posted by Mike Madison at 7:28 AM /
A sharp-eyed Blog-Lebo reader pointed me yesterday to a Post-Gazette report that Dick's Sporting Goods has purchased naming rights to a new complex of playing fields in Cranberry. (Link here.) The story doesn't report the amount of money involved, or the length of the contract, or the nature of the PR that Dick's will receive.
But it's an interesting idea. Is it one whose time has come -- Mt. Lebanon? Lebo needs a lot of money for its athletic facilities, and there isn't much enthusiasm for tax increases or big bond issues. How about looking into naming rights? Every little bit might help. The "Speedo Aquatic Center" doesn't sound bad . . . .
But it's an interesting idea. Is it one whose time has come -- Mt. Lebanon? Lebo needs a lot of money for its athletic facilities, and there isn't much enthusiasm for tax increases or big bond issues. How about looking into naming rights? Every little bit might help. The "Speedo Aquatic Center" doesn't sound bad . . . .
Labels: show me the money
4 Comments:
Cranberry will receive $2.2 million over 11 years according to today's P-G article. These deal are usually a bit front loaded to offset construction and signage costs, but all in it works out to about $200,000 a year for Cranberry. $200,000 a year in found money.
If Lebo is not chasing these types of deals (and dollars) it may be too late. Other municipalities and school districts (including our neighbors) have been signing up naming rights sponsors for several years. Schools in Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Dallas, Charlotte and other areas have signed deals in the millions to offset the construction or renovation of stadiums, parking lots and cafeterias. In Wisconsin, the kitchens at two local high schools are known as the Kohler Credit Union Kitchens, thanks to a $45,000 donation.
In most instances, the municipality or the school district will assign the right to market and sell the naming rights to a foundation. The foundation, in turn, uses the revenue to fund community and school programs that are either unfunded or under funded through traditional means.
In addition to Cranberry, you need to look no further than Monroeville to find another town with its eye on the prize. The Monroeville Foundation is currently assisting that municipality by marketing accepting applications for the naming rights to certain community parks and recreation facility. A bit further to the east, Murrysville has taken it a step further. In addition to seeking commercial naming rights sponsors for their larger facilities, they are are soliciting local businesses and residents to donate funds toward the cost of specific smaller items (i.e. dugouts, water fountains, player benches, etc). For these ancillary items, there are no naming rights involved but the generous businesses and residents are collectively recognized on one large plaque adjacent to the facility.
I think this sort of thing would be wildly popular in Mt. Lebanon where, in my experience, when people are told how they can give/help, they usually do. I'd be happy to donate a few hundred bucks for a new player's bench at any one of the fields that my kids play on, and I'm sure other parents would too.
Point is, we need to become more creative in how we fund the things we love about Mt. Lebanon - our parks, our fields, our business districts. If we rely on tax dollars for everything, we can't really complain when those taxes go up or our facilities deteriorate. Something has to give.
All I ask though is that we don't go to the extreme end of the spectrum like they did in Clark, Texas. In 2006, their city council voted to rename the town DISH in exchange for a decade of free satellite TV from the DISH Network. The deal was reportedly worth $4,500 to each of DISH's 55 homeowners.
I was remiss in not mentioning our own Mt. Lebanon Community Foundation, which was previously featured in the Mt. Lebanon magazine . . . http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentView.asp?DID=1740
This foundation is just cranking up, and I would urge anyone who is interested in its good work to contact Dale Colby.
If we like this idea - shouldn't we get naming rights for the School District's +/- $500,000 per year contribution to the Washington Park development. Maybe: Boondoggle Square?
Oh, how I've missed the negative, backwards commentary that overwhelms this blog.
Post a Comment
<< Home