Five management firms/ballpark operators have responded to a request from Onondaga County for bids from venue managers to operate Alliance Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International League).
The county sent letters in September to venue managers soliciting proposals to “manage, operate and market any or all of” the ballpark, the Onondaga County Convention Center and the War Memorial Complex, which features an arena and two theaters. Invited to bid on the management contract: AEG, the Chiefs, Delaware North, DSF Sports, Global Spectrum, International Facilities Group, Mandalay Baseball, SMG and VenuWorks.
Of that group, only five responded with bids: the Chiefs, SMG, DSF Sports, Global Spectrum and VenuWorks. Of the five, the Chiefs and DSF Sports — which owns and operates the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Low Class A; Midwest League) — focus on baseball, while SMG and VenuWorks focus on arena/convention center management. Global Spectum works primarily on arena and venue management but also manages the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and AutoZone Park.
Specifics of the five bids were not released by Onondaga County officials, and it’s not known what specific venues each vendor will focus on. The Chiefs front office is interested only in managing the ballpark, according to John Simone, but it’s safe to say Global Spectrum may have an interest in managing everything.
RELATED STORIES: For sale: Alliance Bank Stadium; Alliance Bank Stadium
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