VA Beach Decides Against Hosting Training Camp

[riggins44]

hamptonroads.com/2008/04/25-million-host-skins-beach-opts-pass-now

$2.5 million to host Skins? Beach opts to pass, for now
Posted to: News Redskins Virginia Beach
More Redskins news

By Deirdre Fernandes
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 24, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH

The city has sacked any hope of luring the Washington Redskins to Virginia Beach next year for training camp.

After more than seven months of negotiations, Jim Ricketts, director of the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau, cut off discussions with the Redskins about the camp in early April.

"We value our relationship with the Washington Redskins and would like to leave the door open for further discussion at a time when the city's financial position has improved," Ricketts wrote in an April 4 e-mail to Dave Dolton, a Redskins vice president.

Beach officials said they didn't want to spend $2.5 million in taxpayer money during a tight budget year to bring the NFL team's training camp to the resort city.

D elays in negotiations with the team made raising that amount from private sources before the summer of 2009 impossible, city officials said.

"We didn't have the time to have sponsorships lined up," said Steve Herbert, the city's chief development officer. "We certainly weren't going to make it a budget item."

There is more to the article if want to read all.

I was hoping it would come to VA Beach, because it would be so convenient
for me. Maybe they will move it back to Carlisle.

[skinsfan_nn]

That doesn't surprise me at all. They can just squeeze by keeping minor league sports going on that side of the water. Make a worthy investment (think of the return) and spend the money and get the Redskins down here for camp, never happen!

They just don't have enough sense or in this case I guess they can cry dollars.

[KB24]

I'd LOVE to see training camp return to Carlisle!

[onlydarksets]

Is this full blown training camp or that weekend at the beach thing?

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by onlydarksets

Is this full blown training camp or that weekend at the beach thing?

Full blown training camp. The other thing at the beach the skins are involved in is The Redskins Beach Blitz.

[onlydarksets]

Thanks. That sucks for you guys down there. And for me - my in-laws live in VA Beach. That said, it's good to see them showing a little fiscal responsibility. If they can't afford it, they shouldn't be buying it.

[SkinEmAll]

whats the big deal about carlisle? isnt it further away than ashburn? just wondering.

[WaldSkins]

Originally Posted by riggins44

hamptonroads.com/2008/04/25-million-host-skins-beach-opts-pass-now

$2.5 million to host Skins? Beach opts to pass, for now
Posted to: News Redskins Virginia Beach
More Redskins news

By Deirdre Fernandes
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 24, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH

The city has sacked any hope of luring the Washington Redskins to Virginia Beach next year for training camp.

After more than seven months of negotiations, Jim Ricketts, director of the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau, cut off discussions with the Redskins about the camp in early April.

"We value our relationship with the Washington Redskins and would like to leave the door open for further discussion at a time when the city's financial position has improved," Ricketts wrote in an April 4 e-mail to Dave Dolton, a Redskins vice president.

Beach officials said they didn't want to spend $2.5 million in taxpayer money during a tight budget year to bring the NFL team's training camp to the resort city.

D elays in negotiations with the team made raising that amount from private sources before the summer of 2009 impossible, city officials said.

"We didn't have the time to have sponsorships lined up," said Steve Herbert, the city's chief development officer. "We certainly weren't going to make it a budget item."

There is more to the article if want to read all.

I was hoping it would come to VA Beach, because it would be so convenient
for me. Maybe they will move it back to Carlisle.

i hope so, its only 20 min away.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by skinsfan_nn

That doesn't surprise me at all. They can just squeeze by keeping minor league sports going on that side of the water. Make a worthy investment (think of the return) and spend the money and get the Redskins down here for camp, never happen!

They just don't have enough sense or in this case I guess they can cry dollars.

The last major sports investment, The VB Sportsplex is losing approximately $ 500K per yr.

I would love to see training camp down here. I live 5 minutes from the Sportsplex, but I also do some business with the City of VB and they definitely are under a serious budget crunch due to the real estate slowdown.

I don't really know what major return Virginia Beach would see. The Redskins would have a majority of the concessions and the hotels people would stay at would most likely be in Chesapeake due to the cost vs. Oceanfront hotels. There are no hotels within about 7-8 miles of the Sportsplex. Other than some purchases at local stores and restaurants the return would be next to nothing, compared to a $ 2.5M investment. As a taxpayer, I'd be pretty pissed-off if the City did this.

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

The last major sports investment, The VB Sportsplex is losing approximately $ 500K per yr.

I would love to see training camp down here. I live 5 minutes from the Sportsplex, but I also do some business with the City of VB and they definitely are under a serious budget crunch due to the real estate slowdown.

I don't really know what major return Virginia Beach would see. The Redskins would have a majority of the concessions and the hotels people would stay at would most likely be in Chesapeake due to the cost vs. Oceanfront hotels. There are no hotels within about 7-8 miles of the Sportsplex. Other than some purchases at local stores and restaurants the return would be next to nothing, compared to a $ 2.5M investment. As a taxpayer, I'd be pretty pissed-off if the City did this.

Being a resort city I think your a little off on where people would be willing to stay and/or spend their money for a weekend getaway or whatever the case might be. I think most people coming to VA. beach would stay at the waterfront, on the ocean vs. driving to Chesapeake, which would mean a good piece of revenue in itself, not to include dinning, shopping, gas, and all the little things you buy while on the road that add up to alot.

And if they had done any decent pre-planning with this amount of time to work with, (they didn't start on this yesterday) the could have probably raised most of the funds through private investors to begin with. This is typical VA. beach, business as usual.

[backrow]

From having lived in the Norfolk/Va. Beach area for 35 years, the Beach is quite booked thru the summer already. TC at the Sportsplex was a pipe dream. Va Beach will never opt for anything remotely Major League or Professional in nature. There is a BIG rift between the Beach and every other Tidewater city in regards to Sports hosting.

Keep your reservations for Summer TC at Redskins Park.

The Beach won't even connect the dots with Norfolk in a Light Rail agreement. Folks live at the Beach and commute to the Naval Base. Sensibility does not hold a seat on the Beach Council.

[81forHOF]

I live 7 miles from Carlisle....Bring it on Back Baby!!!!

[KLHJ2]

It's only about 20 min from me right now so I really don't mind that it's not leaving.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by skinsfan_nn

Being a resort city I think your a little off on where people would be willing to stay and/or spend their money for a weekend getaway or whatever the case might be. I think most people coming to VA. beach would stay at the waterfront, on the ocean vs. driving to Chesapeake, which would mean a good piece of revenue in itself, not to include dinning, shopping, gas, and all the little things you buy while on the road that add up to alot.

And if they had done any decent pre-planning with this amount of time to work with, (they didn't start on this yesterday) the could have probably raised most of the funds through private investors to begin with. This is typical VA. beach, business as usual.

Agreed this is typical Va Beach, as a tax-paying citizen I am embarassed to say that. The City Council isn't the sharpest bunch and they're pretty much bought & paid for by the hotels & developers.

But my point is as backrow said, the Oceanfront is normally booked and the prices jacked up so unless a family has already booked a vacation here (in which case training camp isn't creating the revenue) people coming down just for camp will probably opt to stay in the more reasonably priced hotels in Chesapeake in the Greenbrier area. Travel from Greenbrier to the Sportplex vs. the Oceanfront to the Sportsplex is actually faster from Greenbrier without traffic.

The things people buy are great, but the City would only be getting the local taxes charged on food. The amount of revenue to the City would be minimal compared to a $ 2.5M investment. If private sponsors want to pony up then great (and yes the City should've been working this well in advance), but no way the City should foot the bill for this. There is really no tangible ROI for the City.

[riggins44]

It would have been a big financial boom for the area. With the chance that Navy could pull jets from Oceana and possible loss of a carrier at Norfolk, Redskin Training Camp would go a long way to easing the pain.

I agree that VA Beach dropped the ball on this one. Maybe the Skins will
look at Williamsburg as a possible destination again. That would be even
easier for me to get to.