As I was reading the above linked Toledo Blade article about the upcoming auction by the Wood County Sheriff of the land that was meant to be the ampitheater/arena complex, I came across this comment by the former Mayor of Rossford:
Mr. Zuchowski still believes the project would have been successful if not for premature press leaks. He said the leaked agreement between Rossford and the Red Wings prompted critics - including Toledo officials looking to protect their own hockey interests - to work on scuttling the project.
"Negative forces were attacking that part of the project and stalled it out," Mr. Zuchowski said. "And interest rates went higher and supporters of the project ran for cover. They tended to stay away from the negative publicity. It wasn't that we didn't have a good idea."
On January 15, 2001; a Toledo Blade editorial had a different view:
The Rossford Arena Amphitheater Authority is piling mistake upon mistake. First, it had to abandon overly ambitious plans for a suburban hockey arena. Now, in desperation to open its amphitheater this summer, the agency has agreed to take shortcuts and go second-class in its choice of operators for the outdoor concert venue.
That can hardly be intended to inspire confidence.If the RAAA expects to have a first-rate facility, it should be listening to the experts it hires. But this band of amateurs seems to be paying strictly for what it wants to hear regarding this ill-conceived project, which is months from completion and still without financing.
Or does the truth lie somewhere in between? While I understand why Toledo would want it's own arena/ampitheater and I understand why Rossford wanted their own, I can't help but wonder what could have been if both had worked together. I have a pretty good guess that had both sides been willing to work together to create a project that would have benefited all of Northwestern Ohio, we'd probably have a new arena by now as well as an ampitheater that could at this very moment be featuring shows we have to drive up to DTE to see...
While I have never been a huge fan of creating a regional government, regional economic projects do work and they have been the reason why other parts of Ohio as well as neighboring states have had progress. In the end, isn't it better to have it in Northwestern Ohio rather than to not have it exist at all?
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6 comments:
This project was ill-fated from the beginning. From the very start, it was (and still remains) a David and Goliath battle for economic one-upmanship. David (Rossford) wanted to outdo Goliath (Toledo) but David did not take the time to get the proper slingshot for the stone to throw at Goliath for a death blow. Consequently, neither won. Nor was there a draw. Both were and are losers in the amphitheater and arena efforts.
That's a pretty accurate way of describing it Roland.
:-)
Speaking strictly on the amphitheater aspect...
I sincerely hope that no one in Toledo or northwest Ohio government decides to follow through on this concept if it comes up again. There are several reasons why I don't believe it would be successful.
Part of it is the proximity to Detroit. It's not cost effective for a promoter to book a show in Toledo AND Detroit because ampitheatre shows tend to be pricey and they tend to attract the same fans. That would mean that most people would pick one or the other, but not both. Until things vastly change in Toledo, there is not enough draw in this area to steal people away from DTE.
Another big problem I see with the idea is that we're not using the venues we have now. A recent show at the Seagate Center sold so few tickets that they actually downsized the hall it took place in. Since this was the first time this band had performed in Toledo and the ticket sales were so small, it's a pretty safe bet they won't be back, and that the promoter will think twice about booking another big artist here.
I have other examples, but they'd tend to get me off track. :) Maybe I'll turn this into a blog post.
You could be right Val, I guess I remember days past when some of the bigger shows played here and Detroit as well. There was enough of a market for both. However, what you describe at the Seagate might very well mean that the time for something like that to work here could be past. The cool thing about DTE is the prices for the general admission seating area. The bad thing is watching the few that have a bit too much to drink trying to navigate the slope.
:-)
The Crossoads area is a great area for just about anything that will eventually go in there. For that reason, I see both, an arena and an amphitheater, being extremely successful in the future. Rossford officials had a very good vision, but Mayor Finkbeiner and company very effectively scuttled the whole project once they got wind of it. Strange though, he now says that Toledo will reap some benefits to Bass Pro locating in that very same area. I agree with Roland Hansen who said that both Rossford and Toledo were the losers in the original 1999 battle.
I certainly hope that the new owners of the property can have the same vision that Rossford officials had 10 years ago!!!!
Lisa,
”While I have never been a huge fan of creating a regional government, regional economic projects do work and they have been the reason why other parts of Ohio as well as neighboring states have had progress. In the end, isn't it better to have it in Northwestern Ohio rather than to not have it exist at all?”
A regional effort would have probably thrived, if it weren’t for the egos involved in putting the deal together. Between Toledo, the local rag, and Rossford, this project was doomed from the start. I hope that all egos involved can find consolation in that, because the potential patrons of such a facility certainly do not.
And, except for leaving the local rag out of his analysis, Roland was right on…
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