From the archives: A few questions to drive ballpark debate

This column was published on Sept. 2, 1999.

Public forums are wonderful, grass-roots democracy at its best. Public forums about using public money to build ballparks are special, right up there with "America's Funniest Videos. " All that anger, all that venom, all that Not in My Back Yard outrage.

So few meaningful questions get asked, so few meaningful answers are given. As a public service, Stan's World would like to supply 27 questions someone might want to ask at the next public forum to decide whether a ballpark for the Phillies should be built at Broad and Spring Garden.

1) Where was the mayor, Ed Rendell, when the first public forum was held? The man loves baseball, loves a lively debate. Why did he miss it?

2) Is it true Dave Montgomery, the Phillies' CEO, and college buddy of the mayor, introduced Rendell to Midge, who became his wife, and the mayor's support of the Broad and Spring Garden site is his way of returning the favor?

3) Did the mayor really say on WIP the day after the forum that if they can't get the deal done for Broad and Spring Garden, the South Philadelphia stadium complex is the logical place for a new ballpark? How soon after the mayor's term ends will he appear as a regular on WIP? Or will he go back to practicing law, with the firm that represents the Phillies now?

4) Will the value of the Phillies' franchise increase by $50 million or $60 million once a deal is signed for a ballpark at Broad and Spring Garden?

5) How soon after the stadium deal is signed will the current crop of Phillies' owners sell to the highest bidder? And who might that bidder be?

6) Is there the chance the sale will happen before a lease is signed, if the remaining partners do not buy the shares held by a current partner on his way out the door? Just asking.

7) How many weekday night games that might snarl traffic at B&SG are we talking about, 49?

8) Who will build the parking garages capable of housing 12,000 cars within five blocks of B&SG? And who will park there the other 316 nights of the year?

9) Once the Phillies move from South Philadelphia, who will pick up the tab for the missing parking revenue from the Veteran Stadium lots run by Spectacor? Is the city on the hook for a million dollars a year?

10) If the Phillies get a percentage of parking revenues at B&SG, will they still encourage their fans to use public transportation? And how will they do that, with frequent subway rider coupons, or rebates? And how often do the Broad Street subways run after 10:30 p.m.?

11) If baseball parks are such a spur to the economy (hotels, restaurants, bars), who will compensate South Philadelphia establishments for the missing spinoffs, once the Phillies move north to B&SG?

12) How many corporate guys do you know who will eat a steak at the Palm (Broad and Walnut) and then walk to B&SG? If he did walk, how long would it take him? How long would it take him to sprint back, after a game? How many restaurants would he pass along the way, not counting the cafeteria at the Daily News-Inquirer.

13) Isn't it true 90 percent of the baseball fans at the Vet arrive by car? Is there any reason to think that number would change at B&SG? How many Vet customers eat a meal at a South Philadelphia restaurant before or after the games now? Will that number change in the B&SG neighborhood?

14) Bottom-line question for the dwindling number of corporations headquartered in the city, given a choice of buying corporate box seats for the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers or Phillies. Which would be the last choice?

15) Doesn't the bottom-line success of a new ballpark at B&SG depend on selling tons of corporate box seats? Do the Phillies think it's important to get away from the South Philadelphia complex and direct competition with Eagles, Flyers, Sixers?

16) If the final design at B&SG calls for 45,000 seats, how many of those seats will be in luxury boxes?

17) Can the city include a paragraph in the lease, requiring the Phillies to increase the team payroll to match increases in attendance revenue?

18) How about incentive clauses - having the lease reflect the National League standings - "X" number of dollars if the Phillies have a winning season, "Y" dollars if they have a losing season?

19) There's a theory out there that noise will not be a problem in the B&SG neighborhood because the grandstands face south. Who came up with this: the Phillies, an audiologist or some jaded baseball writer?

20) Will the Phillies sell memorabilia from the Vet before it's demolished, and will Mike Schmidt bid on a chunk of the corridors reeking of "cat stink"? Does Gus Hoefling get to take home the tub of rice Steve Carlton used to strengthen his left arm, or did John Kruk eat it?

21) Will the Phillies let Scott Rolen roll out the first swatch of sod and grass when the new ball yard is finished? Will Scott Rolen still be here when the new ball yard is finished?

22) If a tax on rental cars and hotel rooms helps the city pay its share of the new ballpark, how many conventions might shift to another city to avoid the increased tax on rental cars and hotel rooms? And how many tourists might choose a different destination, one with cheaper cars, cheaper rooms?

23) Will food and beverages served at the concession stands be upgraded at B&SG? Who will regulate prices? Who will supervise quality? Who will measure the foam collar on the beer?

24) If the state office building remains, how much work will be done on the upper floors during Businessperson's Special days? How much work is being done now? Ditto for the Daily News and Inquirer.

25) If City Council doesn't act soon, might Eagles chief operating officer Joe Banner drop his Mr. Nice Guy demeanor, and start squawking about the millions the team will lose by not being in a new stadium by 2002? It now looks as if Houston will get an NFL expansion franchise, with the commissioner saying, "We'll take care of Los Angeles in another way. " So how soon will those Jeff Lurie to LA rumors be rekindled?

26) Oh, you didn't know Banner was promoted to chief operating officer? You didn't realize the team was too timid to announce it?

27) Have you changed your stance on using public money to build new ballparks for professional sports teams? See you at the next meeting, where some more questions will be answered, some more answers will be questioned. Only in America.