$60 Million dollars spent on a high school stadium!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike4Freedom]

Are you kidding me!!!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/spo...ium.cnn?hpt=T2

You know how much real estate taxes could of been lowered in that area with that 60 million. I would be livid if I lived there!

[aGameOfThrones]

Are you kidding me!!!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/spo...ium.cnn?hpt=T2

You know how much real estate taxes could of been lowered in that area with that 60 million. I would be livid if I lived there!

But how then will they entertain the mundanes?

[kah13176]

My school spent $8 million. We aren't even in a rich area...

Our student base is around 1,500.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Love the justification: Spend $40 Million in taxpayer money, to destroy $47 Million in property value, to save $140K per year. What's the return on that again?

This Texas Town Is Building A $40M Bus Barn*, To Go With Its $60 Million High School Football Stadium

http://www.businessinsider.com/bus-b...#ixzz1fDCI3Ead


The same board that approved a $60 million high school football stadium in Allen, Texas a few years back now intends to throw tax dollars at a $40 million industrial bus depot directly across from a local elementary school, according to a group of angry local residents fighting the school district's mega plans.

Naturally, this hasn't settled well with many residents of the Dallas suburb, especially given the current state of the economy.
Tim Vhun is part of a group of local residents trying to stop the Allen ISD board from moving forward with the new site. But according to Vhun, backdoor discussions suggest that the monster 130,000 sq. ft. complex is already a done deal.


The Allen ISD board claims the consolidated facility will save $140,000/year by containing everything on one large piece of land. Residents argue this would be at the hefty cost of $47 million in destroyed property values, increased traffic, and pollution dangers from hundreds of diesel buses.

Concerned town members are expressing their issues with the bus complex through stopthebarn.org.
Although a petition with more than 1,300 signatures is making the rounds, complaints have mostly fallen on deaf ears, says Vhun.
In an email, Vhun said the Allen ISD board has been unresponsive to the idea of retrofitting existing sites at considerably less cost. The board's inability to manage the town's budget has also resulted in teacher lay-offs and increased property taxes.
The 240-vehicle parking garage, built on a 42-acre lot, will serve as a maintenance hub with fueling stations and drive-through bus wash and warehouse unit for bulk storage.

If you're interested in the Top 10 High School stadiums built with taxpayers dollars: http://www.businessinsider.com/allen...adiums-2011-2#

[oyarde]

That is a butt load of property tax money

[jkr]

mommy why are we eating ketchup packets?


high
school
football
!

[TonySutton]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

[Carehn]

sounds like its going to be one of the nicer Prison ... I mean safety camps.

[Ronulus]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

People always vote FOR school bonds. I have never seen one not get passed simply because people think of it the same as the department of education "The kids will benefit". Then the money gets just wasted in bureaucracy and worthless spending. My school district raised taxes to build a weight room about 8 years ago. They built it, it wasn't big enough. Tore the entire thing down, busted up the concrete and started over. Ended up costing around 700,000$. Now they want to get rid of it and build a bigger nicer facility which is going to cost over 1 million dollars. Of course it passed because "it's for the children and the children deserve it". These people that profess to be republicans and conservatives vote for tax increases every time. Also have to consider that if they convince the elderly to vote (which most times they do) because the elderly have their taxes frozen, the increase doesn't effect them. Yet me at 25 years of age wanting to buy a house? Forget it, it's not worth it when you can make the payments and have to buy insurance and everything else then the tax collectors come around and want a 2,000 dollar check because they somehow deserve my money.

[dannno]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

Ya, I still wouldn't compel my neighbors to pay for my kid's football stadium using force.

[Zippyjuan]

Football is huge in Texas. It is more than a passion- it is a life for many. Can't say about high school but I know that in Nebraska when the Cornhuskers are playing at home, the stadium becomes the third largest city in the state - that large of a percent of the population goes to the game. I imagine that Texas high school is similar.

This is outside Dallas so I assume it is a wealthy area since they are willing and able to raise that much money.

[smithtg]

large stadiums are a norm in TX. I think its dumb, but what do I know. I mean there are multiple stadiums with 10-15K+ in the Houston area alone

Ask Rick Perry how TX can do it!

I lived in a district (in RP's congressional district) that had 60K students in K-12. They built a new high school every 2-3 years and they were palaces.
http://www.educationdesignshowcase.c....esiml?pid=184


http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/tbt_stadium_fcts.html

Number of Stadiums Seating Capacity Ranges
13 16,000 and greater
68 10,001 to 16,000
365 5,001 to 10,000
519 1,001 to 5,000
406 100 to 1,000

Total State Wide Seating Capacity: 4,099,211 Seats
Average Seating Capacity: 3904 Seats

[heavenlyboy34]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

Another democracy fail.

[jkr]

i thought we were broke?

[satchelmcqueen]

my town just spent 165k for stadium lights and millions years ago on our football half stadium. and millions on the new school rooms that the kids arent even allowed to use. on top of that 500k for parks in the town, then 20 million for a courthouse years ago that the county now cant pay for. yet they spent 500k last summer for some kinda crap at the parks again. all the while 18 people on the road dept get laid off for good.

[Sean]

This is why I advise people in Texas to contest their property taxes. Homes have devalued yet the government is still using high appraisals to base their taxes off of.

I worked in a school district in Texas. It is the biggest waste of money I ever saw. They can get a better education at 1/4th the cost.

[libertyjam]

This is why I advise people in Texas to contest their property taxes. Homes have devalued yet the government is still using high appraisals to base their taxes off of.

I worked in a school district in Texas. It is the biggest waste of money I ever saw. They can get a better education at 1/4th the cost.

Yes! And thank you for being a teacher from another Texan.

[HOLLYWOOD]

I posted about the the same city/town, now buying a $40 million bus depot, when these same local governments float the bill down the road when they are long retired or moved on to greener political pastures.

[libertyjam]

Allen's problem is it wants to be just like Plano.

[Ronulus]

This is why I advise people in Texas to contest their property taxes. Homes have devalued yet the government is still using high appraisals to base their taxes off of.

I worked in a school district in Texas. It is the biggest waste of money I ever saw. They can get a better education at 1/4th the cost.

My wife teaches at a private school. The cost to educate each student is lower and the education they receive is actually higher than the public school.

You are right that they keep using higher and higher appraisals, even when the houses would never sale for the amount they say they are worth.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Allen's problem is it wants to be just like Plano.

Varsity Blues

[Philhelm]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

Tyranny of the majority.

[Philhelm]

i thought we were broke?

They are broke...now that they paid for a $60 million high school stadium.

[AGRP]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they mustwant it.

[HOLLYWOOD]

UPDATE: lol!
http://watchdogwire.com/texas/2014/0...tball-stadium/

Allen, Texas

After 18 months, cracking closes $60 million suburban Dallas football stadium



Stadium opened August 2012

March 5, 2014
by Lou Ann Anderson

The $60 million Allen High School football stadium whose extravagance brought a national spotlight to Allen, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, is now closed due to cracks and other structural concerns.
The Dallas Morning News reports:

Officials closed the stadium Thursday after extensive cracking and “other potential problems in the structure” were found along the concourse level. They declined to say what may be causing the cracks but said the issue was first discovered in August 2012, when the stadium opened, and has only gotten worse.
Interim Superintendent Beth Nicholas said the stadium was closed out of an abundance of caution during an engineering investigation of the facility, which is expected to be completed in June. The district said it is likely the problems would affect the fall football season.
Representatives from Pogue Construction, which built the facility, and the PBK architecture firm, which designed it, are in discussions with the district. Officials declined to say who would pay to correct problems, citing the ongoing investigation to determine what caused them.
For now, it seems the district and the companies are working together to fix the problem. An email from Nicholas to the board on Feb. 7 obtained through an open records request by The Dallas Morning News said, “The demand letter from our attorney was sent to both companies and they were given 30 days to respond.”
This week, Allen school trustees received an update from the engineering investigation, which is about 10 percent complete, that prompted the closure. Nicholas said the stadium was a significant investment for the community and said the structural issues are “unacceptable.”
“Our No. 1 priority must always be the safety of our students, staff and our community,” she said, adding, “We’re not happy about this. We want to get to the bottom of this because our taxpayers deserve this.”

Despite less than two years of use, cracks in the stadium are said to “range from a quarter-inch to three-quarters of an inch wide in sections of the concourse.”
Weather and shifting soil were cited as potential reasons for concrete cracking although officials say a specific cause at the stadium has yet to be determined.

The stadium was part of 2009 package for $119 million in bonds (closer to $200 million when you add the interest). Though sold, in part, as an opportunity to attract high-profile, revenue-generating events, those events are now being cancelled while plans for other district events like graduation remain undetermined.
If the stadium remains closed, the district will also be challenged to find alternative locations for next fall’s home football games. The district’s old football stadium remains intact, but used for nonvarsity football games and other sports.

[Carson]

I'm still freaked out about them having those whatever they are signs out front with all lights and graphics. They like something you would find in a stadium.

We're probably paying for those too!

[Keith and stuff]

Love the justification: Spend $40 Million in taxpayer money, to destroy $47 Million in property value, to save $140K per year. What's the return on that again?

This Texas Town Is Building A $40M Bus Barn*, To Go With Its $60 Million High School Football Stadium[LEFT][COLOR=#000000] http://www.businessinsider.com/bus-b...#ixzz1fDCI3Ead

The same board that approved a $60 million high school football stadium in Allen, Texas a few years back now intends to throw tax dollars at a $40 million industrial bus depot directly across from a local elementary school, according to a group of angry local residents fighting the school district's mega plans.

I don't get it. Don't the voters of the district have to vote on the issue for it to pass?

[otherone]

It is a local issue for the residents. It appears they voted for it so they must want it.

[HOLLYWOOD]

I don't get it. Don't the voters of the district have to vote on the issue for it to pass?

[Keith and stuff]

UPDATE: lol!The stadium was part of 2009 package for $119 million in bonds (closer to $200 million when you add the interest). Though sold, in part, as an opportunity to attract high-profile, revenue-generating events, those events are now being cancelled while plans for other district events like graduation remain undetermined.
If the stadium remains closed, the district will also be challenged to find alternative locations for next fall’s home football games. The district’s old football stadium remains intact, but used for nonvarsity football games and other sports.

That's incredible. $200,000,000 and they already had a football stadium!