The Verizon Wireless Arena: A Good Bet After All

(Nat Sound - music cut from Elton John)

ELTON JOHN IS ONE OF MANY HIGH PROFILE MUSICAL PERFORMERS WHO HAVE APPEARED AT THE SPARKLING NEW VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA SINCE ITS GRAND OPENING LAST NOVEMBER. (Aerosmith sound) THE ROCK GROUP Aerosmith KICKED OFF THE ARENA�S OPENING, AND SINCE THEN, DOZENS OF PERFORMERS RANGING FROM BOB DYLAN AND BARRY MANILOW TO THE TOP COUNTRY MUSIC PERFORMERS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE PLAYED MANCHESTER. APPARENTLY THE BEST IS YET TO COME. (Cher sound) ONE MONTH AGO, TICKETS FOR AN UPCOMING PERFORMANCE BY CHER SOLD OUT OVER 10,000-PLUS SEATS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. ACCORDING TO GENERAL MANAGER, TIM BECHERT, THE ARENA�S LINEUP HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

(Tim Bechert)
#31 (13 sec) �We�re exposing our self and this building to all sorts of different demographics, and obviously that�s going to go in the long run to increasing the visibility of this building and being able to present something for everybody to keep them coming back.�

SEVERAL ARENA PROPOSALS AS FAR BACK AS THE MID 1970S NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND. HOWEVER, ONE MONTH AFTER A NON-BINDING REFERENDUM PASSED 53 TO 47 PERCENT IN FAVOR OF AN ARENA, MANCHESTER�S ALDERMEN VOTED ON DECEMBER 15TH, 1998 TO BORROW UP TO FIFTY-MILLION DOLLARS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW MULTI-PURPOSE ARENA. IT BECAME THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT EVER TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY OF MANCHESTER. DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, THERE WAS MUCH ANTICIPATION, BUT THE CITY�S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, JAY TAYLOR, SAYS THERE WERE ALSO MANY WORRIES.

Jay Taylor
#18 (18 sec) �There were a number of concerns, one that this would be a White Elephant. That it would be a drug on the city�s balance sheet. That it would drag the city down, the taxpayer
would be at risk. The second biggest hurdle to overcome was to convince people there would be enough parking.�

ALTHOUGH SOME ARENA PATRONS HAVE TO WALK SIX TO EIGHT BLOCKS FROM PUBLIC GARAGES, THE PARKING PROBLEMS AND TRAFFIC JAMS HAVE NOT MATERIALIZED.

BRINGING HIGH-QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTING EVENTS WAS JUST ONE GOAL FOR THE ARENA. ACCORDING TO TAYLOR, THE CITY ALSO HOPED THE NEW BUILDING WOULD BE A CATALYST IN THE REBIRTH OF THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ARENA.

Jay Taylor
# 20 (18 sec) �While it�s too early to claim victory yet, we haven�t been open even a year yet. It�ll be a year in November. But from all indication, and from the activities going on downtown, the new restaurants, the new businesses that have opened up. There are several new buildings that have been renovated.�

CONCERTS, TRADE SHOWS, AND CONVENTIONS ARE ALL IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA. HOWEVER, THE SPORTS FANS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE MAY BE THE BIGGEST BENEFICIARIES.(sound byte-Monarchs game) WITH FORMER BOSTON BRUIN STAR TED DONATO AND FORMER UNH WILDCAT DEREK BEKAR LEADING THE WAY, THE MANCHESTER MONARCHS OF THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE TOOK THE CITY BY STORM. JEFF EISENBERG, THE MONARCHS GENERAL MANAGER THINKS HE KNOWS WHY.

Jeff Eisenberg
#9 (19 sec) �First of all, we�ve got a great market. It�s a great hockey market. It�s a market that was looking for something to call its own. While we love Boston and Massachusetts, we don�t always want to go down there for our entertainment. People in the immediate region can come to the building, get home in 15 to 20 minutes, you know the price is right. So, it�s a great market first of all.�

IT WAS SO GOOD, THAT THE NUMBER OF FANS ATTENDING MONARCHS GAMES DURING THE SEASON SURPASSED ALL OF EISENBERG�S PROJECTIONS.

Jeff Eisenberg
# 5 (14 sec) �I projected in the low sixes. I was thinking 63-64 hundred was my model. That would have been a viable operation.� BUTT/BYTE #7 (5 sec) � We ended up at 82-hundred, well over what we anticipated.�

ACCORDING TO EISENBERG, THE MONARCHS BECAME MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM.

Jeff Eisenberg
#13 (19 sec) � I think the Monarchs became a rallying point for the city of Manchester and the region, especially in the immediate region. They became something of their own. Something that even n New Hampshire we haven�t had except for the UNH Wildcats. And people like something to rally around.�

AS A RESULT OF THE MONARCHS SUCCESS, THERE�S NOW TALK ABOUT A NEW STADIUM FOR MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN THE QUEEN CITY. CONCORD ATTORNEY, TOM RATH, WHO NEARLY BROUGHT SINGLE-A BASEBALL TO THE CAPITAL CITY IN THE LATE 1990S, SAYS THE COST IS GOING TO BE HIGH FOR A DOUBLE-A FRANCHISE.

Tom Rath:
# 41 (25 sec) �I think to buy a team in Double A which is what the Manchester situation would probably be, it�s going to be somewhere north of 8 million dollars.�BUTT/BYTE �If you started from scratch and had to do all the infrastructure, the roads, the land and everything else, it�s probably 12 to 14 million dollars. So, you put those two together, you�re talking a 20 to 22 million dollar project.�

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ARENA AND A NEW STADIUM IS THAT THE CITY HAS SAID NONE OF ITS MONEY IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW PROJECT. BUT TAYLOR SAYS THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT CAN STILL HELP PROSPECTIVE STADIUM OWNERS.

Jay Taylor
#24 (21 sec) �Well, we own the land in the area where the stadium is being proposed to be built. So that�s one area in which we can contribute either with a long-term lease or some kind of favorable financial terms. We certainly need to be involved in the regulatory aspect of it because all of these plans are going to have to go through site plans and zoning review. We certainly can be helpful there by making the road as smooth as possible.�

WHATEVER ASSISTANCE THE CITY GIVES, RATH OFFERS THIS ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE OWNERS OF A STADIUM.

Tom Rath
#45 (15 sec) �Have deep pockets. Be prepared to do it yourself. The first thing I�d try to do is nail down one side or the other of the equation. Either get the team, or get a commitment to build a stadium I think the other will follow.

WITH OR WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL, THE SPORTS FANS OF MANCHESTER AND NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE BIG GAMES COMING. THE UNH-DARTMOUTH HOCKEY GAME WILL BE BACK THIS COMING SEASON AT THE VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA, AS WILL ANOTHER UNH CONTEST AGAINST AN OPPONENT TO BE NAMED, POSSIBLY MAINE. HOWEVER, ARENA MANAGER TIM BECHERT SAYS PLANS DON�T STOP THERE.

Tim Bechert
#33 (21 sec) �We are working with some of the local colleges to bring basketball into the Arena. We have an absolutely gorgeous court that we would like to utilize more. We are also planning on expanding into professional sports. It�s our hope and I�m very confident we�ll be bringing some NBA basketball to the building. We�ll be bringing NHL Hockey to the building.�

PRESEASON GAMES FOR BOTH THE BOSTON CELTICS AND BOSTON BRUINS SEEM TO BE POSSIBILITIES, AS WELL AS NCAA REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS IN HOCKEY.
THE MONARCHS ARE HERE...THE CELTICS, CHER AND EVEN WWF WRESTLING ARE COMING. APPARENTLY YEAR ONE OF THE VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON MANCHESTER.. AT LEAST ARENA MANAGER TIM BECHERT THINKS SO.

Tim Bechert
#5 (15 sec) �From an entertainment and social standpoint, we�ve certainly given the region an opportunity to see first class sporting events and first class entertainment in their own back yard. Something they don�t have to travel now to see.�

ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS THAT THE ARENA WOULD BE A WHITE ELEPHANT? JAY TAYLOR ISN�T WORRYING ABOUT THAT NOW.

Jay Taylor
#22 (20 sec) � We had a feasibility study done a couple of years ago that suggested that in a year�s time, we might have 130 events and might run 500,000 people through the building. Well, we passed 500,000 people last April and this building had been only open four or five months.�

FOR OUR FOCUS ON MANCHESTER, I�M JIM JEANNOTTE.