[???] NFL to use city buildings/service for FREE!?

rockHEAD · Oct 20, 2003

City gives NFL free ride
League to pay no rent for Super Bowl

To rent Reliant Stadium for a major rock concert, a promoter would have to pay $150,000 to $500,000.

A convention exhibition that ran four days and tied up Reliant Center for about a week would pay anywhere from $175,000 to $800,000 in rent.

A show at Reliant Arena would be charged $25,000 to $150,000 for using the place for three or four days.

For the three weeks preceding Super Bowl week, the NFL will use nearly all of the venues at the Reliant Park complex, plus the city-owned George R. Brown Convention Center. The city and county also will provide the services of hundreds of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and trash collectors.

Cost to the NFL: nothing.

The NFL also gets use of Reliant Park's parking lots.

The city is also providing, gratis, the George R. Brown Convention Center. From mid-January through the first days of February, the league takes over nearly the whole center -- about 1.3 million square feet in all, said Dawn Ullrich, director of the city's Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department.

The city estimates it will spend $1.5 million for police, fire, ambulance, public works and trash-pickup services related to Super Bowl week.
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Chicken Boy · Oct 20, 2003

Boooooo...we got stiffed.

RocketMan Tex · Oct 20, 2003

And, on top of this, they are asking Houstonians to volunteer for Super Bowl Week.

Anyone who volunteers is a stooge, IMHO.

ima_drummer2k · Oct 20, 2003

I thought we were supposed to make money on this deal!

I love how Houston wants to "clean up" the city for the Superbowl. Um...what about "cleaning up" for those of us that acutally live here and pay taxes? I guess we're not worth it...

Ironically, the corporate slobs that we're cleaning up for are just going to trash it while they're here and then trash it in the media after they leave. It's kind of like cleaning your house for a frat party.

A-Train · Oct 20, 2003

Well, the good news is that all the hotel and rental car tax revenue created during the Superbowl just might pay for the new arena all at once.

StupidMoniker · Oct 20, 2003

Cities make a lot of money by hosting big events like Super Bowls and the olympics, that is why there is so much competition for them. Don't worry about the fees that they are getting comped on, it's really no big deal.

Supermac34 · Oct 20, 2003

The city will get lots of money from the Super Bowl. The rent car and hotel taxes alone will be a ton, but just the sheer amount of money that all those people pump into the local economy would be worth it.

Think about cutting the rent from the stadium to Gilette mailing you a free Mach 3 Turbo...they make all the money on the secondary purchases.

Summer Song Giver · Oct 20, 2003

Tell me we are gonna atleast break even on the deal.

Mulder · Oct 20, 2003

Kinda like people getting comped in Vegas. They not gonna be hurting on the deal...

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[???] NFL to use city buildings/service for FREE!?

rockHEAD Contributing Member

Chicken Boy Member

RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

A-Train Contributing Member

StupidMoniker I lost a bet

Supermac34 President, Von Wafer Fan Club

Summer Song Giver Member

Mulder Contributing Member

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