in building a $29.5 million venue for rodeos, concerts and sporting events.
The city spent two years and some $2 million to study designs and cost estimates for the venue, and had committed $3 million to construction, according to City Councilman John Bolster.
County commissioners in November paused on the project.
Stoudt attributed the pause to the global economic recession. After that decision, Assistant City Manager Chuck Ewings suggested the two entities try to create a countywide sports venue district and board of directors to find funding alternatives.
Plans for the multipurpose entertainment venue remain on hold, the mayor said. Commissioners and City Council members instead might build a covered livestock area for indoor horse shows and tractor pulls, then wait for the economy to improve before building a coliseum, he said.
Stoudt agreed. While the county still has it reserves, commissioners must examine other county needs, including expanded downtown parking and highway projects like Texas 149 widening and George Richey Road expansion, he said.
Legislative aid
State Rep. Tommy Merritt says he helped pass legislation that would help generate more revenue for a new multipurpose entertainment venue.
However, Dean said Merritt's legislation didn't go far enough, and a more-needed bill didn't reach the legislative floors.
"We didn't really end up with the bill we wanted," Dean said.
Merritt, R-Longview, said he amended House Bill 1789, which allows the cities of Taylor and Hutto in Williamson County — and comparable-sized cities — to use hotel-motel occupancy tax revenue already dedicated to tourism for maintenance and upgrades of recreational facilities.
Merritt's amendment extended that benefit to Longview. He said East Texas officials should have thought of the idea years ago.
Merritt said no one contacted him about how to legislatively come up with additional funding. When he saw Williamson County Democratic Rep. Diana Maldonado's bill, he contacted Dean and Stoudt for their thoughts about including Longview. They agreed. The bill passed, with Gov. Rick Perry signing HB 1789 — including Merritt's amendment — into law on June 19.
Days after Merritt's call to local leaders, Dean contacted state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, for legislation that would raise the amount of hotel occupancy tax revenue that cities could keep from 7 percent to 9 percent. Longview Partnership officials told the mayor that the extra 2 percent could help fund construction costs and allow local leaders to create a Longview sports venue board of directors to manage the venue, Dean said.
Eltife said he tried to attach Dean's request as an amendment to another bill because it was too late in the legislative session for a bill to be introduced and still pass before session's end. Eltife's amendment was stripped from the bill during finance committee discussion, he said.
"It was thought of as a tax increase," Dean said. "We're not trying to pass a tax increase. We're talking about people who are staying here in our hotel rooms."
Comments
By Mark Jackson
Nov 5, 2009 6:02 PM | Link to this
Lois - Please share with us one time that government has ever turned a profit. It has not happened since the Roman Empire and will not happen again.
Way off base on your comments, you and your friends should all pitch in and build a multi-purose center. If you theory is correct, you will make a lot of money.
By Lois
Nov 5, 2009 5:06 PM | Link to this
Comments like that just show that people want to continue to live in the past and never advance forward. A venue like this is EXACTLY what the people of this city need. The revenue that the city WILL generate from not only the citizens of Longview but also from people in neighboring cities just to attend an event here.... people who will be spending MONEY on restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, ect.. will definitely be beneficial for the city and county
By Lane
Nov 3, 2009 8:33 AM | Link to this
Spending money on this only caters to a very small portion of people in our area. Those people will not have to pitch in enough money through taxes to even pay for the toilet paper of this facility.
Private entities should fund this or the people that want it. There is no legitimate government funcition of an Events Center.
Cherie is right on the mark. At some point this craziness of spending money has to stop. Let's wait till we get the bill on on much these schools and parks are going to actually cost us before we jump on a new project. This spening of others money reminds me of fat kids in a candy store.
By George
Nov 3, 2009 8:14 AM | Link to this
This is something Longview needs to bring in revenue (from concerts, motorcross, shows, etc) and give the city something to be proud of....
By Cherie
Nov 3, 2009 5:54 AM | Link to this
I think the city and county are wasting our money. Untill all roads are pot hole free and smooth and all maintance is attended too, NO money on any projects should be allowed to be spent. This city waste more and more daily and then wants to demand more money..Get real take care of what you have first and foremost...We don't need anymore new buildings in this town.
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