CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I MAY 13, 2024
Some cities see pushback on stadium funding As pro sports teams seek larger subsidies, voters and politicians say there’s no benefit for taxpayers By Joe Scalzo
Soon after the Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a new $3.2 million domed stadium on the lakefront last month — one that included $900 million in bonds from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker grabbed a large cup, dipped it into Lake Michigan and threw it all over the Bears’ proposal. “As the governor has said, the current proposal is a non-starter for the state,” Pritzker’s press secretary, Alex Gough, said in a written statement following a May 1 meeting between the team and Pritzker’s top staffers. “In order to subsidize a brand new stadium for a privately owned sports team, the governor would need to see a demonstrable and tangible benefit for the taxpayers of Illinois.”
Pritzker isn’t alone. With many professional sports teams seeking public funding for new or renovated stadiums, voters and politicians in cities such as Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Phoenix and, yes, Chicago are pushing back. Here are three recent examples: ◗ In March, plans for a $2 billion development project in Alexandria, Virginia, fell apart thanks to opposition from state senators, with Democrat L. Louise Lucas saying it would be a giveaway to a billionaire and could jeopardize the state’s finances, per Forbes. That project, which included a new arena for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals, would have cost taxpayers in Virginia $1.5 billion. See STADIUM on Page 15
Tech entrepreneur turns to energy-efficient homes Hyland founder building houses aimed at balancing conservation, livability By Stan Bullard
Homebuilders get into the business from many routes, from framing to banking to growing up as the child of a builder. Add to that mix Packy Hyland, the serial entrepreneur best known as the founder and first CEO of Hyland Software of Westlake, which he exited a decade ago. However, don't expect Hyland and son Dan, his business partner in PadSmart of Westlake, to immediately build you an energy-positive house powered by solar energy.
They dissuade at least a person a week who finds them on the PadSmart website from moving ahead. In a year or two at the earliest, maybe. And don't look for it to be the type of custom home that draws applause from HGTV devotees. Instead, it is a standard design built to balance energy conservation and livability. The Hylands are taking this venture one measured step at a time. In 2021, they constructed a two-bedroom, two-bath home on Columbia Road in Olmsted Falls as a test case. It's occupied by Packy Hyland’s daughter and her family. See HOMES on Page 18
ON THE BRINK
VOL. 45, NO. 19 l COPYRIGHT 2024 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
KEN BLAZE
Any unexpected expense — a medical bill, a car repair, a driver’s license suspension — can lead to long-lasting devastation for the working poor. PAGE 10
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