It’s been seven seasons since the Montgomery Biscuits set up shop at Riverwalk Stadium, and in that time the team and ballpark have made a significant economy impact in the Alabama city.
In fact, the team has paid far more in lease payments than anyone anticipated. We’re guessing all sides went in with conservative estimates, but in the end the Biscuits blew all the numbers out of the water:
Through the end of the 2009 season, the team has exceeded attendance projections by 36 percent and monetary intake by 42 percent.
“I hope you put that in big, bold letters,” said Ben McNeil, a former two-term city councilman who voted for stadium construction in December 2002.
“I like the sound of that,” said Tom Dickson, one of the team’s primary owners.
Such results are exceptional, said the economist who developed the projections at the city’s direction.
The team, through the end of the 2009 fiscal year, had made more than $33 million in operating revenue, more than $9.9 million ahead of pro forma projections.
At the end of the day, the Biscuits have paid a million more in rent than city officials expected — and that’s without the sale of naming rights.
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