BRADENTON, Fla. — This week’s cup is poured at a price of $8 million, the total money that the Pirates’ ownership — yes, Bob Nutting — ponied up for the dramatic upgrades at both Pirate City and McKechnie Field. Not a penny came from public money.
I’ve seen a lot of spring facilities, including all of them on Florida’s left coast, and this now ranks right up there with the best. Seriously impressive.
Nutting too cheap to pay for a new field! Just kidding, it's a seriously impressive investment to improve the Buccos' "infrastructure." Thanks for the tour, DK, and for the great perspective!
Thanks very much especially for the comparative analysis to other teams' facilities. Would be cool to hear directly from some of the players about how they benefit from these facilities and how they make the Pirates a more desirable team to play for because these facilities are ahead of the industry norm. As always, your access and awareness of what readership is interested in learning is far superior to any other news outlet's.
Very cool to see some of the behind the scenes facilities. I've been attending 2-3 games every year at McKechnie for about the last 15 years. The changes in the last few years have been awesome. That goes for the fan experience since I don't get to see the behind the scenes stuff. The outfield boardwalk from a couple years ago is incredible. The whole place has a feeling of old school but with some awesome modern amenities. First class facility.
Wow great reporting on McKechnie. My 1st pro exp was there on that field against the Reds in 1970, will never forget that day. Wow it sure has changed. The old clubhouse was like a barn. Painted white with a green roof and kind of dingy inside..lol.The outfield walls were wood and painted green, nice field though for the day. As you stated DK players would love this. It shows me how far baseball has come. Back in the day for pitchers not to life weights. Thinking was you would get to muscle tightness and not able to streach out. Just amazing how things have changed to me, for the better though.
That guy at the end of video, though, I disagree a little bit. Lot of money in baseball right now. Lot of teams have turned up the spending, not just on payroll either... But I'll take stuff like this over Seal Training and Hippie Dreamin'.
"The new amenities, fully funded by the club, will all be unveiled for the Bucs' home opener, on April 13 against the Detroit Tigers."
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 9:12 am
I believe NMRs talking about a 25-50 million dollar renovation. Not another bar that sells overpriced beer they seemingly move around the park every couple years.
JFN514
2-25-2015, 12:10 pm
bpn8pitt, your reply in not coherent. This winter's upgrades were 1.) the first step in a master plan study that began in 2014 and 2.) were designed to provides fans what they said that they wanted, namely more communal space to gather.
I have no clue what this "25-50 million dollar renovation" which you imagine would even look like.
“In 1970, Pittsburgh had a cutting-edge, visionary ballpark in Three Rivers Stadium,” owner Bob Nutting said in June. “It turned out that [it] didn’t have the sustaining legs as a ballpark design. I personally believe PNC Park can, and I hope that 50, 60, 80 years from now, it’s seen as an icon.” (From PG article).
Finally, I don't know what you mean by moving beer around the park; the beer selection at PNC Park has consistently improved, especially via the creation of Club 3000 and the Hall of Fame Club.
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 12:24 pm
JFN514, I think we are on two separate pages. You seem to be talking about new bars, restaurants, standing room only areas, big screen TVs etc etc
Now, i dont want to take my boy NMR out of context, but I believe he's talking about plumbing, electrical, painting masonry, concrete, major remodeling. Eventually down the road those things will be needed. And they wont be cheap.
JFN514
2-25-2015, 12:31 pm
The repairs you speak of would be paid from the capital reserve fund, according to the provisions of the lease.
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 12:44 pm
Aka Joe Yinzer Taxpayer
Arriba Wilver
2-25-2015, 12:47 pm
Who contributes to the capital reserve fund? What is it made up of? Just Pirate funds or a combo of public/private? Just asking since you seem to have some knowledge about it.
Arriba Wilver
2-25-2015, 12:48 pm
OH, and I understood BPN's reply. Agree with it or not, it was certainly "coherent."
A. Lane
2-25-2015, 12:56 pm
I think there is a difference between ordinary maintenance and major remodeling
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 12:56 pm
Just watching what Steelers went through with SEA and the new seats...it gets complicated and expensive quick.
Putting in a wet bar is easy compared to roof/foundation utility upkeep. Like NMR said, we'll see down the road.
A. Lane
2-25-2015, 12:59 pm
And those comments about Three Rivers, mutli-purpose and Le Corbusier don't exactly strike me a visionary, but to each his own.
Section 10.3.1 – Establishment of Fund
“The Authority shall establish a Capital Reserve Fund as a segregated fund of the
Authority, separate and apart from other funds of the Authority. Prior to the end of the
first Lease Year, the Authority will deposit $3,000,000 into the Capital Reserve Fund.
Thereafter, during each lease year, the Authority shall deposit not less than $650,000 into
the Capital Reserve Fund.” –pg. 37
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 1:38 pm
...and where does the 650k come from? Groat?
JFN514
2-25-2015, 1:47 pm
The $650,000 would come from the various cash streams which flow from the Pirates to the SEA, for example a specific part of the ticket surcharges collected is paid to the SEA to be immediately deposited into the fund.
bpn8pitt
2-25-2015, 2:00 pm
Correct...you will notice the Steelers added a dollar to tix to help fund the new seats, as well as assume cost overruns...two more questions.
1.Approximately how much money is in there now?
2. Is it enough to cover a major renovation entirely?
Arriba Wilver
2-25-2015, 2:01 pm
So the capital reserve fund is still "public money" as I read it.
Thanks for the info.
JFN514
2-25-2015, 2:27 pm
http://www.pgh-sea.com/images/PiratesLeaseAgreement.pdf I'm a firm believer that citizens should know things which are publicly known. The duties of the Pirates and SEA are pretty clearly laid out in the lease. The money in the capital reserve fund is private money (from the Pirates) paid to a public entity (according to the terms of of the lease) and then deposited (according to the the terms of the lease) into a fund where they can only be used for specific types of work done to PNC Park during the term of the lease. If someone suggests that capital repairs shouldn't be paid from that fund, they are suggesting that the SEA not perform according the the terms of the lease and therefore would be in default.
Arriba Wilver
2-25-2015, 7:00 pm
Sounds like public money to me since it comes from the Authority. If my taxes are used to pay for something are they private money because I pay them pursuant to the tax laws?
FYI-I was in favor of using public money to save the Pirates. But what you describe is public money to me. The source is next to irrelevant.
J.R.
2-26-2015, 7:43 am
This is a very interesting, knowledgeable discussion. Really respect everyone's perspectives in this chain. If I read this correctly (I am a lawyer, but not this kind of lawyer), then the moneys would really only come from people buying Pirate tickets or spending money on things at Pirate games. Even though it runs through the authority, that doesn't seem to be what most people would consider to be "public money." Definitely are going to need upgrades. Having spent a bunch of time in Fenway and Wrigley over the years, I doubt that the 21st Century baseball fan is going to tolerate conditions like those that exist in those places, no matter how quaint and well-located the stadium is. Even Camden Yards, which seemed amazing 20 years ago, really has lost a great deal of its attraction over the years. Hope someone in the organization is keeping these things in mind rather than consistently relying on national media telling us how great our place is.
Alexandre Giesbrecht
2-25-2015, 8:35 am
What does "Will call player/team requests" (read on a sign beside the box office, at 0:36) mean?
Alexandre, that window is where fans pick up tickets purchased prior to the game but not delivered to them yet. It is also where players can leave tickets for friends or other guests of the team.
That looks like the answer to my longstanding question of, if it isn't going to payroll and it isn't going back to ownership, where the heck is the money going? While investments like these aren't as splashy as signing a free agent, they're a necessary part of doing business that hadn't crossed my mind.
February 25, 2015
Morning Java: Ahead of the game
by Dejan Kovacevic • Videos • Morning Java, Pirates
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — This week’s cup is poured at a price of $8 million, the total money that the Pirates’ ownership — yes, Bob Nutting — ponied up for the dramatic upgrades at both Pirate City and McKechnie Field. Not a penny came from public money.
I’ve seen a lot of spring facilities, including all of them on Florida’s left coast, and this now ranks right up there with the best. Seriously impressive.