By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – The city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena needs more financial aid from Bloomington taxpayers.
The city council on Monday will be asked to spend $375,000 from the general fund so the downtown venue can maintain a positive cash flow.
Aldermen have agreed to cash transfers in previous years, but this latest request from arena manager VenuWorks comes at a time when the council is looking for ways to reduce a structural budget deficit.
Acting City Manager Steve Rasmussen said city government and VenuWorks want the arena to break even.
“We believe they can make it a break even proposition, and that’s what we’re working for,” said Rasmussen.
“It will help the psychology of that, and the politics with it, and it certainly will help our deficit problems,” Rasmussen added.
A staff report to the city council said VenuWorks has made solid efforts to boost revenue heading into the arena’s busiest time, from January through April. Management has also booked three concerts, which generated some positive news.
However, the staff report said negative publicity about the criminal theft case against five former arena managers may have contributed to the difficulty in finding new sponsors and selling arena suites.
Fewer-than-expected bookings and the hockey team’s refusal to play home games in September and October without upgrades to dasher boards and glass also did not help the bottom line.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
