Arena and Marina ponderings....

Yesterday's Toledo Blade had another article about the Ice House and what the possibility of a two rink skating facility at the new Marina could do to their business. I'm not sure if this area can sustain an additional ice facility or not, but what I do know is the give a way's that Woodlands Consulting Group is looking for have never been offered to the Ice House:

"Basically, from the city, we are looking for shared parking and the tax abatement, which is crucial. We haven't decided how we are going to do the land, whether we are going to lease or buy it. Certainly, we would like to see the land as a gift. Some of the things we were looking for are low-interest loans and that comes through the state and the city also providing an economic development loan," said Jerry Jones (the main consultant for the investors and chief executive officer of Woodlands Consulting Group ).

One wonders what kind of improvements the Ice House could have made if they had been given such an offer and why one Toledo Business could potentially be sacrificed for another courtesy of funding thru tax payers. If one business is created and thru fair competition results in a closing that's the market and supply and demand, yet when a company who pays taxes in Toledo sees tax dollars spent to create their competition? Understandably the owners of the Ice House are not happy.

Then today, somewhat related to the arena:

University of Toledo alumnus Chuck Sullivan and his wife, Jackie, longtime supporters of UT athletics, showed their loyalty and commitment to the university yesterday by agreeing to donate $6 million, $5 million which will be designated for renovations and planned additions to Savage Hall.

The Sullivans' generosity toward the UT athletics department was motivated, in part, to put an end to any discussion about UT athletics, particularly men's and women's basketball, playing home games off-campus, possibly in a yet-to-be-de-termined sports arena in downtown Toledo.

"I wouldn't have given them anything," Mr. Sullivan said in response to being asked if he would have provided such financial support to UT athletics if future plans involved playing off-campus. "They wouldn't have gotten my money. This [Savage Hall] is a good building here. This building just needs some work. It doesn't need to be torn down."

It would appear any future arena plans that would include UT are now officially over, what affect that will have on arena plans is too early to tell.