Jump to content

We Know $807 Million Is A Lot Of Money But


pineda

Recommended Posts

one CFISD employee once told me that THE only reason the berry center was being built with a stadium was so that the district could house all of there employees at once for employee confrences and summer seminar.

of course now they cite saving money on rents of Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center for graduations etc, hosting state championships, regional championships, etc.

I got to officiate a game in the berry center this year. I was truly blown away by the facility. It shames Rice's and UH's gym....

what were people saying when aldine built the campbell center?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 118
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I have to admit that when I heard about the Berry Center back in 2002 and 2003 my impressions were totally different from the results.

In addition to the football stadium, I thought that it would truly be an instructional facility. I thought that they would have resource offices, a library, technology, etc. They never truly stated what was going to be there. Instead, it has an indoor conference facility, the enormous football stadium, and some rooms for meetings.

Still, it's a one shot construction project that won't be repeated-at least not in the forseeable future. Now the emphasis is on the schools themselves, or so we can hope.

That and technology (again, we can only hope).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

However, I must concede that paying an extra $130 per year in school taxes (on a $200,000 home) sounds a lot better than paying $6 parking at Reliant Stadium once. It is math skills like these that allow CFISD board members to float $80 million stadiums by the voters.

You know it isn't the $6 spent on parking. It is really about the cost and inconvenience related to the whole trip. Fueling up the truck (mini-van, SUV - whatever it isn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The location of the Berry Center and its proximity to Katy's new center now keeps it from maximizing its true value...CFISD could've buit less expensive stadiums and got the same value...

If the Berry Center was built for HISD inside Loop 610, it would skyrocket and begin to pay for itself as Texas Southern and Prairie View (if they have a game that's not on campus) would rent it out for football and they could bid for all conferences, youth athletic events, etc. as it's close to the action.

The center right now is before its time and by the time the area matures, the Berry Center II will be needed and Berry Center I is obselete...and with the CFISD area not known as a hoops hotbed, don't expect capacity crowds anytime soon....With Katy's arena off I-10, Campbell Center by the airport, etc...it's going to be hard for CFISD to rent out the building for regional athletic events...

someone mentioned the Campbell Center when it was built...outside of HISD's three older fieldhouses, the one in Spring Branch and the one in FBISD at the time, Campbell Center was built at the right time as the Fieldhouse concept was beginning to reemerge in the area...

as soon as the center was built, the UIL regional titles went there, numerous basketball tournaments, etc. as its location was second-to-none...If I have a 6 p.m. title game at Berry Center, I might as well take the day off because I'm not getting there leaving work at 5 p.m.

If you want an idea of how your beloved Center will look in the future...go down the street towards Tully and Coleman Coliseum.....ghosttown

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More 5th grade logic from hbcu.

If the Berry Center was built for HISD inside Loop 610, it would skyrocket and begin to pay for itself as Texas Southern and Prairie View (if they have a game that's not on campus) would rent it out for football and they could bid for all conferences, youth athletic events, etc. as it's close to the action.

I don't think they built this thing with Texas Southern or PV in mind. Not exactly your 'cash cows'...unless you're an administrator there.

The center right now is before its time and by the time the area matures, the Berry Center II will be needed and Berry Center I is obselete...and with the CFISD area not known as a hoops hotbed, don't expect capacity crowds anytime soon....With Katy's arena off I-10, Campbell Center by the airport, etc...it's going to be hard for CFISD to rent out the building for regional athletic events...

- Everybody and their kid brother wants to play in the Berry Center. They've got a high school football game scheduled for ESPN National Television this fall. It was enough to make the former 'Katy' Copperheads pick up stakes, change their name and move to Cypress to play in the Berry Center. There are some 750,000 people living in CFISD. The Center features plays, musicals, ice shows and other events. The area around the Berry is booming with development, with the upscale Towne Lake development going up right next door.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More 5th grade logic from hbcu.

I don't think they built this thing with Texas Southern or PV in mind. Not exactly your 'cash cows'...unless you're an administrator there.

- Everybody and their kid brother wants to play in the Berry Center. They've got a high school football game scheduled for ESPN National Television this fall. It was enough to make the former 'Katy' Copperheads pick up stakes, change their name and move to Cypress to play in the Berry Center. There are some 750,000 people living in CFISD. The Center features plays, musicals, ice shows and other events. The area around the Berry is booming with development, with the upscale Towne Lake development going up right next door.

Wow, the Katy Copperheads moved to the Berry Center?

That's huge. LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously Mr. Football didn't learn the "economics" of football....

If the stadium was in Houston, TSU and PV have looked for places to play when bigger games aren't on campus and the Berry Center would've been guaranteed 3 to 4 collegiate football events minimum...but the facility has already been on ESPN once already as PV played a game there last year.

What kind of "major" musicals and ice shows the Center can actually get to pay the bills on a consistent basis?

Time all of that development matures around the center, the place will be obselete..you better bid for every item you can now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard on KSEV that The Katy Copperheads went BANKRUPT and left KISD in DEBT!! CFISD was dumb enough to pick them up after doing that to a sister district.

Also......If religion isn't supposed to be part of schools why does the Berry Center sponsor Christian music artists and mass religious group meetings like Jehovah's Witness?

I'm a Christian and all but it does seem fishy. If they let Christian groups in they'll be letting death metal and other "non traditional" groups next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I'd like to see them attract more mainstream acts. There is concern about damage to facilities when you attract certain types of acts, but they could and should go after secular music.

i don't think school districts should be in the business of attracting mainstream acts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you got to pay the bills...you want to live like the richman you got to pay for a rich man's lifestyle

If you built a simple arena....bidding for "secular" acts and stuff wouldn't be an issue...I'm a FBISD alum who lived near HISD's facilities also and I never recall hearing them rent out the fieldhouse to a local artist to pay a light bill...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If religion isn't supposed to be part of schools why does the Berry Center sponsor Christian music artists and mass religious group meetings like Jehovah's Witness?

The Berry Center doesn't "sponsor" those religious group meetings. The CFISD rents the facility out to them.

I think a local church uses it on Sundays. A week or so ago it was the Jehovah's Witnesses regional conference. And by federal law they can't discriminate. If a Muslim organization wants to rent the large hall for an event, they must be allowed or the district would be charged with discrimination.

That's how it is when you hold a facility out for lease to the general public. You have to accept just about anybody who comes in with the money. I can't wait for PFLAG or Gay Pride to hold a big event and try to rent the Berry Center.

I'm told the rents are pretty high, and they should be. It's going to take a lot of lease income to pay for that place. High school sports won't even scratch the surface of the 81 million it cost to build that place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear professional wrestling and tractor pulls pay well. It would seem to be in an area that supports those events, as well.

You've got to go to College Station for that kind of high-class entertainment...you should be familiar with that, Red.

P1010118.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also......If religion isn't supposed to be part of schools why does the Berry Center sponsor Christian music artists and mass religious group meetings like Jehovah's Witness?

I'm a Christian and all but it does seem fishy. If they let Christian groups in they'll be letting death metal and other "non traditional" groups next.

Those would probably fall under freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. Only if the school district allowed certain religious groups to meet/perform there and not others would it represent an alliance between church and state. The non-establishment clause was never conceived to mean that religion would be driven out of the public forum.

Edit: Whoops, didn't see Filio's post on page 2.

Usually people head up to College Station for that kind of high-class entertainment...you should be quite familiar with that, Red.

P1010118.jpg

Clearly not too popular in College Station though, if the seats are so empty. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I think the calls for more teacher & classroom funding are moot with regards to bond elections as those types of things are funded by an entirely different source.

I think both sources that you speak of are commonly referred to as "the tax payer"

All bonds pass overwhelmingly and always have as far as I remember.

When elections were held in May and December, that was probably true since only 4500 people voted. Now that we are having a bond election in November, chances are that more people who are not affiliated with the school district or who are doing business with the school district will be voting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but the vehicle is different. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these bond issues are typically specific to construction. I've not seen a bond issue that addresses teacher salaries or classroom funding.

As for holding the bond election during a general election. I agree, they need to do this as much as possible. Too many garbage elections geared for special interests held on obscure days where those who have the most to gain are usually the only ones who are even aware of the election.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but the vehicle is different. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these bond issues are typically specific to construction. I've not seen a bond issue that addresses teacher salaries or classroom funding.

The bonds pay for capital projects, not district operations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bonds pay for capital projects, not district operations.

The point that I was trying to make was it doesn't matter whether the taxes are for operations (M&O) or capital projects (I&S), they are both funded by the tax payer. The tax payer writes one check at the end of the year to the school district.

And the school district is competing with other entities that need to operate and build things. The county needs to build roads so that we can get to those schools, the MUD district needs to upgrade its infrastructure so that we have clean drinking water, and the hospital district needs new equipment to save lives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as the hospital district, I think an argument can be made about the hundreds of millions spent caring for illegal aliens. I'd much rather that money be available to care for legal residents. I'd rather not have public dollars going to educate their children that should not be here.

If you want to get into the particulars we can find all kinds of injustices with regards to taxation.

What about the Federal Income Tax system? Ever read the The Creature from Jeckyll Island?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as the hospital district, I think an argument can be made about the hundreds of millions spent caring for illegal aliens. I'd much rather that money be available to care for legal residents. I'd rather not have public dollars going to educate their children that should not be here.

If you want to get into the particulars we can find all kinds of injustices with regards to taxation.

What about the Federal Income Tax system? Ever read the The Creature from Jeckyll Island?

Those are probably valid points and we should be holding ALL taxing entities accountable, but my point is that the school districts (in this case, CyFair with their $807 million dollar bond proposal) should understand that their funding comes from the same source - the tax payer. Any argument that bonds don't pay for teacher salaries and operational expenses is ignoring the fact that the tax payer is paying for them both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those are probably valid points and we should be holding ALL taxing entities accountable, but my point is that the school districts (in this case, CyFair with their $807 million dollar bond proposal) should understand that their funding comes from the same source - the tax payer. Any argument that bonds don't pay for teacher salaries and operational expenses is ignoring the fact that the tax payer is paying for them both.

In other words, you are pouring out of two different buckets (capital spending & operational expenses), but using the same tap to fill them. Pouring and refilling one (captial) at a greater rate reduces the amount of the water from the tap that can be used to fill, and pour out of, the other (operations).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you look at what the bond is paying for, and the amounts, there is nothing that is a luxury. The district is expanding very rapidly, and the Super has said before that even with current and future funding, the district can only open so many schools per year. The reason is that part of the expense of opening a new school, does not come from bond money. The plan of 8 elementary schools, two high schools and three middle schools is about correct for planning for 25,000 more students (it may be a conservative estimate) in the next 5 years (plus new technology, buses and updating older facilities). Its a necessary bond and it should be passed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When the bond was voted on, it was listed how much the "Berry Center" would cost to construct, along with the football stadium. Its use is just that, it supports the school district and its education of district students (all aspects). For a large community as Cy-Fair is, and growing, its makes sense to have a nice facility for community and school events. It was a shame students had to leave the 3rd largest school district and graduate in the City of Houston.

This proposed bond, contains necessary items to house the ever growing school population.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


All of the HAIF
None of the ads!
HAIF+
Just
$5!


×
×
  • Create New...