Both Fishers and Noblesville are moving ahead with plans for events centers anchored by minor league sports teams…Fishers with Indy Fuel hockey and Noblesville with Mad Ants basketball.  In a story appearing on the front page of the Sunday, August 6, edition of the Indianapolis Star, reporter John Tuohy checks with people behind the Fishers and Noblesville facilities, plus several independent experts, on how the facilities may fare in today’s market.

All appear to agree that the sports teams will only be a part of the income stream coming to support these venues, that other events, particularly music concerts, will provide the remainder of the revenue.  The question is whether the Indianapolis metro market can support all the facilities we have, plus two more.

Tuohy points out that neither Fishers nor Noblesville conducted an economic feasibility study prior to committing to their respective facilities.  But, the City of Fort Wayne did conduct such a study.

The Fort Wayne report found a new facility for the Mad Ants downtown would only attract about 10 events a year, since most bands would prefer to book the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne instead.  The Mad Ants have been playing in the Coliseum, drawing an average of 2,485 fans per game.

Tuohy quotes Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen and Leonard Bonacci, regional director of stadiums for ASM Global (they will book events for the Fishers Events Center) saying each facility should be able to book enough dates to keep the venues busy.

Also quoted in the piece are independent experts such as Walter Franco, principal at Victus Advisors… Mark Rosentraub, director of the Center for Sports Venues & Real Estate Development at the University of Michigan…Roger Noll, a Stanford University professor emeritus in economics…and Randy Brown, former general manager of the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

The experts speculate on the type of acts that may appear in the Fishers facility, including John Mellencamp, Goo Goo Dolls, Chicago, Styx, Alabama and Brad Paisley.

You can read the entire story by using this link  (NOTE: You may have difficulty accessing this story if you are not a subscriber of the IndyStar….online subscriptions are very inexpensive…subscribe to your local media!)