Event revenue: Park alcohol issues may reach public

It's City Council's last call for alcohol.

If council fails to approve a bill allowing alcohol at certain Springfield-Greene County Park Board events, the question will go to a public vote Nov. 5.

Council turned down an identical bill March 25, but a petition drive resulting in more than 2,000 signatures will return the issue to the July 29 council agenda. About a dozen citizens spearheaded that petition drive, which surpassed the city's required 1,454 certified voter signatures.

The bill being sent back to council proposes that exceptions to the prohibition be made at adult softball tournaments, after-hours events at Dickerson Park Zoo, adult tennis at Cooper Tennis Complex, Springfield Spirit hockey games at Jordan Valley Ice Park and Park Board-owned and -operated golf courses.

The bottom line

While some see the prohibition on alcohol as a public rights issue and others view it as old-fashioned, its financial impact is the bottom line to Springfield architect Geoffrey Butler, one of the people who spearheaded the petition drive. "It is a business decision," he said.

Councilman Bob Chancellor also supports the bill for financial reasons.

"These five facilities are losing a certain amount of revenue because of the current ordinance," he said.

Chancellor said dollars generated by the sale of alcohol would go back to the five entities named in the bill, just as concessions dollars do.

For instance, money paid by golfers purchasing drinks would go for golf course expenses, such as maintenance. Similarly, Friends of the Zoo beverage funds would go for development of its programs, which are largely educational; and alcohol sales at hockey games would support the ice park or the team.

"This would not be money going into the city's general fund," Chancellor said.

Financial impact

Butler also considers its larger economic impact.

"That's a big revenue generator for not only the parks, but for the community: the hotels, the restaurants, the retail (outlets). It's an economic stimulus," he said.

As state commissioner for the Amateur Softball Association, which holds annual tournaments at Springfield ballfields, Park Board Director Dan Kinney knows firsthand the economic value to a host community.

However, Kinney said Springfield is not losing out on that aspect because of the prohibition on alcohol.

But Mark Nelson, community recreation supervisor at Killian Sports Complex, disagrees. Nelson said some adult tournaments are lost.

"We have a tendency of not getting the adult tournaments. They basically have to go places where they can have a beer I guess," he said.

"Whatever has been lost at the fields has been gained at the local restaurants and bars," Kinney said.

Not a necessity

Springfield Sports Com-missioner Brad Eldridge has not run into problems due to the alcohol issue, but he's been dealing mostly with youth events, he said. "It hasn't stopped anyone from coming that I've talked to, but it has been brought up."

The adult groups coming in, Eldridge said, want the option to serve liquor at event receptions and banquets, or in hospitality areas.

"Not all events need that," he said, but "it does limit your possibilities."

The prohibition issue made no difference to United States Tennis Association officials when they chose Springfield over Denver as host city for the USA vs. Israel Fed Cup qualifier held July 20-21 at the alcohol-free Cooper Tennis Complex.

No alcohol was sold, nor was it served in hospitality areas, something the USTA and Jeff Ryan, USA team events director, are accustomed to doing.

"We customarily do serve beer and wine in our hospitality areas, but to even get close to the idea that that would be a reason why we would not select a city is not fair," he said. "We knew that was in the deck we were playing with."

Ryan said it depends largely on the age group targeted during these events.

"My goals ... in coming to this market are not necessarily led by the financials," he said. Ryan wants to promote the sport of tennis.

However, he said, "From an overall event perspective, it would be nice to be able to do that. I know they are debating (the alcohol issue), and hopefully they will make some progress in it."

Alcohol is sold at Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks games where concession revenues average about $4,000 per game, said Ducks general manager Todd Rahr. Alcoholic beverage sales make up about 30 percent of concession sales, which equates to about $1,200 a game and more than $57,000 per season.

Additional revenue is obtained from alcohol-related sponsorships, but Rahr declined to say how much.

In light of those numbers, Butler, Chancellor and other proponents of a citywide vote want the option for similar revenues in Springfield.

"All I know is that you don't know what (event) you're not getting when you can't even apply for it," Butler said.