Discussions with council members are expected to begin soon. Reed's office said a long-form version of the agreement is currently being drafted, with final terms expected to be ready in early January. The deal, which essentially will extend current car rental taxes being collected for infrastructure improvements near Philips, must be authorized by the City Council. After current arena debt is paid off, the team would pay $5.9 million per year in annual rent through the life of the lease, which includes a $200 million "break-up fee" to keep the franchise from leaving. The Hawks committed to$50 million and agreed to extend their lease by 18 years to 2046. Reed agreed to spend $142.5 million upfront on the Philips overhaul, mostly from car rental taxes. Key members of the city's electorate are what Owens called "pro-growth" voters. Though many voters are outspoken in their distaste for public arena funding, Reed suffered no political consequences for making a deal with the Falcons, cruising to re-election against weak competition. "This remains one of the big cleavages: To what degree should municipal revenue be devoted to private activity?" Owens said. In the case of Woolard, a former City Council president, Owens said she also is re-introducing herself to the electorate. Michael Leo Owens, a political science professor at Emory University, said candidates are jockeying for position in a crowded field, with opponents casting themselves as "defenders of the public purse." "I believe in problem solving not scoring political points," he said.
It's about being a good steward of a city-owned asset."īy contrast, Fort said recently, "This is another instance where billionaires are making out like nobody's business and the citizens of the city are getting very little in return."Ĭandidate Peter Aman, Reed's one-time chief operating officer, said there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered before anyone can back or reject the plan and wonders if some are jumping the gun.
But she said the project would be a boon to Atlanta's hospitality community. Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms,Ī key negotiator in the deal, is a hearty backer, while competitors including Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Councilwoman Mary Norwood and businessman Peter Aman, have been more sanguine.īottoms, who threw her hat in the ring to run for mayor just days before news of the Hawks deal broke, is also head of the Atlanta-Fulton Recreational Authority that owns Philips and will recuse herself from voting.
#Philips arena pro
Taxpayer funding of arenas is highly controversial, with most economic studies finding they are not wise uses of public dollars, yet the Hawks deal also would be the third major publicly financed pro sports arena project in the Atlanta area in the past few years.Ĭandidates Cathy Woolard and Vincent Fort have come out swinging against the proposal, calling it a giveaway to a billionaire.
The dust-up over Philips Arena is a sign the mayor's race is finally capturing political oxygen in the wake of last month's presidential election. While Atlanta won't choose a new mayor until next November, the plan to spend millions in taxpayer dollars to renovate Philips Arena is revealing early differences among those looking to succeed Kasim Reed.
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