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Letter regarding Mckalla Place and MLS Stadium

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:26 pm
by Alison Alter
Dear Colleagues,

As promised, below you will find a link to the letter from Stanford Professor Roger Noll outlining the information he believes we need to evaluate the proposed stadium project. Dr. Noll has studied sports economics for decades and is a recognized expert. I think we will find his suggestions useful as we contemplate this decision.

I believe the language in the amendment I offered in work session, coupled with the original resolution and CM Pool's amendments, will allow us to obtain what we need to evaluate a proposal.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vMDd2 ... uAABCN85wb

Re: Letter regarding Mckalla Place and MLS Stadium

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:01 am
by Leslie Pool
Colleagues, the Roger Noll letter is quite helpful in laying out the issues we should consider and address as part of a serious and necessary feasibility study of the proposal to bring a sports stadium and team to Austin. The insights may be helpful to Precourt Sports Ventures, too.

I am especially appreciative to CM Alter for securing Dr Noll’s professional assessments for us. He outlines the predictive impacts on a community, what to look for, what to guard against, how to set expectations. His input reminds me that it may be time for the City of Austin to have an economist on our staff, much like we have a professional demographer, innovation officer, equity officer ... and so forth.

The City needs the expertise an economist could bring to the many complex financial and development cases our hyper-fast growing City receives on a regular basis. It would benefit the Council, too, to have someone on staff who can evaluate economic benefits of PUDs and other large-scale development proposals, much like Dr Noll’s input will help us see the effects - positive and negative - so we understand the economic impacts of sports more clearly. And clarity will make the City a more knowledgeable participant in future complex negotiations, leading to better results for the City and our community overall.

Thanks, again, to Dr Noll for taking time to provide his expertise. I’m so grateful, and the City is fortunate, that CM Alter has that connection!

Best regards,

Leslie