$21 Million Bill for Glendale Pro Sports in 2016

The city of Glendale is trying to change their image. They are trying to prove the skeptics wrong that they haven’t handled money poorly. Officials for the city are trying to make the professional sports in that area a benefit to all of the community. However, this has been a challenge, due to the fact that all the sports teams are in one area. Many people would like to see different areas of the Arizona Valley used for sporting events instead of them all being cluster together. The price tag will be $21 million this year for the city of Glendale, and that does not even include debt for the arenas and any spring training facilities.

With three sports venues nestled into one area, Glendale’s Westgate District is also there, which makes the second largest amount of sales tax revenue in the state. Retail stores and restaurants are helping the economy in this area because of its pairing with the sporting venues. Events like Super Bowl XLIX and the NCAA Final Four, which will be next spring, help nearby hotels, shops, etc.

Unfortunately, the issue arises when no sporting events are going on. The Westgate District is not as well attended, and the city is trying to find ways to make more money during the ‘dead season’ of sports.


Also, more ongoing costs present themselves to the city of Glendale in the way of the Cactus League Facility. The city is responsible for funding baseball bat racks and nest covers for the bullpen, and this creates a deficit of $800,000 a year. This has been continued to take place over the last few years and issues could continue into the future.       

The silver lining with all of this is a $52 million settlement over stadium parking. The city of Glendale will get some of that money to help with upkeep of the venues, etc., but they will need to figure out what to do if sporting are not longer all together. If venues are moved, the city might end up being in some serious, long-term financial debt.