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As John Daley ReportingSupporters of a new soccer stadium in Sandy are facing yet another hurdle. The challenge is convincing the Jordan School District to invest millions in redevelopment money in the project. Not everyone thinks that's a good idea.
ReAL Salt Lake currently plays at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake but is aiming to open its new stadium in Sandy in 2008. To build it ReAL is counting on money from a variety of sources, but some question, should the Jordan School District be one of them?
Despite a groundbreaking last month, there's a new stadium obstacle. Millions in redevelopment money coming from the Jordan School District would help with Phase One of the project, but only if Jordan's board approves. So far they're getting dozens of emails and phone calls from citizens urging them not to do it.
Lynette Phillips, Jordan District Board Member: "Eight or nine million dollars would build us half an elementary school. I don't want to tell a bunch of students who are stacked 40 or 50 deep in a portable that we can't build them a new elementary school, because the money was taken to fund a soccer stadium."
Sandy officials say the deal could be a good one for the district in the long run. In exchange for using tax money generated by the project, the district could get even more money down the road. The city describes it as seed money that'll help build a 500 million dollar project, which will in turn generate millions for schools.
Trina Klingler, Sandy Spokesperson: "The school district can opt in. It's new money being generated and they'll get a huge return on investment in phases one and two."
But Robyn Bagley, a longtime critic of the way redevelopment money is used, doesn't see it that way.
Robyn Bagley, Citizen Advocate: "The property tax mechanism was set up to do exactly that, help school districts capture new revenue. New revenue helps fund education. Are we to shortchange our children and call it new revenue?"
Dave Checketts, Real Salt Lake Owner: "Anybody who characterizes this or writes about it as if you're taking school funds to build soccer stadiums, that's just not what we're doing. We're creating an economic development that over time will generate significant money for the schools."
Sandy's economic development administrator tells us they're working on a budget for the project and expect to have a proposal for the school district next month. Public hearings on the issue would likely happen in November.
