Cavs bid to manage Youngstown arena

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Fran
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Cavs bid to manage Youngstown arena

Post by Fran » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:10 am

Cavs bid to manage Youngstown arena

Story By DON MURET
Staff writer

Published December 10, 2007 : Page 08
The Cleveland Cavaliers, venturing into third-party management for the first time, are competing for the facility operations contract at Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, about 65 miles southeast of Cleveland.


The Cavaliers also would bring a D-League team to
play at Chevrolet Centre.
The bid is tied to bringing an NBA Development League expansion team to the 5,700-seat arena.

“If we are successful, we would bring a franchise to the arena and operate it as the principal owner,” said Cavaliers President Len Komoroski.

The Cavs are partnering with facility developer IFG. SMG and Global Spectrum, the two biggest players in third-party arena management, also submitted bids.

The city owns Chevrolet Centre and expects to make a decision by March 30.

Global Entertainment, a Scottsdale, Ariz., company that is part of a group that owns the Central Hockey League, originally operated Chevrolet Centre, where the CHL’s Youngstown Steelheads are the primary tenant.

The city cut short its agreement with Global Entertainment after local officials were not satisfied with the way it was running the building, according to local reports. The $42 million arena has operated with a $278,041 deficit since it opened in October 2005, The (Youngstown) Vindicator reported.

The Cavs would bring about 25 D-League dates to the building, and Komoroski thinks the organization’s strong presence in northeast Ohio working with event promoters to book sports and entertainment at Quicken Loans Arena would benefit Youngstown.

He said it’s too early to tell whether the Cavs would pursue other arena management deals.

The Cavaliers’ initial foray into managing arenas other than their own property in Cleveland is no different than the business model Global Spectrum has pushed in its first seven years of operation, said Joe Briglia, IFG’s vice president of business development and a former SMG executive.

Global Spectrum is part of Comcast-Spectacor, the corporation that owns the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers, and the facility manager leverages the clout of its big league parents and other divisions when competing for arena contracts in smaller markets. Just as Comcast-Spectacor has a ticketing division, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and his investor group own Flash Seats, a ticketing technology firm.

AEG is doing the same in Ontario, Calif., where it will operate Citizens Business Bank Arena, a building that will be home to the D-League’s Los Angeles franchise when it opens in 2008. The Los Angeles Lakers own that minor league team.

In addition, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment owns the AHL Toronto Marlies, who play in MLSE-managed Ricoh Coliseum, and the Dallas Stars plan to bring a minor league hockey team to a new arena planned for suburban Austin, Texas, a facility the NHL club will operate.

“It’s nothing that’s really new. It’s just the focus on the footprint of Cleveland,” Briglia said. “If [Youngstown] was another 100 miles away, would the Cavs be doing it? I don’t think so, but it’s a logical extension of their brand. There’s a benefit to having a big brother in there.”

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Post by SignGuyDino » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:23 am

I still think Akron is a better choice. I wonder when the NBA will dare to change things around to have a preseason game between the NBA team and it's D-league team in the D-league city?

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Post by jjbballfan » Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:58 am

Somebody said Akron will get a team also but will be independently ran and own.... If theyare ging to do this it will allow them to get prime dates and hold there own but its a risky business running an arena.....

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ChumpDumper
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Post by ChumpDumper » Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:40 am

[quote=""SignGuyDino""]I still think Akron is a better choice. I wonder when the NBA will dare to change things around to have a preseason game between the NBA team and it's D-league team in the D-league city?[/quote]Since D-League teams don't start training camp until the NBA preseason is over, never.[quote=""jjbballfan""]Somebody said Akron will get a team also but will be independently ran and own[/quote]I thought that was Toledo.
If theyare ging to do this it will allow them to get prime dates and hold there own but its a risky business running an arena.....
The arena doesn't seem to be too far in the red. Is the amount mentioned even owed by the management company?
Last edited by ChumpDumper on Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by jjbballfan » Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:46 am

I think what people will see is as the Dleague grows the parent club will try to play an exibition game in that city but not against the Dleague team.

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Post by jjbballfan » Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:47 am

[quote=""ChumpDumper""]Since D-League teams don't start training camp until the NBA preseason is over, never.I thought that was Toledo.The arena doesn't seem to be too far in the red. Is the amount mentioned even owed by the management company?[/quote]

your right my bad..... I get all those Ohio cities confused.....

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Akron/Toledo?

Post by tops804 » Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:01 am

Toledo would make much more sense...Akron has always been a tough minor
league city. Little brother complex with Cleveland I think. The Aeros do
pretty good in Akron though (Eastern League AA). I know Canton bombed
with the ABA (like everybody), but have often wondered how minor league
basketball would fair. The CBA looked into it about 16 years ago.

How do other Youngstown teams do attendance wise??? I know the WBL's
Pride had a pretty good fan base going at one time.
Adios, OSC message boards. (2007-2017)

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ChumpDumper
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Post by ChumpDumper » Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:20 am

The Youngstown CHL team lists an average of 3476 per game, though that is only based on three games.

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Post by bectond » Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:17 pm

[quote=""jjbballfan""]Somebody said Akron will get a team also but will be independently ran and own.... If theyare ging to do this it will allow them to get prime dates and hold there own but its a risky business running an arena.....[/quote]

No, I said the Cav's were buying a team and placing it in Youngstown and that the group that owns Toledo's minor league baseball team is going to buy a D-League team. I never said anything about Akron.
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Post by jjbballfan » Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:34 pm

[quote=""bectond""]No, I said the Cav's were buying a team and placing it in Youngstown and that the group that owns Toledo's minor league baseball team is going to buy a D-League team. I never said anything about Akron.[/quote]

If you looked I cleared that up in a post......

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