City of Madison - File #: 04641

• File #: 04641
• Version: 2
• Name: SUB -Warner Park Stadium Renovation Ad Hoc Committee
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Passed
• File created: 10/2/2006
• In control: COMMON COUNCIL
• On agenda: 10/17/2006
• Final action: 10/17/2006
• Enactment date: 10/18/2006
• Enactment #: RES-06-00894
• Title: SUBSTITUTE - Creating an Ad Hoc Committee for the Warner Park Stadium Renovation.
• Sponsors: David J. Cieslewicz, Brian Benford, Paul J. Van Rooy

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
10/17/2006	2	COMMON COUNCIL	Adopt	Pass
10/10/2006	2	Mayor's Office	Fiscal Note Required / Approval
10/10/2006	2	Finance Dept/Approval Group	Approved Fiscal Note By The Comptroller's Office (SUBSTITUTES)
10/3/2006	1	COMMON COUNCIL	Refer to a future Meeting to Adopt	Pass
10/2/2006	1	Mayor's Office	Fiscal Note Required / Approval
10/2/2006	1	Finance Dept/Approval Group	Approved Fiscal Note By The Comptroller's Office
10/2/2006	1	Mayor's Office	Referred for Introduction

Fiscal Note

No appropriation is required.  There is no anticipated impact upon cost controls or the tax levy.

Title

SUBSTITUTE - Creating an Ad Hoc Committee for the Warner Park Stadium Renovation.

Body

Preamble

Since 1983, various baseball teams have leased the Warner Park baseball facility to provide professional baseball games for residents of the City of Madison and surrounding municipalities.  Madison Professional Baseball, Inc. leased the Warner Park stadium for a team known as the Madison Muskies, from 1983 through 1993.  In 1994, the St. Louis (Cardinals) National Baseball Club, Inc. leased the Warner Park stadium for a period of one year.  Madison Baseball, L.L.C. of the Northern League, Inc., known as the Madison Black Wolf, leased the Warner Park stadium for professional baseball from 1996 through February 2001.  Commencing with the 2001 baseball season, the Madison Mallards, a franchisee of the Northwoods League, has leased the premises.  Their lease runs through 2010.

During its time at Warner Park Stadium, the Madison Mallards have seen substantial growth in attendance, rising from an average of 32,000 in 2001 to 216,036 in 2006.  As fan attendance has continued to grow, the Madison Mallards have identified a number of deficiencies in the current stadium design that they would like to see addressed.  The Madison Mallards have developed a conceptual plan for renovation of the stadium, with a goal of completion by June 2008.  

In 1983, the existing portable bleachers were moved from the first base side to the third base side and the Madison Muskies installed additional bleachers under their lease agreement.  In 2004, the total capacity for the bleachers along the first and third base sides was determined to be 1,034.

The City's Capital Improvement Plan for 2008 includes $800,000 for stadium renovations that must be undertaken, regardless of the Mallards expansion plans, due to the age and structural condition of the current bleachers.  

The Madison Mallards are willing to invest a substantial amount of their own resources to make improvements to the City-owned stadium.  The potential investment from the Madison Mallards carries with it a number of issues that must be resolved related to management of the facility.  

Any stadium renovation plan must take into account concerns of neighborhood residents and businesses related to issues such as parking and noise.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that there is created an Ad Hoc Committee of the Warner Park Stadium Renovation to review:

1.  Financing issues, such as naming rights, structuring City vs. private contributions, and cost projections;  

2.  Park and neighborhood issues, such as noise, traffic, parking and balancing stadium uses with other Warner Park activities;

3.  Facility management issues, such as stadium maintenance and event scheduling.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Committee will include seven eight members, to be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Common Council, to include:

- A member of the Park Commission;

- Two members of the Common Council;

- A representative from the business community;

- A representative from the design community familiar with sports facility renovation issues;

- A representative of amateur users of the stadium;

- A Two neighborhood representatives.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Committee will provide a report to the Mayor and Common Council by February 21, 2007.