Episode V: The CVC Strikes Back

The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) has rejected the St. Louis Rams football team’s proposal for upgrading the Edward Jones Dome into a “first-tier” facility. Both sides have until June 15 to reach some sort of agreement or they will go into arbitration.

I think my position on this whole situation is pretty clear. First, Saint Louis City, Saint Louis County, and the state of Missouri are not awash with cash and it is doubtful that they can afford to spend much public money on Dome upgrades. More importantly, however, I would like to reiterate that there is no economic justification for using public funds to upgrade sports facilities. In Saint Louis, one study showed that the use of public funds on sports facilities was economically HARMFUL.

If the Rams want to make the case that keeping them in Saint Louis would be beneficial to civic pride, they should be free to do so. However, it is important for the general public to know that if they are counting on a Dome upgrade to act as an economic stimulus, they will be sorely disappointed.