House OKs funds for Garrett Coliseum
By Sebastian Kitchen • [email protected] • March 24, 2010
The Alabama House of Representatives helped move the goal of an improved Garrett Coliseum a step closer to reality on Tuesday.
The House unanimously approved a bill that would direct $800,000 a year to the board that oversees the state facility to help renovate and update the coliseum.
"There's a lot of events they could bring in if they had adequate facilities over there," said state Rep. Jay Love, a Republican with the facility in his district.
Love and Rep. John Knight, a Montgomery Democrat who sponsored the legislation, agreed that an improved coliseum would help attract events that could bring more people to the region. Love said that in turn would help bring revenue to the city and county.
Knight said studies have shown the state and the area are losing money because the coliseum has not been able to attract national rodeos and other activities.
He said the legislation guarantees the flow of money to the coliseum.
Knight said the money could be used for a $30 million bond issue to improve the facility. The $800,000 would help secure the necessary pledged revenue to go to the bond market, he said.
The decisions about the future of the facility are left up to the Alabama Agricultural Center Board and that panel has until 2014 to assemble a plan, Knight said. He added that the agreement would be voided if a plan is not enacted by 2014.
Knight said the city and county could add more funding and find private investors.
He said the area needs a multipurpose facility.
"It's the right thing to do," Knight said.
Love graduated from high school in the facility, which has hosted graduations, concerts, rodeos and a variety of other events.
When it was built, Garrett Coliseum was considered a Montgomery marvel, a showcase for the city. But that was more than half a century ago, and the coliseum has had little work done on it since the first activity took place there in 1951.
"That place is falling apart," Love said. "They've got to do something."
Coliseum manager Bill Johnson has worked at the coliseum for about 20 years, and has said for years that there is much that needs to be redone there to keep the facility viable.
He has said that the coliseum's transformer is the building's original one, and that if it fails it would take about 16 weeks for it to be repaired. Estimates show that it could cost more than $75,000 to replace, and that figure doesn't include the wiring, also original, throughout the building that would need to be replaced.
He said the concession stands are not adequate and the bathroom facilities need to be upgraded, and the building's exterior deteriorated drainage system is the source of Johnson's frustration every time it rains.
"We have a roof now that is on a 20-year guarantee that is probably 26 years old," he said in a Montgomery Advertiser story last week. "There are a lot of water problems and leakage. It is still very safe, but it can be renovated and be a showplace again."
Love said he has seen plans that show facilities for horse shows at the coliseum. He said those bring in a "tremendous amount of revenue."
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