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."
Dolton declined to comment about the negotiations when reached by phone Wednesday.
"We have a very good relationship with Virginia Beach," Dolton said.
Dolton and Ricketts had been working on moving the camp from Ashburn, just outside Washington, D.C., to the Beach's Sportsplex.
Some city officials and business leaders saw the potential move as a marketing boost for Virginia Beach and a way to rescue the Sportsplex. The Sportsplex lost its main client, the Virginia Beach Mariners minor-league soccer team, last year.
The talks began in earnest in September when Redskins representatives toured the Sportsplex and the Founder's Inn, the hotel on the grounds of Regent University, where the team probably would have had its housing for the camp. Because Redskins officials asked for discretion, just a handful of city staff members were told who was visiting.
The Founder's Inn sales director was informed only that "a client with a potential new high-profile event" wanted a tour, according to e-mails obtained from the city through the Freedom of Information Act.
The Virginia Beach City Council was told in December about the Redskins' interest, but then surprises in the football season sidetracked any negotiations. The Redskins made it to the playoffs. Longtime coach Joe Gibbs retired. Owner Dan Snyder conducted a month-long search for a new coach, Jim Zorn. Assistant coaches had to be hired.
Beach officials continued providing the Redskins data about the city, the Founder's Inn and the Sportsplex through the winter. But the discussions never reached the point where Snyder or the coach, the key decision-makers, visited the Sports-plex, Ricketts said.
"We just ran out of time," he said.
Some City Council members said the public interest wasn't there.
"I think there was lukewarm enthusiasm from the community," Councilman Jim Wood said. "The diehard fans were enthusiastic, but in the end, there was no financial case made for it."
City officials probably will start talks in the fall with the Redskins about possibly bringing the training camp to the area in 2010, Herbert said.
That could give them more time to explore private funding and to get other cities in South Hampton Roads involved in the negotiations, he said.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Upload Your Video
iTunes Podcast
Video Feeds
Watch The Dot
Maybe next year
I think the Beach could easily recoup $2.5 million. Sell some tickets to some practices. Not to mention housing and other expenses of fans would come to the Beach to see them practice. Maybe a few more players would buy property at the beach, like Chris Samuels.
A Pro Team in Tidewater?
With all of the short-sighted folks in this area, is it any wonder that no professional sports team really considers this area, regardless of the large population here? Main reason, though, it that this region already leads the nation in it's most popular sport: ARGUMENT, with nothing accomplished.
It wasn't on the radar
I don't believe it was ever on city council's radar but it was on the economic department's radar... City Council just said, "No."
Landover, Maryland Redskins
Do we want Landover's leftovers? Would it be a tourist attraction in July-August? It probably would, but would it offset the 2.5 million cost to bring them here? If it couldn't bring one penny over 2.5 million to Hampton Roads economy, then it would be a bad investment. How many people visited western maryland to watch the Redskins train in the 90s?? Where do they come up with the figure of 2.5 million?? Someone wisely stated that this is a marketing opportunity for them. How much does Oxnard, CA pay for the Cowboys? There are many questions to ask. The biggest question is why would VA want to support a Maryland team? The wisest investment is to spend money that is returned to our economy or increases our economy.
BIG Mistake by Virginia Beach
Redskin fans travel in droves to watch the team in training camp, and they spend lots of money, too. PA was too far away, so they moved camp to DC. That had too many distractions because of the media (nothing is bigger in DC than the Redskins). People would love to come to VB to be able to see the team train, plus vacation at the Beach at the same time.
2.5 million is nothing compared to the money the team would bring to the city and the area. VB officials blew this one (as usual)
Mr Bailey writes "I believe
Mr Bailey writes "I believe Wood was correct and there has been no case made to fund this idea. I think it was a wise move not to approve this project."
Mr. Bailey, it shouldn't have even been on the radar.
Irony
I'm not a Redskins fan in the slightest, but even I could see the potential this project had for the city, considering the high number of Skins fans in the area. With the proximity to Washington/NOVA/Maryland, it could bring in tons of fans, and probably give the Sportsplex its best turnout in the 10 or 12 years of its existence. Why start being practical now?
Funny (if not ironic) that the Beach decides not to spend taxpayer money on a project that actually has legs to it...unless you're a Cowboys fan like me lol. ;-)
Too Bad..
Bummer!..:( I was hoping VA Beach would continue it's habit of throwing money around like it grows on trees. Of course the one time I want them to do that...they back away. Just my luck! I would have loved training camp to be held here! Cancel those plans for more "downtown" VA Bch buildings and bring on the Skins! Hail yeah!
Confused
After all the years of VB council inept spending spree, they finally stepped back and looked at the bleak picture. Council actually said there was some crazy scheme they could not afford? Actually thought about the taxpayer and the waste? Is spore on vacation?
Heh
Never follow bad money with good? Spend more money to try to rescue the Sportsplex? Why not cut losses and move on. The training camp stuff seems like it's marketing for the Redskins, so perhaps they should fund it to build customer base.
IMO: Wood was correct
I believe Wood was correct and there has been no case made to fund this idea. I think it was a wise move not to approve this project.
To Jasona
Ha Ha Ha....grrrrrrr
Virginia Beach spends more money on vanity projects....
....but has no money to fix our streets. Please, no more playhouses, unneeded pavillions, soccer stadiums, multi story cheesecake factories and the like.
NBA
We need the NBA here. They will fill seats. Hockey? Who cares about hockey? AS for the Redskins, the beach should have just offered to pay them by the point. That would have been a bargain.
skins
good one jason.....not
Good move
Why should we pay to watch a bunch of people who really don't care about us. Professional athletes have made it known long ago, there just in it for the money. I can't understand why people pay money to watch people who really don't care about them. i would prefer to have my own life than watch other people's lives.
Just wait
If you want to see the Redskins play like they're in training camp, just wait for the regular season.
2.5 million
As wealthy as these football teams are, the city shouldn't pay a dime of taxpayer money to host these teams. The SportsPlex was a mistake and it should be sold immediately so someone else can risk their own money to make it work.
Huh!
First of all I'm not a Redskin fan and not a big pro football follower. I believe though that since training camp is in the July-August timeframe, and at the height of tourist season, this would be a big tourist attraction. Also it would help fill the void of the failed soccer complex. Where can the city loose? They have frittered away multiple millions on questionable and failed projects. As a matter of fact they just spent over two million on a piece of property at the oceanfront that they may not be able to use until 2016. Please help me with this logic!