Cardinal executive seeks backing for stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals have agreements with St. Louis, St. Louis County and the governor on building a new stadium and Ballpark Village to replace Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis.

Cardinals' president Mark Lamping was in Cape Girardeau Wednesday to garner support for the new stadium.

Some things have to happen to move the project forward, Lamping said, adding that the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, St. Louis County Council and the Missouri Legislature still must act on the project.

The state legislature must agree to use the annual sales tax generated by Busch Stadium to help fund a new $340 million downtown ballpark to be built just south of Busch Stadium, Lamping said, adding that the hope is that a new stadium will be ready for the 2005 season.

"We need to get things started now for our target date," he said. "We'd like to open the new park in 2005 and host the 2006 Major League All-Star Game, which would bring from $80 million to $100 million to the city."

Lamping has maintained that the state, by using its Busch Stadium sales taxes to help pay for the new stadium, would probably double the taxes generated by the new ballpark.

And a privately developed, $380 million Ballpark Village could generate up to $40 million annually in tax revenue for the state, up from the total $19.1 million the same area generates now.

Calling the new stadium "a great bargain" for St. Louis and Cardinal fans, Lamping said, the development will cost a minimum of $646 million. Of that, $343 million will be for the stadium, and a minimum of $300 million will be for the Ballpark Village.

No tax increases

There are some built-in safety measures for the public money, Lamping said, explaining that the team will maintain the stadium, sign a 35-year contract to play in the stadium, and if the team or park are sold, will share the proceeds with public investors.

There will be no tax increases to state residents, unless they go to the ball game, he said. The state's and city's contributions will be funded from taxes generated by those who live in, work in, or visit the new ballpark and Ballpark Village.

Direct tax revenue paid to the city and state this year from events at Busch Stadium is estimated at $20 million. The county's investment will be funded from its hotel and motel tax.

"We're hoping that the state legislature will respond to our needs," said Lamping. "If not, we'll have to go a new direction. We have to have a new ballpark." That direction could be east five or six miles east, Lamping said, meaning across the Mississippi River to Illinois.