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Mayor urges council to restrict ag society from building arena

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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 01:06:21 am CDT

The mayor is pressing the Lincoln City Council to make the Lancaster County Agricultural Society hold off on a new arena until at least 2012, giving the city time to vote on its own arena.

And time to vote again, if the first try fails.

Mayor Chris Beutler wants to build a new arena near the Haymarket and will ask the council to put the issue on the spring ballot. In the meantime, he doesn’t want the Ag Society to build an arena — even if it’s smaller — that could compete with the city’s.

Story Photo
Mayor Chris Beutler (LJS file)

What leverage does the city have?

On Monday, the council votes on whether to approve the Ag Society’s proposed 14-acre development near 84th Street and Havelock Avenue in northeast Lincoln.

The Ag Society hopes a motel, restaurant and other businesses would attract more regional and national events. But the city has tabled those plans since December 2005, largely out of concern about the Ag Society’s plans to someday possibly build an arena.

Beutler wants the council to include in the legislation language restricting the Ag Society from building an arena with more than 2,000 seats before 2012. He also wants it to create an oversight commission to sort out conflicts over competing events.

The Ag Society opposes the restriction.

City officials are worried the Ag Society’s proposal included a site plan for a 6,000-seat arena — although Ag Society officials say that figure is outdated and any future arena would more likely have 3,500 to 4,000 seats.

In a Thursday letter to the council, Beutler wrote that such an arena could host concerts, sporting events, trade shows and other non-ag events that could compete with the city’s arena.

“In other words, at the 6,000 level of seating in an Event Center arena, it would clearly be competing with a new downtown arena,” Beutler wrote.

The Ag Society says it has no immediate plans to build an arena but won’t rule it out in the future.

Alan Wood, an attorney representing the Ag Society, said it doesn’t make sense to restrict the Ag Society from building an arena because it might “compete with something that hasn’t even been approved by the voters.”

And until a new Lincoln arena is approved, he said, an oversight commission would be premature.

“When is it we haven’t worked cooperatively?” he asked.

Although the Ag Society and Wood have said the Event Center caters more to a boots-and-jeans crowd than a chandelier-and-chiffon crowd, the Event Center has nabbed events from Pershing Center.

It’s better equipped than Pershing, for instance, to host some home and trade shows.

On Wednesday, more than 1,200 people came to hear oilman T. Boone Pickens at the Event Center — an event that could have been held at Pershing if not for a Poison concert.

At its last meeting, the council signaled it won’t require the arena promise, because the Ag Society opposes it. But the mayor clearly hopes to change council members’ minds.

“We appreciate the Ag Society’s comments and assurances about working cooperatively together,” Beutler wrote. “However, for the protection of all, I hope that you can agree that this language is important in the memorandum of understanding before moving forward with the four action items requested by the Ag Society.”

Wood said he’s not sure what the Ag Society’s board of directors would do if the city approves an arena restriction.

“What’s the connection between an arena and having a hotel and restaurant at 84th and Havelock?” he asked.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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Comm UnSense wrote on August 22, 2008 5:39 am:
" He wants to stop the Ag Society from building an arena and keep voting on a downtown arena at every election until it passes. Can you feel the new downtown arena being shoved down your throats? "

 Mike in DC wrote on August 22, 2008 6:31 am:
" Let them do it. With high fuel prices and no mass transit, it can't compete with a downtown arena, where thousands of people live walking distance. Nobody is going to do convention-type events out there either. Travelers want the resturants, amenities, and accomodations that only downtown can provide. "

 Who wrote on August 22, 2008 6:50 am:
" Who gave Beutler the OK to play GOD? And whose money does he think he is spending? "

 Alix Gibson wrote on August 22, 2008 6:55 am:
" WOW, this guy is something else. On the one end of town relentless in the pursuit of the area, convention center, development. In NE Lincoln he wants to restrict development until he builds the area. Doug Emery has done a great job of watching over us in northeast Lincoln, I know he won't bow under this heavy handed pressure. "

 Wow wrote on August 22, 2008 7:23 am:
" The Mayor is becoming a tyrant. Do as I want, or you will suffer. He must really want the Haymarket arena to be built, so a good bet is there won't be any vote on it, it's going in regardless of what the people want. First he kills the State Fair, now he wants to make sure the event center isn't successful. "

 jmk wrote on August 22, 2008 7:33 am:
" This is only because he knows so many of us are against HIS arena. Let them build one at the event center. Or better yet, let them work together and put a nice one at the event center and not one in the haymarket. "

 Ros wrote on August 22, 2008 7:40 am:
" It's recently been revealed that Mayor Beutler plans to push for a second vote on the proposed arena if the public votes it down the first time. It is now pretty clear that he and his collaborators plan to try to ram the arena down the public's throat, regardless of the costs, risks, and relative merits and regardless of the public's vote. Fellow taxpayers, expect a massive and completely duplicitous PR (propaganda) campaign. Not one penny of public money should be spent in this campaign. "

 Harvey wrote on August 22, 2008 7:46 am:
" I find it interesting that the mayor is concerned with an ag arena that will hold only 3,500 to 4,500 people instead of the Qwest Center that holds 12-15,000, has a medium-sized airport with a lot of commuting flights, casinos across the river and more attractions that bring conventions which are the life-blood of any convention center.

If the proposed downtown arena is that fragile, maybe it should not be considered. "

 Yup wrote on August 22, 2008 7:56 am:
" Mayor, when your new downtown arena is built, are you going to allow bull riding, monster truck racing in it? Wouldn't it be a good idea to not stand in the way of the ag arena, it would hold the events that you don't want in your new one. "

 stignob wrote on August 22, 2008 7:57 am:
" And I thought this was a free market society? Typical power control from the liberals and the govt. in general. "

 Jo wrote on August 22, 2008 8:03 am:
" Just because the city council has always been about 10 years late - now we all are suppose to wait for them to catch up. Will never happen -- that's why we are losing the State Fair, and never had an arena until the Ag. Society finally built one way out younder. No it is not convenience but at least we have a place to have some of these events. If it is built so small downtown it will be outdated before it is built anyway - we should have thought of this years ago when we were all asking for it. Now they pick a place and shove it down our throats. And, it will not make people happy when it's time to vote either. "

 Harry the Antenna Guy wrote on August 22, 2008 8:11 am:
" Where does the Ag Society get the money to build their arean? From our pockets without our consent. I am tired of the Ag Society sticking it to the tax payers. My opinion is that we should revoke their taxing authority. As far as any arena, the people should have a say in it. If the people approve an arena for the county fairgrounds - Great! If the voters DO NOT want an arena downtown - even better. But we need to have a say on all taxing projects. I don't want the Ag Society going around and perpetuating a tax that shouldn't be on the books any more. "

 Mark wrote on August 22, 2008 8:22 am:
" Look, let's face it. No amount of spin is going to convince voters we need or can afford the arena and convention center. It sounds great, but the fact of the matter is the economy is struggling, taxes just keep going up and up. This whole thing is a boondogle. I have yet to find anyone who supports this, or will vote for it other than a few bloggers who must work for the consultants, or young people who don't own any property and would love for all of us to pay for this. "

 Wow just wow wrote on August 22, 2008 8:24 am:
" Talk about being a bully! I've known all along this arena was going to rammed down our throats; now I have proof. Not only does the mayor not want the Ag Society to build their own arena, but it's supposed to continue to be on a ballot until it passes??? No way. We cannot compete with Omaha and we shouldn't try. I wanted to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt, but no more. I will vote NO every chance I get. If he wants to build it with 100% private funding, then go for it. I will never vote for it to be paid for with tax dollars. "

 out of town wrote on August 22, 2008 8:31 am:
" We attended the Pickens event. Would not have gone if it had not been for easy access and ample free parking that the Event Center provides. "

 No competition wrote on August 22, 2008 8:33 am:
" Anyone in Lincoln attempting to make progress is forced into a non-written "No Competition" agreement with the city of Lincoln. That's why we have very little private investment. The arena downtown will be used s for UNL basketball and a few other events that will primarily draw students and the few downtown residents. It is likely to pass on the ballot because sufficient taxpayer money will be used for PR, scare tactics, and enough of the population believes UNL should get whatever it wants. The consultants (previous story about he arena) were correct in saying that the buildings should be higher. Lincoln is not looking to the future. "

 BYOB wrote on August 22, 2008 9:04 am:
" Exactly, Competing, in other words, this city talks it but doesn't do it and eveyone is tired of following Lincoln's lead that goes no where, the city council should have nothing to say about what goes on - on state land, hopefully the state can attract some new employers too as you can see, the city's not interested in that either.
The connection is Mayor Beutler, we need to attract much needed revenue to our city and state now, not in 2010, the city's been talking about this for years already, boo hoo, get out of the way of progress. "

 Tiger wrote on August 22, 2008 9:11 am:
" And where they want to put it in the haymarket with no parking options or expansion options. And why does it matter if the ag society builds their own arena of course it might just be unthinkable if the city would go in with them on and save money. Oh wait then it wouldn't be going in the haymarket ahhh thats to bad. Hey Mayor instead of spending all this time worrying about someone elses arena maybe just maybe we should try to get some new companies to come to Lincoln. Oh thats right we don't want manufacturing plants in Lincoln anymore or new jobs! "

 Lincolnite wrote on August 22, 2008 9:18 am:
" I agree with some of the comments made above. However, I am curious as why the public is so opposed to an arena. Every other major metropolitan city has an arena because it creates jobs, brings added revenue to the city and keeps young graduates from fleeing to bigger urban areas. Omaha made some mistakes with publicly funding the hotel and convention center. Lincoln officials have done their homework and realize that only arenas make money and that is why they are just pursuing the arena. The real mistake would be continuing with our outdated Pershing facility that gets subsidized becuase it cannot attract quality events. "

 Jeff wrote on August 22, 2008 9:20 am:
" So is the downtown arena going to host horse shows and livestock shows while they've restricted the development of the County Event Center? Do we really think Pershing would have been a good place for the "town hall" type meeting that Pickens just had? Do you think that the County event center can draw first rate horse shows while sitting in the dirty, dusty, noisy aluminum bleachers that they currently have in the multi-purpose arena? Is the downtown arena really on that shakey of ground that they can't justify their existance should a 4000 seat arena be put in on 84th street? There is some overlap in types of events, but it is limited. Horse enthusiasts and livestock enthusiasts lost their facility at State Fair Park and now are going to be restricted by the city? This is getting old. "

 wow..... wrote on August 22, 2008 9:32 am:
" can this guy get any worse? He wants to stop something that would actually be a success and instead build something that will be a failure. Why do people vote for people like this? He is putting it off so the downtown arena will be built and so they can basically so "no we are out of money for a new ag center". Seriously Chris get a clue. "

 Duh wrote on August 22, 2008 9:33 am:
" Haven't any of you figured out that if the Ag Society moves forward with their arena and the city moves forward with the downtown arena, you'll be paying for both...do we really need both? I think Beutler is being smart enough to make sure we don't dual efforts when it's not necessary. Why can't the downtown arena service both "champagne" and "beer" societies? Roadways and parking will be adequate for both downtown. Have some intelligence people, look long term, don't spend $$ now that will be wasted, give the downtown arena a chance! "

 We should....... wrote on August 22, 2008 9:35 am:
" be building the Ag Center instead!! It is much more practical, cheaper and would actually succeed unlike the arena downtown. Where do we find these people? Once again Chris thanks for looking out for the city(sarcasm). "

 Well wrote on August 22, 2008 9:39 am:
" The Ag Society needs the 6,000 seat arena or nothing. Downsizing would
be a waste of money. You bet that downtown arena is being shoved down our
throats!! Downtown provides NOTHING but bars bars bars. The downtown has
been destroyed. Unless you want to get drunk its a sham! Downtown was a
happy place in the 1950's 1960's and the know it alls destroyed it just like they have done to this whole city. People are so sick of this city
they are moving out before they can even sell their house. I know of
three. Several of my neighbors are trying to sell and can't even get
any nibbles!!! People moved here paying overpriced prices for their homes which are being assessed even more and they can't come close to sell
what they paid for them, taking a big loss. Thats what you get living in
Lincoln & Nebraska, you'll always come out on the short end of the stick.
Saw it with my parents and gobs of people, not to mention all the small
towns in Nebraska. I knew this is what we'd get from Beutler and I did not vote for him. You'll pay the price!!! Anybody being paid a huge salary for a part time job on taxpayer money to collect donations for flowers tells me what kind of a conscience that person has. There is and has been too much of those make-up jobs in city government and then
complain of a budget short fall!!!!! I'll guarantee you, they never
went to my Sunday School class or Accounting Class!!!!!! "

 Deja Vu wrote on August 22, 2008 10:12 am:
" Gosh. What another great story about how the city arena is going to be the main location - strike that - the only location for all activities in Lincoln. And you thought the 10 year debate on the State Fair was fun. Good to see the Ag Society and the State Fair have common "friends". "

 Im Confused wrote on August 22, 2008 10:53 am:
" O.K., now I'm confused. I thought the mayor was getting rid of services and leaving them to others because, according to him, the private sector can do it so much better and cheaper than government. After school programs, youth sports, senior programming and the like are all disappearing for most citizens under this administration. All of a sudden, with an arena, we're expected to believe that city government CAN suddenly do it better than others. Can't have it both ways. Will the mayor continue to stiffle economic development because it will compete with a pet project of his (i.e. It's mine . . . all mine!) or will he allow northeast Lincoln to prosper? Killing this project will go a long way to having the Haymarket arena go down to voter defeat. "

 Richard Johnson wrote on August 22, 2008 11:36 am:
" I don't live in Lincoln but why in the world should the Mayor be able to dictate wheter or not the Ag Society can or cannot build an arena? Hasn't the City of Lincoln and the mayor had ample time to improve Pershing to make it more appealing or move forward on a new arena? Why should the Ag Society be penalized for "having their ducks in a row"? "

 Steve wrote on August 22, 2008 11:52 am:
" This arena thing is nuts, it should have been built years ago, we missed the window of opportunity. A venue called the Qwest center filled that need and now the Lancaaster event center is drawing more and it's not a bad location, and has the room, you dont have to move buildings to build. "

 Enough wrote on August 22, 2008 11:56 am:
" First of all I don't think Lincoln should build an arena, We can NOT support one, We can Not compete with the Quest Center. Second WHY can not the City and the County work together. I do not want to spend my hard earn money on somebody dream. I hope people will remember all this at election. FIRE them all. Start over "

 Rhonda wrote on August 22, 2008 12:27 pm:
" The City Council would stoop to the major when the AgSociety has sufficient support for an arena? If you are looking for robust and widespresd development in Lincoln and Lancaster County, then the mayor should be supporting citizens. Beutler is gambling and increasing opposition to the Haymarket arena makes him nervous. He should be, he hasn't gained confidence or support from citizens and will rely on public relations to try to change the publics mind. The Ag Society doesn't have to do that, they have a good business plan that makes sense now. The Coouncil, especially those representing North and SE Lincoln should support the AG Societies initiative to stimulate economic growth and development, thus tax revenue, in the eastern side of the city. "

 Samantha wrote on August 22, 2008 1:08 pm:
" I'm disgusted at the mayor's lack of honesty about what giving the citizens a vote on the arena actually means. In recent days Mayor Beutler has made it clear that he won't respect a "no" vote by the citizens. After an arena is voted down, he plans to intensify efforts with costly PR, propaganda, etc., to force it down our throats through a second vote (or an infinite number of votes). His sleazy tactics seriously undermine his arguments promoting an arena. "

 Lincoln Taxpayer wrote on August 22, 2008 1:13 pm:
" We don't need an arena downtown to be supported by the taxpayers or a horse barn on 84th to be supported by taxpayers. All you have to do is look at your property tax statement to see that any new white elephant on either end of town is going add too much to it.
If you can pry some of the money out of LPS's hands then maybe.
Until then bring on all of the votes you want we will keep voting it down. "

 Dewboy wrote on August 22, 2008 3:33 pm:
" Another meat head for our mayor from the legislature. The voters should give that some serious thought. Secondly, PARKING is projected to cost from $6.00 to $10.00 for the haymarket Arena so quit blabbing about abundant parking. I hope the City Council tells the mayor to shove it. Lets not forget Seng done the same thing to the Ag. group several years ago. Maybe that's where our new mayor gets his advise. Ha! Ha! "

 pj wrote on August 22, 2008 4:15 pm:
" Now I know why I didn't vote for him. "

 Proof please wrote on August 22, 2008 5:01 pm:
" I can't seem to find any information or quotes or news statements saying the Mayor Beutler won't "respect a no vote" that some have said on here.

Too bad there was a local Snopes.com for disproving all the silly statements some are making. What a busy website owner THAT would be. All you have to do is say "arena" or "UML" and the complainers and "Tax Payers / Taxpayers" come out of the woodwork with inaccurate info. "

 Proof please wrote on August 22, 2008 5:02 pm:
" I can't seem to find any information or quotes or news statements saying that Mayor Beutler won't "respect a no vote" that some have said on here.

Too bad there wasn't a local Snopes.com for disproving all the silly statements some are making. What a busy website owner THAT would be. All you have to do is say "arena" or "UML" and the complainers and "Tax Payers / Taxpayers" come out of the woodwork with inaccurate info. "

 Alan wrote on August 22, 2008 7:41 pm:
" I would be far more likely to support the arena if it wasn't downtown. It has to be a pretty compelling reason for me to go downtown and fight the parking and dodge the panhandlers.

I can see that a real up or down vote is slipping away a little everyday. "

 Yup wrote on August 22, 2008 8:27 pm:
" To answer Proof Please, I doubt you'll find a direct link to the statement because Beutler wrote this in a letter to the City Council, but the journalist that wrote this article says "The mayor is pressing the Lincoln City Council to make the Lancaster County Agricultural Society hold off on a new arena until at least 2012, giving the city time to vote on its own arena.

And time to vote again, if the first try fails."

That's proof enough for me to conclude Beutler isn't going to stop if he gets a no vote. "

 whatever wrote on August 22, 2008 9:33 pm:
" The Ag Society's concept for an arena will work better than what Lincoln is thinking. Either go head to head with the Qwest and build a better arena or don't do it at all. But the sad reality is Lincoln is pretty much off the map at this point. When you are planning a tour do you go with a top 10 world class venue that has a history of drawing crowds, or do you go with a smaller venue with much smaller population base and "hope for the best"? Lincoln needs to rethink it's future and it's future roll in the State of Nebraska. Lincoln had an opportunity to do it right but time and again they make the wrong decision. Lincoln doesn't have the population nor the money to compete head to head with Omaha. Stop Lincoln, think Lincoln and move in a different direction that will make you unique. Don't play at the high stakes table when all you have is a 5 dollar bill. "

 wonderwhy wrote on August 23, 2008 1:49 am:
" Lincolnites,you better wake up before your suckered into building an arena for the university,you've already lost the State Fair to them,Can we get some real leaders to run this town,who are not afraid of the university and the 2015 group,maybe we can get someone to come down from Omaha and do it,If we had a mayor for the people,he wouldn't be jealous of the event centers success,he'd be celebrating it "

 How about this wrote on August 23, 2008 2:17 pm:
" What is it about Lincoln that the city feels it needs to restrict free competition? Omaha didn't whine when Council Bluffs built the Mid America Center. The two venues do compete for some things, not all. Competition is a healthy thing. The President of MECA, which runs the Qwest Center said he welcomes a new arena in Lincoln. Maybe he should have run to the Legislature instead and insisted that Lincoln be prohibited from building a new arena because it might take away from the Qwest Center. For years Lincoln restricted movie theaters outside of downtown...are you kidding me? What is it with Lincoln? "

 Yeah wrote on August 23, 2008 4:52 pm:
" Let's get the leaders from Omaha to show us how it's done. Then we can build a downtown ballpark that gets used 2 weeks out of the year for CWS. In the meantime the Royals leave town. Yep, that's why I want out of a leader. And let's not get started with the Omaha Police compared to LPD. (notice anything recently about the daily shootings up north?)

Yep, let's be just our big brothers. Thanks, but I'll stick with UNL and the leaders they provide, but you can sure head up to the Big O. Just don't forget the flak jacket. "

 wat wrote on August 23, 2008 6:59 pm:
" Mike in DC: not to play on hokey stereotypes, but I can tell you're from "out of town." I would say most people have no problem driving around Lincoln, and the minimal amount of time it takes to get across a town this size. Personally, I would rather go to the events center where I know I can get parking and won't have to fight hours of traffic afterwards. Public transit doesn't run at 11:00 to midnight after a concert, and I don't know many people who would utilize it anyways. I know just as many people who refuse to go downtown as those who would refuse to go to the NE side of town; and it doesn't matter anyways, because very few of them would make up attendance at events. And while there is a sizeable downtown population, a major portion of them disappear in the summer (students) and other within-walking-distance areas are generally blue-collar, working, and renter based areas. I personally can't afford to attend every event that I want to, so I do not think regular attendance from people within "walking distance" would be of much consequence. Many events targeting younger crowds (myself included) are more about what TYPE of event it is... most of us are willing to travel for it. I've attended more concerts in Omaha this year, and in many years past it's been the same story. If Lincoln draws in events I'm interested in, I'll attend here. It's about quality, too. And I don't know if the city of Lincoln wants to attract the type of event I'm interested in on a regular basis. They seem to act more like the old man shaking his finger than wanting to be a part of anything. "

 shane wrote on August 23, 2008 10:39 pm:
" Even Grand Island and Kearney can step to the table and build an arena. This is not about anyone "getting suckered" into anything but whether Lincoln wants to get with the program or fall back in the pack. It sure is funny that Pershing was able to get along just fine even though Omaha had Civic Auditorium. Now we assume that a Lincoln arena could not co-exist with the Quest Center. And when all else fails we can paint the University as an evil entity and blame them for Lincoln's failure to understand you have to INVEST money to MAKE money "

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