St. Louis arena renovation(next phase)

[mikecubs]

Scottrade Center needs major renovation, Blues say

Regardless of whether a new $1 billion National Football League stadium gets built along St. Louis' north Mississippi riverfront, funding for sports facilities will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future.

St. Louis Blues owner Tom Stillman says the Scottrade Center is in desperate need of an upgrade, and has met with city of St. Louis officials on what a renovation could include and how it can be financed.

“All around the league, particularly in the NBA and NHL, arenas around the 20-year mark tend to go through a major renovation and that is going to be necessary at the Scottrade Center — probably even more so (in St. Louis) than in other markets,” he said while speaking on a panel at a Washington University business of sports seminar. “We are in the early stages of planning a renovation... Obviously part of the aim is to be the best possible home for the NHL and the St. Louis Blues, but Scottrade plays a key role in bringing other big events to St. Louis, like major concerts and other sporting events like NCAA March Madness. We’re not going to continue to draw those events unless we upgrade the arena significantly.”
Blues officials declined to discuss the matter further beyond Blues CEO Chris Zimmerman saying the organization still isn't at a point “where we have meaningful feedback on the plans for the building.”
Mary Ellen Ponder, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's chief of staff, said she's seen preliminary presentations from the Blues, but didn't know how much renovations might cost. Ponder said she expects more details later this year.

Scottrade Center was built for around $200 million and opened (as the Kiel Center) in 1994. Stillman said significant upgrades haven’t been made to the arena in some time, as “the franchise hasn’t exactly been awash in cash.” The Blues, with revenue of around $100 million, are the sixth-least-valuable team in the NHL, worth $235 million, according to Forbes. Of that valuation, about $65 million is attributed to the Scottrade Center’s value.
Neil deMause, a New York City-based author who tracks stadium development news, said there’s no limit on renovation costs, as it’s essentially “what the team owner thinks he can get away with asking for.”

In Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning are nearing completion on a $25 million overhaul of the Amalie Arena, about half of which came from Hillsborough County, which owns the facility, funded through a hotel bed tax. Those costs cover a completely rebuilt club level concourse, new loge suites, concession stands, restrooms, locker rooms, performer rooms, and media and hospitality spaces, and upgrades to the arena's technological capabilities. The Tampa arena opened in 1996.
Patrick Rishe, Washington University’s sports business program director, said the Blues would likely look to improve some suites, but put more focus on improving the “underbelly of the facility.”
“Things like better interview rooms, locker rooms and dressing rooms,” he said. Rishe also said the Blues could benefit financially by upgrading the Scottrade Center’s technological output. He cited as an example, the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center, which is paying VenueNext, a tech firm founded by the San Francisco 49ers, to build an all-inclusive mobile app for the team.
“That would enhance the facility’s revenue and improve the game experience from a fan’s perspective,” Rishe said.

www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2015/10/01/scottrade-center-needs-major-renovation-blues-say.html

[mikecubs]

Let football go! An arena renovation would be a much better use of the money. A football stadium is a big empty box that will be filled 10 times a year and cost you $388M and you don't even know what will happen long term with concussions in football.

[mikecubs]

Scottrade, Convention Center to seek millions for upgrades

As the proposed $1 billion riverfront football stadium becomes a memory, big-ticket upgrades to two downtown facilities will soon tug at the public purse.

On Friday, officials from the St. Louis Blues and the regional St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission met with city and county leaders about the future of the Scottrade Center and the city’s convention center complex, discussing renovations that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, although a firm price tag isn’t known.

The meeting, at the St. Louis County government building in Clayton, included wish lists for the two large-scale venues, but no official proposals. Renovation of Scottrade Center — the home of the hockey club and the site of other sporting events and countless concerts — is expected to top $100 million, city officials said.

A separate remodel of America’s Center would probably cost well over $120 million, leaders said. And the attached Edward Jones Dome, which the St. Louis Rams vacated to move to California, will need upgrades, too, they said.

“We’re looking at this as a boost for the region’s tourism industry,” said Mary Ellen Ponder, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay’s chief of staff. “But right now it’s basically us listening to their needs.”

The projects are expected to be packaged together in an effort to maximize public financing from potential sources including the city, county, and state of Missouri. It comes as area leaders exhale after months of negotiating over a failed bid to keep the Rams in St. Louis.

“There’s been so much noise for the last several years about the football team lease, and the dome, and then the new stadium,” said Convention Center President Kitty Ratcliffe. “It would not have been the right time — any time in the last several years — to get anybody’s attention. We’re now getting down to it.”

Ratcliffe said the convention center had commissioned a study, due in the next few weeks, on improvements aimed at keeping the facility attractive to convention planners. The connected Jones Dome, she said, will need upgrades to ensure it is “ideally suited” for conventions, now that football is gone.

But she said officials already knew some needed improvements: In order to better use the Dome, they’ll need to better link the convention center to the stadium, which could cost about $20 million. “No matter what we do, that is a critical piece,” she said. “We have bottlenecks.”

An old, privately owned garage is now stuck in the middle of the convention center. In its place, Ratcliffe said she’d like access corridors, kitchens, loading docks and a much larger ballroom. That would probably add more than $100 million more, she said.

“Some of that is not very sexy,” she said. “But … our competitors are building, while we’ve been doing nothing.”

Ratcliffe wouldn’t even guess at the cost of Jones Dome upgrades.

She said contractors launched the study in March and would finish in the next few weeks.

The Convention Center expanded in the early 1990s at a cost of about $120 million. The city is still paying down those bonds. In addition, the city, county and state together still owe $100 million for the Edward Jones Dome.

The Scottrade Center, formerly known as the Kiel Center, is now more than 20 years old. It opened in 1994 with the Blues as its signature tenant. The $170 million project received $62.4 million in tax-exempt financing. The site is owned by the city of St. Louis and leased to the Blues, who operate and manage the facility.

“We have a 21-year-old building that has had some investment over that time period, but we also know it’s at a point where it’s starting to fall behind with other cities who we compete with,” said Blues CEO of business operations Chris Zimmerman.

Zimmerman added: “We don’t have a plan yet. What we’re doing is developing plans so the building is effective and competitive for the next 30 years.”

Though a complete renovation hasn’t been finalized, operators hope to install wireless Internet to improve cellphone reception, replace the seating, build better locker rooms and hospitality areas and update the broadcast control room, among other things.

Proponents say the Scottrade improvements are necessary for the facility to compete for national events such as NCAA basketball tournament games or Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships.

The Blues represent about 40 percent of the annual event days at the building.

Zimmerman wouldn’t discuss how much the total cost would be or how much would come from tax dollars. The Blues haven’t received significant ongoing tax support in the past. The city abated its 5 percent amusement tax for the Blues, but that money goes toward payment of bonds for the recent renovation of the attached Peabody Opera House.

Ponder said it was too early to know how much of the potential Scottrade renovation would come from public coffers. She said the city would work with the team, but she said it wouldn’t be the mayor’s top priority.

“Keeping NGA and fighting crime is our 100 percent focus,” Ponder said, referring to the sprawling effort to keep the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency within the city’s borders and to reduce the crime rate.

It appears the city will have help from St. Louis County for Scottrade and the Convention Center. The county had bowed out of the recent Rams stadium financing package over a lack of a public vote.

“St. Louis County is in ongoing discussions with the City of St. Louis and the Convention and Visitors Commission regarding potential enhancements to the Convention Center and Scottrade Center, as well as other investments in our region’s tourism and hospitality industry,” said a statement from Cordell Whitlock, the spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.

www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scottrade-convention-center-to-seek-millions-for-upgrades/article_7c9fd162-b7fd-5b8a-8bc7-98c2ac0ac6f9.html

[mikecubs]

Scottrade renovation cost put at $160 million

Remodeled concourses, a bigger scoreboard and an enclosed beer garden are part of a $160 million renovation plan for Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis.

Plans are preliminary but include revamped seating areas and a larger team store for the St. Louis Blues, who operate and manage the city-owned arena.

Scottrade Center, formerly known as the Kiel Center, opened in 1994 with the Blues as its main tenant after a $170 million remodeling project. That project had received $62.4 million in tax-exempt financing.

No more Blues games will be played at Scottrade this spring. The San Jose Sharks eliminated the Blues from the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 5-2 victory Wednesday night in San Jose.

Officials of the Blues and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission have discussed with city and St. Louis County leaders renovations of Scottrade Center and America’s Center.

Renovation of Scottrade took a step forward Tuesday when the city’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority approved a resolution stating its intent to issue $160 million in industrial revenue bonds to finance the project.

No bonds would be issued before a renovation financing agreement is reached, which officials hope will happen this year. The LCRA resolution could allow the Blues to make some Scottrade improvements this summer and receive reimbursement for their costs later when a final renovation agreement is reached, a source said Thursday.

Phil Siddle, the Blues’ chief financial officer, told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday the team plans to spend about $10 million this summer to redo the outdated control room for the current scoreboard and replace the original water condenser loop system, cooling towers, pumps and piping for the hockey rink’s ice plant.

That work will begin soon because the hockey season is over.

“Now that we know our fate, we can start that pretty quickly,” said Siddle, adding that the plan is to complete the work in September.

He told LCRA board members this week that Scottrade needs major upgrades to keep pace with newer or remodeled professional sports arenas in other cities.

Under the preliminary Scottrade plan, walls behind concession stands would be removed to give visitors views into the seating area, Siddle told board members. Modernized concession stands and remodeled locker rooms also are planned.

A big part of the project would be construction of an enclosed beer garden on Scottrade’s plaza facing Clark Avenue. The two-level facility, which would be attached to the main building, might operate year round, Siddle said.

In addition to 41 regular-season Blues games, Scottrade’s approximately 120 annual events include other sports and concerts.

Siddle told LCRA board members that Scottrade’s original bonds were paid off in 2006.

In addition to renovation of Scottrade, officials have discussed a plan to remodel America’s Center and the attached Dome, which the Rams vacated to move to Los Angeles. That project could cost more than $120 million, officials have said.

The Scottrade and America’s Center projects — including upgrades to the Dome at America’s Center — were expected to be packaged together in an effort to maximize public financing from potential sources including the city, county, and state of Missouri, officials said in January.

www.stltoday.com/business/local/scottrade-renovation-cost-put-at-million/article_69c80511-8c0b-5ca6-b0e4-c3a36d04760b.html

[Bruinsfan]

funny rams leave and everyone wants money

[mikecubs]

If the Rams would have stayed this would have happened anyway. The arena was built in 1994. It's time for an update.

[mikecubs]

Scottrade renovations begin, seek to reinvigorate 23-year-old arena

After 23 years of use and more than 35 million people streaming through its doors, Scottrade Center is getting a face-lift in order to continue attracting sporting events and concerts.

“When your house is 22 or 23 years old and you haven’t been able to afford any significant upgrades or renovations, you’re going to find things start to go wrong,” said Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, a nonprofit that works to bring sporting events to the region.

Phase one of a two-plus-year project to renovate the arena began Monday and is set to be finished by Sept. 2. That 10-week time frame gives an ample buffer before the next scheduled event, an Ed Sheeran concert Sept. 17.

Alex Rodrigo, group vice president of operations for the St. Louis Blues, doesn’t intend to use that buffer — or to let the project get off track.

“There’s always a chance (for complications),” Rodrigo said, “but preparation, awareness and intentions hopefully set you up to deal with those things.”

Phase one comprises 17 major projects to update various aspects of the building, from the ice plant that makes and maintains the ice for Blues games, to a new 40-by-40-foot video cube above the rink. Other improvements include new wheelchair lifts, a curtain system to partition the arena for smaller events, a new sound system and restroom renovations throughout the building.

“We’re buying from the top of the shelf, not the bottom of the shelf,” Rodrigo said, emphasizing that the project won’t skimp on quality. The arena will also get lighting and signage updates to continue attracting NCAA tournament games like those coming in 2018.

The renovations “really mean a lot to keeping St. Louis competitive,” Viverito said. With brand-new stadiums and arenas popping up across the country, Scottrade had begun to fall short on providing both the technology and fan experience necessary for attracting high-profile events.

Viverito cites the NCAA men’s wrestling championships as evidence of the changing market. Just three cities bid on the first championships St. Louis hosted in 2000; 23 cities were bidding on the 2021 championships, which also were awarded to St. Louis.

“When the odds have changed so dramatically, a city simply can’t afford to fall behind competitively,” Viverito said.

A report prepared by Johnson Consulting and given to Missouri legislators in March said visitors to Scottrade spend nearly $170 million a year, producing an average of about $11 million in annual tax revenue for the state. Together with the adjoining Peabody Opera House, the complex fills nearly 55,000 hotel rooms a year, the report said. The goal of the renovations is primarily to maintain those numbers.

While future events are something to look forward to, St. Louisans will miss out on some notables this summer, including Bruno Mars’ American tour. Scottrade Center managers worked to reschedule events around the renovation timeframe and to minimize any potential effects. But according to Rodrigo, “there’s a small window of opportunity for us to accomplish this,” and not every event could be accommodated.


When Scottrade reopens, event patrons will notice other visible improvements, including a section of new “theater boxes.”

The theater boxes offer a new seating option, complete with food, cocktails and a luxury view. The boxes are more flexible than traditional boxes, offering more open seating for groups of two to eight people. Rodrigo said the boxes were an effort to provide something innovative.

A new outdoor biergarten, planned for a later phase, will not be limited to event ticket-holders. Situated outside the arena on Clark Street, the space will serve food and drinks year-round.

Not all of St. Louis has been excited about the arena’s renovations.

Though the building is owned by the city and leased to the Blues, who operate and manage it, some city aldermen have taken issue with what they see as a focus on sports, potentially diverting money from public safety to private enterprise.

The Board of Aldermen approved $64 million in bonds in January to help finance the renovations.

“We made a commitment as an organization to do these improvements over a year ago,” Rodrigo said. “The investments that are going into the building stay with the building … to set it up for success over the next 20 years.”

Some work will happen during the Blues’ 2017-2018 season before phase two begins over the course of 10 weeks in summer 2018.

Scottrade Center, which opened in 1994 as the Kiel Center, cost $170 million to build at the time, with $62.4 million in tax-exempt financing.

www.stltoday.com/entertainment/scottrade-renovations-begin-seek-to-reinvigorate--year-old-arena/article_19adc339-076a-5a6b-911d-81178bd9dfce.html#









^^^This is where the theater boxes will go

[Tim]

Already looks better than the MTS Center.

[mikecubs]

More Scottrade Center renovations are taking place this summer. A bunch of new clubs and all the seats are being replaced.

Watch the video with Brett Hull(It won't let me copy/paste it)

www.kmov.com/story/37872596/new-scottrade-center-renovations-to-begin-this-summer

[wolfmannick]

Watched the video. They're putting a lot of work into the building, looks like it'll be great once completed

[TheDeuce]

Jul 10, 2017 6:23:35 GMT -6 Tim said:

Already looks better than the MTS Center.

Disagree:

[mikecubs]

New for 2018: Enterprise Center
by Editors on May 21, 2018 in Hockey, NHL
Enterprise Center

The home of the St. Louis Blues has been renamed Enterprise Center, the result of a new naming-rights agreement that was announced on Monday. The 15-year agreement calls for interior and exterior signage featuring the Enterprise logo.

Located in downtown St. Louis, the arena was formerly known as the Scottrade Center. The new name has a strong local connection, as Enterprise was founded and is still headquartered in St. Louis.

“We are thrilled to have two St. Louis institutions extend their partnership with this naming-rights agreement,” said St. Louis Blues Chairman Tom Stillman. “The Blues and Enterprise were born in St. Louis and have enjoyed more than a half century of success in this community. Jo Ann Taylor Kindle and Andy Taylor have been key members of our all-local ownership group since 2012, and this new agreement is yet another example of the Taylor family’s commitment to the Blues and to the entire St. Louis community. We are excited that the home of the Blues, and the site of so many high-profile sports and entertainment events, will soon be Enterprise Center.”

“This new partnership is a natural fit – the Blues and Enterprise are St. Louis originals,” said Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, President of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, as well as a member of the St. Louis Blues’ ownership group and daughter of Enterprise founder Jack Taylor. “Last year we both celebrated milestone anniversaries in our hometown – 50 years for the Blues and 60 years for Enterprise. St. Louis means a lot to our company – it’s where my family founded our business and where many of our employees and customers live and work. We’re excited to take our partnership with the Blues to this new level, and we look forward to the many memories to be made at Enterprise Center.”

The naming-rights agreement was announced at a press conference on May 21. The new agreement goes into effect on July 1.

Enterprise has been an Official Partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) for nearly a decade. “NHL fans are three times more likely to rent from Enterprise three or more times a year compared to our general customer,” said Pat Farrell, Enterprise’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer. “Our frequent renters are also more likely than average consumers to tune in to high-profile sporting events. All that has made the NHL a proven high-value marketing partner that helps us drive increased levels of brand awareness and consideration.”

The announcement comes at a time when the facility is being renovated and reinvented to heighten the fan experience, elevate the dining and beverage options and create new gathering spaces. The summer 2018 renovations will bring dramatic changes at every level, for every fan

arenadigest.com/2018/05/21/new-2018-enterprise-center/

[mikecubs]

Revamping St. Louis’s Enterprise Center
by Zach Spedden on September 26, 2018 in Hockey, NHL
Enterprise Center renovation rendering

As they work on the renovation of the Enterprise Center, the St. Louis Blues and lead architect Generator Studio are keeping all fans in mind. While the latest round of renovations has led to the introduction of several new premium areas, the upgrades include plenty of unique spaces that can be used by all fans.

Prior to the 2017-18 NHL season, the Blues began a multiphase renovation of what was then known as the Scottrade Center. (A new 15-year naming-rights agreement between the Blues and Enterprise went into effect this year.) Phase one saw the introduction of some fan amenities—such as a new videoboard, Theater Boxes, and more—but also emphasized upgrades to back-end areas like the team locker room, technology, and arena infrastructure. Phase two, however, is marked by its strong emphasis on the fan experience.

Creating a New Experience for All Fans
The last few years have several major, multiphase arena renovation projects around the NHL. In most cases, the onus has been on improving many areas of the facility, from its aesthetics and player facilities to fan areas. Fan experience improvements can often take the form of premium area upgrades, as teams work to modernize and diversify their slate of clubs, seating, and suites.

Enterprise Center’s latest improvements addressed its premium areas, but the scope of the project is one that will be evident to all fans. That is something that officials from Generator believe separates the latest renovation work from similar projects.

“What makes Enterprise Center unique, and especially in terms of the work that we did as part of phase two, was upgrading of the fan experience for everyone,” said Senior Project Manager Gretchen Blain, AIA. “That was really an important aspect of this phase of work to the Enterprise Center team, as they wanted to improve the fan experience for all people who come to the arena.”

One of the key tasks completed in the project was the conversion of the arena’s former atrium along Clark Avenue. The space was infilled at two different levels, allowing for the addition of a variety of amenities. That included a retail store and a gathering space known as The District on the Mezzanine level, which offers a striking view of downtown St. Louis.

In another major addition, the Enterprise Center now features the new Anheuser-Busch Biergarten. Located just inside the 14th Street Entrance, this area will open 90 minutes before game time and stay in business for up to two hours after its conclusion. (The Blues will stage pre and post-game events there, and at the new Bud Lite Sports Pub on the Club Level.) Across the beer garden in the arena’s interior is a new viewing deck, overlooking the ice. The arena also underwent a total seat replacement on its Mezzanine Level.

Tailoring the Experience for Different Groups
Part of the objective with this round of upgrades for the Enterprise Center was addressing needs within the facility and creating new aspects of the fan experience. The Biergarten, The District and other components reflect that trend, but working premium areas into the facility was part of the process as well.

According to Senior Project Designer Jill Monaghan, AIA, Generator Studio worked closely with the team to map out the building’s additions. Through that process, one of the goals was to ensure that the new areas within the arena reflected the desires of different types of fans.

As a result, the premium spaces “are tailored to a different experience and a different user group,” according to Monaghan. “So that includes somebody that wants a really high-end, intimate cocktail atmosphere versus somebody that wants more of a sports bar or a sports pub environment. We kind of looked at those as providing different types of experiences in the building.”

That allowed project officials to work different elements into the renovation. As a result, the Biergarten and The District are joined by several distinct premium areas.

One of the new premium areas is The Bommarito Automotive Group Lounge.




Located on the Club Level, the space offers table and box seating, along with all-inclusive food, beer, wine, spirits and is connected to the Bud Lite Sports Pub.

Another major addition is the Scott Credit Union Rinkside Club on the Event Level, a new area that serves as a dedicated space for rinkside and glass seat ticket holders.



Creating a Unique Project
There has been a wave of arena renovations around the NHL in recent years. Generator Studio has been involved in a few notable projects, including upgrades to Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena and Minnesota’s Xcel Energy Center. (A 2016 story on Arena Digest took an extensive look at the firm’s involvement in upgrades at Amalie Arena.)

While this may mark its latest NHL facility project, Generator Studio views the Enterprise Center as a unique endeavor and not a model of another renovation. According to project officials, the scope of the renovations was shaped by the distinct desires of the Blues and needs for the Enterprise Center.

“No, not really,” Monaghan said when asked if any past projects served as a model for Enterprise Center renovations. “And I feel comfortable saying that because as one of our tenets of design at Generator Studio, we shape our projects and our process based on our clients’ goals and their needs. We’ve had experience renovating other arenas and multipurpose facilities, and we’ve had experience working on other similar projects to a smaller scale, but in the case of Enterprise Center our goals and our process and everything that came out of phase one and is going into phase two and from there on out has come directly from working with the team and hearing what their goals are.”

Work on the latest round of renovations was conducted under a tight schedule. Construction began in June, with the arena reopening on September 13 for a Maroon 5 concert and a Blues’ preseason game following on September 21.

Working on that schedule was one of the challenges in the process, but Generator credited the Blues with serving as a strong partner.

“I would say that the Blues have been a great partner,” said Blain. “They’re very engaged and understanding in terms of what they want, and so they’re understanding the really tight schedule everyone was under over the summer.”

In fact, the work at the arena is not finished. Enterprise Center will undergo its next phase of renovations after this season. The exact plans for that round of upgrades are still taking shape, but Generator believes that it can continue to work the Blues to complete the project smoothly.

“Phase two has really been about the fan experience, giving them a variety of offerings, improving the public gatherings areas, the food beverage options, and all of that,” Monaghan said. “Everything was targeted based on the goals that we set in the very beginning, and that’s how we make sure that we manage it all the way through the process so that we have a cohesive story at the end of the day.”

arenadigest.com/2018/09/26/revamping-st-louiss-enterprise-center/

[mikecubs]

Pic of last years theater boxes

[mikecubs]

Missouri lawmakers OK state aid for St. Louis Blues arena

The home of the St. Louis Blues could receive $70 million in state subsidies over two decades to help pay for renovations that local officials hope will attract more amateur sports events to the arena.

Missouri lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to the legislation that authorizes funding for the Enterprise Center starting in the 2022 fiscal year. For the first 10 years, the facility could get $2.5 million annually. For the next 10 years, it could receive annual payments of $4.5 million.

The arena is in the middle of its first major renovation since opening in 1994, financed partly by a $69 million bond issue approved by St. Louis. The Blues also have covered some of the costs. The scoreboard, sound system and some of the seats already have been upgraded. The next phase, aided by state money, would focus more on the building's infrastructure such as its escalators, roofing and heating and air conditioning systems.

The fact that the Blues currently are making a run in the NHL postseason was mentioned by more than one state lawmaker during House debate on Wednesday, including by some who eagerly described going to hockey games.

But supporters noted that the improvements may be more instrumental in attracting future NCAA or U.S. Olympic events to the facility as St. Louis bids against other cities with similar arenas. The Enterprise Center already is scheduled to host the NHL All-Star Game, NCAA men's basketball tournament games and USA Gymnastics Olympic trials in 2020.

"Without renovations, and without public-sector support for those renovations, we run the risk of being less competitive in pursuit of national events," said Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, a nonprofit organization that attracts and manages sporting events.

Blues President and CEO of Business Operations Chris Zimmerman said in an email Wednesday night that the state funding provides the "final piece" to complete a restoration that will make the Enterprise Center "second to none in competing for and earning events that will make a significant difference to our city, community and state."

The legislation authorizing the incentives now goes to Gov. Mike Parson. It passed the Senate 24-10 last week and the House 89-58 on Wednesday.


Some lawmakers objected to using public money for sports stadiums, though Missouri and many other states have a history of doing so.

State Rep. Bruce DeGroot, a Republican from the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, denounced it as "a welfare-for-the-rich bill."

Missouri already provides $3 million of annual subsidies for the stadiums used by the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. The legislation extends those for 10 more years. Some Kansas City area lawmakers expressed hope that the continued state aid could help attract World Cup soccer games in 2026.

It's "a small investment for a chance to host premier events in our state," said Rep. Jonathan Patterson, a Republican from the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit who sponsored the legislation.

www.stltoday.com/sports/missouri-lawmakers-ok-state-aid-for-st-louis-blues-arena/article_3d074c2e-4c1c-5662-9db2-39d3d706db64.html