Notes
Slide Show
Outline
1
Cotton Bowl
Potential Improvements and Funding Strategies
  • City Council Briefing
  • December 5, 2005
2
Introduction
  • The City of Dallas has the opportunity to secure long-term commitments from NCAA football teams to play at the Cotton Bowl
  • No construction will begin nor City funding allocated until long-term commitments are in place from the universities
  • These commitments drive the need for increased seating capacity by Fall 2006
  • The City must begin the process now to allow for Phase 1 construction completion by Fall 2006


3
Briefing Goals
  • Present Cotton Bowl improvement options to position it as a premier college football and international soccer venue
  • Present implementation strategies and timelines
  • Present conceptual cost estimates
  • Receive City Council concurrence to begin the process of the implementation strategy
4
History
  • Fair Park Stadium was constructed in 1930 during the height of the Great Depression
  • Seating capacity: 46,200 (the largest stadium in the South)
5
History
  • In 1936 the stadium was incorporated into the general layout of the Texas Centennial Exposition
  • The stadium was officially renamed the “Cotton Bowl” in 1936
6
History
  • In the first Cotton Bowl game, held on January 1, 1937, the TCU Horned Frogs defeated the Marquette Golden Avalanche, 16-6
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History
  • The upper decks were added in 1948 and 1949 when the Cotton Bowl served as home to the SMU Mustangs
  • Seating capacity increased to 72,000
8
History
  • In 1952, the Cotton Bowl was home to Dallas’ first NFL team, the Dallas Texans (Baltimore Colts)
  • In 1960, the stadium served as the home field to two professional football teams:
    • Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
    • Dallas Texans (AFL – Kansas City Chiefs)
  • In 1968, the stadium was renovated when the bleachers were replaced by chair-back seats, reducing the capacity to 68,250
9
History
  • In 1993 the City of Dallas invested $14 million to renovate the Cotton Bowl for World Cup soccer
    • Press box, restrooms and concessions expansion
    • New natural turf field (considered one of the top five soccer pitches in the world)
    • Movable bleachers increased football seating capacity to 72,000
  • The stadium hosted six
  •     international soccer games
  •     during the 1994 World Cup
  •     tournament
10
History
  • In 2004, the State Fair of Texas (SFT) added bleacher seating in each end zone, increasing the stadium’s capacity by 4,000 seats to 76,000
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Current Uses
  • The Cotton Bowl is currently the site of the following:
    • The annual Cotton Bowl Classic, since 1937
    • The Red River Rivalry, since 1929
    • The State Fair Classic, since 1984
    • International soccer games
    • Concerts and other events


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Attraction and Mystique of the Cotton Bowl
  • Long tradition of games played at the
  •     Cotton Bowl
    • Texas – OU:  85 years
    • Prairie View – Grambling:  20 years





  • The unmatched aura and
  •     experience of the State Fair
  •     with rides, food, games, shows
  •     and exhibits
13
Attraction and Mystique of the Cotton Bowl
  • Provides significant high school football recruiting opportunities for colleges
  • Fair Park, a 277-acre national Historic Landmark, provides an unparalleled setting for sports events
14
High School Football Recruiting in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area
  • Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the most productive high school recruiting regions in the nation
  • There are 169 high school
  •     football programs, 3A and
  •     above, in the area
  • 7 of the national top 100 recruits are from the area
  • 45 of the state top 100 recruits
  •     are from the area
15
Economic Impact
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Current Deficiencies of the Cotton Bowl
  • The Fair Park Comprehensive Development Plan, adopted by the City Council in October 2003, identified the following deficiencies:
    • Undersized concourses cause overcrowding and gridlock
    • Rest room fixture counts are
    •     significantly below accepted
    •     standards
17
Current Deficiencies of the Cotton Bowl
    • Inadequate concessions with restricted queuing areas








    • Outdated score boards; no video boards
    • Inadequate sound system
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Current Deficiencies of the Cotton Bowl
    • No club seating or suites
    • Inadequate utility service
    • Does not meet current ADA standards
    • Inadequate seating capacity for major events
    • Seats installed in 1968 are at the end of their useful life
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Improvements
  • A plan has been developed by SFT and the City of Dallas to expand and improve the Cotton Bowl
  • Implementation is contingent upon the universities’ commitments
  • This plan will be implemented in two phases:
    • Phase 1 – Complete by September 2006
      • All new construction
    • Phase 2 – Complete after future successful Bond Referendum
      • Renovate existing stadium and add media room/stadium club at south end zone
  • Phase 1 implemented by SFT/City
  • Phase 2 implemented by the City
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Phase 1 Improvements
  • Increase seating capacity from 76,000 to 92,100
  • New restrooms, concessions and  points of sale in the new seating areas
  • Increase ADA seating with elevators to serve the upper level of the new seating and life safety requirements for exiting
  • New scoreboard and video boards
  • Expanded and improved sound system
  • Extended secure perimeter and ticket taking locations
  • New contextual facade around each end zone
  • New club seats


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Phase 1 Improvements
  • Expanded seating in the south end zone
  • Note:  This view does not illustrate new contextual facade
22
Phase 1 Improvements
  • Conceptual view of expanded seating in south end zone
  •      Note:  This view does not illustrate new contextual facade or existing           team locker rooms
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Phase 1 Improvements - $19m
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"Rose Bowl"




  • Rose Bowl:        
         92,542
  • LA Coliseum:
          92,488
  • Expanded Cotton Bowl:
          92,107
  • Texas Memorial Stadium:
          84,082
  • Gaylord Oklahoma Memorial
    Stadium:
  • 82,112
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Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Stadiums
  • Rose Bowl             92,542
  • Dolphins Stadium (Orange Bowl) 75,000
  • Arizona State (Fiesta Bowl)           73,379
  • New Cardinals Stadium (Fiesta Bowl) 63,000
  • (The Fiesta Bowl will change venues in 2006)
  • Superdome (Sugar Bowl)      69,082


  • Note:   The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium seating capacity is  estimated to be 75,000, not including suites
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Phase 2 Improvements
  • A game day Media Room located above the current dressing rooms at the south end zone
  • A Stadium Club available to University suite- owners and VIPs


27
Phase 2 Improvements
  • Utility upgrades
  • Renovated field lighting
  • Replacement of existing seats with bench/back combination seating
  • Additional ADA seating
  • Refurbishment of existing concourses
  • New signage and graphics


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Implementation Strategy
  • Phase 1
    • Upon City Council concurrence and commitments from the universities, SFT will proceed with construction of Phase 1 ($19m) improvements
    • SFT will secure financing for Phase 1 improvements:
      • The City will waive SFT annual rent payments (approximately $1.2m/year), and SFT will match
      •    (total approximately $2.4m/year)
    • As a preferred option to this financing plan, SFT/City will solicit stadium naming rights to fund all or part of the proposed improvements


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Implementation Timeline
  • Phase 1
    • December 2005
      • City Council Briefing
      • Fair Park Task Force Conceptual Review
    • January 2006
      • Secure universities’ long term commitments
      • Fair Park Task Force Certificate of Appropriateness (CA) review - special called meeting required
      • City Council approval of SFT contract amendment
    • February 2006
      • Completion of Phase 1 construction documents
      • Landmark Commission CA review and approval






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Implementation Timeline
  • Phase 1
    • February 2006
      • Texas Historical Commission review and approval
      • Park and Recreation Board approval
      • Begin Phase 1 construction
      • Begin design of Phase 2 improvements
    • September 2006
      • Phase 1 construction complete


31
Implementation Strategy
  • Phase 2
    • City of Dallas will include funding for the Cotton Bowl improvements in the next Bond Program
    • Initiation of Phase 2 construction is dependent upon approval and timing of next Bond Program
32
Conceptual Cost Estimates
  • Phase 1:                    $19m
  • Phase 2:                    $26-30m
  •    Total:                         $45-49m
33
Action Needed Today
  • City Council straw vote in support of staff proceeding with the following:
    • Phase 1 and Phase 2 implementation strategies
    • Amending SFT contract to waive annual rent payment to the City*
    • Inclusion of Phase 2 improvements in the next Bond Program


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The Cotton Bowl