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A year ago, KSL encouraged a "wait and see" attitude toward partial public funding of a new stadium complex to house Utah's major league soccer team, Real Salt Lake. "Let the franchise prove its value," we said. "Let's see if people actually buy tickets and attend the games."
What we've seen during the organization's first year, aside from the lack of victories on the playing field, has been encouraging. Average attendance for 16 home games, for example, was 18,000. Only one other team in the league did better. And the team reports that ticket sales for the upcoming season are ahead of last year.
Is that alone enough to justify having taxpayers kick-in some $45-million to cover most of the public infrastructure costs of building the proposed $135 million stadium complex in Sandy?
Probably not! But other factors add credibility to the plan, including the precedent of similar funding approaches for the Delta Center, the E Center and Franklin Covey Field. All have demonstrated their value to the community.
In view of the initial, positive success of the Real Salt Lake operation and the organization's projections for the future, KSL encourages Utah legislators to look favorably on a proposal now being debated that would help the franchise establish a permanent home.
