Wednesday’s [12/27/06] Wall Street Journal featured a piece in its Marketplace section titled “Tax Breaks for Skyboxes” [full article here]. The article by Daniel Golden focused on convertroversy around tax breaks that the donors receive for leasing the boxes from universities and it focused on the biggest of the recent college renovation plans: The Big House.
Here’s an interesting quote from U of M regent Laurence Deitch, although I’m not sure what this has to do with taxes:
Opponents of Michigan’s renovation doubt the university will find enough customers for its luxury suites, where alcohol will be banned. “Why pay a whole bunch of money, drive up to Ann Arbor, sit behind a glass wall and not be able to get a beer,” says Laurence Deitch, one of two regents on the university’s eight-member board who voted against the plan last month. “I think I’d stay home.”
One Comment
Jeff Cummins
Frankly, I don’t really mind the suites, as long as they don’t limit further expansion. For us to really call that place, “The Big House,” it has to be “The Biggest House.” What it is right now is “The Cramped House.” Bottom line: Anything that will add seats is a positive. Right now we can add 8,000 in an upper deck in each end zone, without doing any further excavation. Should we want to expand further — which I’m all in favor of doing — it might be necessary to redirect Main Street and excavate to strengthen the foundation, allowing UM to put an upper deck on top of the suites.
Again, all anyone should be interested in is expanding the capacity of the stadium. Texas A&M has plans to expand its stadium, though there is no certain time line for development.