The actual costs and possible giveaways for the proposed $1B, retractable-roof ballpark for the MLB Rangers "may be much higher than the '50-50' private-public partnership touted by City of Arlington officials," according to Shipp & Smith of Arlington-based WFAA-ABC. Rather than the $500M price tag city officials have given citizens, the "actual cost and lost revenues to the city of Arlington may be closer" to $1.675B over 30 years -- at "least three times more than the estimate." The analysis comes as a new poll commissioned by WFAA and the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram "found a vote on the proposed stadium to be a dead heat, at 42% for each side." The poll also shows another 16% of Arlington residents "remain uncertain." Despite Arlington owning the ballpark, the Rangers "will retain the naming rights," keeping all but $2M annually that will be "used to pay rent to the city." The naming rights are "estimated to be valued" at some $12M annually. Ballpark seat licenses "may be retained by the Rangers, with an estimated value" of $75M over 30 years (WFAA.com, 10/18). However, in Ft. Worth, Robert Cadwallader notes the Arlington Chamber of Commerce yesterday released figures showing that taxpayers "would pay less than a quarter" of the $1B construction cost for the proposed ballpark, with "other public funds coming from visitor spending." The chamber used "projected revenues from hotel-occupancy, car-rental and sales taxes over a 20-year lease, instead of the more common but costlier 30-year lease." The math also includes the annual $2M rent that "would be paid by the Rangers to the city, bringing the team’s share" to 53% (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/19).
