Columbus Officials Approve Ticket Taxes, Crew Stadium MOU

The Columbus City Council has voted 6-0 to adopt two 5% "ticket taxes to fund the arts and improvements to Nationwide Arena." The first tax is on "performances and sporting events costing more than $10 a ticket with more than 400 seats, not including Nationwide Arena." The second 5% tax will generate an estimated $2.4M for "arena repairs and $600,000 for the arts." The taxes "would begin to be collected on July 1." Tickets for Ohio State sporting events "won't be taxed" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 12/11).

The City Council also approved a memorandum of understanding with the "proposed new owners" of the Crew on plans for a $230M, 20,000-capacity soccer stadium as "part of a bigger mixed-use development site in the Arena District" (SOCCERAMERICA.com, 12/11).