Update Again Again: OPACY lease officially official, done and approved, for real this time

[Tony-OH]

On 10/27/2023 at 6:41 AM, Going Underground said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under the new memorandum, which is nonbinding but which the two parties say is the precursor to a lease, the Orioles, not the state, would be in charge of paying for development and receive potential profits.

“This is essentially gifting the land to the Orioles,” said Bradbury, who often critiques stadium subsidies.

 

 

 

 

The memorandum of understanding further details additional financial agreements. The Orioles will pay for operation and maintenance of the ballpark, but will stop paying annual rent. That will ultimately save the state millions of dollars a year and is similar to the arrangement it has with the Ravens for M&T Bank Stadium.

However, the Orioles, in addition to the ground lease, would receive $3.3 million annually for a repair fund that would total $100 million over 30 years. Those are benefits the Ravens do not receive. Because of parity clauses in the teams’ leases, the state might have to provide the equivalent to the NFL team.

The fund would require General Assembly approval and it’s unknown if the legislature would pass such a bill. The legislature isn’t scheduled to meet again until January, but that does not necessarily mean the lease could not be signed before then.

 

 

The memorandum has also been criticized by former stadium authority leaders for giving construction and operating power over the ballpark to the Orioles.

Asked if the Orioles would have the authority to determine how public money is spent, Bonacci, the authority’s spokesperson, said in a statement: “the team is expected to have a larger role in contractor selection and project administration, following models from other stadiums and subject to significant Maryland Stadium Authority controls and approvals.”

Christopher Ryon, a Baltimore-based procurement attorney, noted that the stadium authority has procurement experience, unlike the Orioles, and wondered what procurement guidelines the club would need to follow.

“Those are important details that still need to be worked out between the parties,” Ryon said.

My first impression is any agreement that gives the money to Angelos (Orioles) will not be spent on actually improving the ballpark, but will mostly go into the Angelos improvement fund. 

I don't like the idea of giving public funded money to a private business to spend as they want.

[Tony-OH]

17 hours ago, Going Underground said:

 

 

My last question is: Why isn’t the state seeking competing bids from actual developers, as is typically required under Maryland law? The last time the state tried to pick a favored developer without real competition it didn’t turn out well. The State Center project was halted by a lawsuit that accused the state of violating its own laws in selecting a developer without competition. Ironically, the plaintiff in the suit was Peter Angelos. There are numerous developers both locally and nationally with real experience in developing sports-related properties.

Oo-oo, Mr. Kottaaa... pick me, I know the answer!!!

Because this entire agreement is about how every single politician, business leader involved, and of course Angelos can pad their wallets off the MD taxpayers vs trying to really improve the fan experience for Orioles fans.

 

[Tony-OH]

17 hours ago, Aglets said:

The #1 question every journalist should be checking in about every single day now with both the state and the O's front office is "When are you guys going to sign this thing?"

In addition to that, those other questions are good too.

Here's the problem, our government officials no longer feel like they have to answer to journalists if they don't like the questions.

Ever watch Fox45 in the morning and see how much corruption they dig up across Baltimore and the State? When they ask questions to the politicians or officials, they just don't respond. 

Why would they respond? People keep voting in the same old corrupt politicians while all the public does is cry and wine about how terrible things are and they can't understand why nothing changes.

Now I'm going to leave it there so we don't get too political, but the amount of corruption at every level of governments from the local to Federal levels has become insane. 

Unfortunately most people got their faces stuck in their phones watching Tik Tok videos while watching the world burn around them like it's not happening. 

So even when journalists do actually ask the right questions (and most are just bought off or in cahoots with the politicians), they are ignored.

[Sports Guy]

23 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Here's the problem, our government officials no longer feel like they have to answer to journalists of they don't like the questions.

Ever watch Fox45 in the morning and see how much corruption they dig up across Baltimore and the State? When they ask questions to the politicians or officials, they just don't respond. 

Why would they respond? People keep voting in the same old corrupt politicians while all the public does is cry and wine about how terrible things are and they can't understand why nothing changes.

Now I'm going to leave it there so we don't get too political, but the amount of corruption at every level of governments from the local to Federal levels has become insane. 

Unfortunately most people got their faces stuck in their phones watching Tik Tok videos while watching the world burn around them like it's not happening. 

So even when journalists do actually ask the right questions (and most are just bought off or in cahoots with the politicians), they are ignored.

The local level corruption really gets ignored but you can’t live anywhere anymore that isn’t overdeveloped and that corruption is a big reason why.

But yea, this is all about that. If this was about the Os, the fan experience and what’s best for OpACY, this would have been done months ago, like it was for the Ravens.

Whats ironic is you would think more corruption would be for the sport that has more money and popularity. 

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

The local level corruption really gets ignored but you can’t live anywhere anymore that isn’t overdeveloped and that corruption is a big reason why.

But yea, this is all about that. If this was about the Os, the fan experience and what’s best for OpACY, this would have been done months ago, like it was for the Ravens.

Whats ironic is you would think more corruption would be for the sport that has more money and popularity. 

I think though that's why it was easier with the Ravens. Being an NFL owner is like having a license to print money. Bisciotti doesn't have to push the state to get every dime because he's a multi-Billionaire and he can make sure the developers, businessmen and politicians get their cuts so everyone is happy.

Not surprisingly though, ticket and concession prices keep skyrocketing so that cost is past on to the fans.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I think though that's why it was easier with the Ravens. Being an NFL owner is like having a license to print money. Bisciotti doesn't have to push the state to get every dime because he's a multi-Billionaire and he can make sure the developers, businessmen and politicians get their cuts so everyone is happy.

Not surprisingly though, ticket and concession prices keep skyrocketing so that cost is past on to the fans.

He also doesn't have to push the State since the State has to match whatever they give the O's.

 

[Otter]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

Oo-oo, Mr. Kottaaa... pick me, I know the answer!!!

Because this entire agreement is about how every single politician, business leader involved, and of course Angelos can pad their wallets off the MD taxpayers vs trying to really improve the fan experience for Orioles fans.

 

I wonder how many posters actually got your reference.... 

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Otter said:

I wonder how many posters actually got your reference.... 

The old ones but I missed it until you referenced it just now.  Horshack!

[Otter]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

Here's the problem, our government officials no longer feel like they have to answer to journalists if they don't like the questions.

Ever watch Fox45 in the morning and see how much corruption they dig up across Baltimore and the State? When they ask questions to the politicians or officials, they just don't respond. 

Why would they respond? People keep voting in the same old corrupt politicians while all the public does is cry and wine about how terrible things are and they can't understand why nothing changes.

Now I'm going to leave it there so we don't get too political, but the amount of corruption at every level of governments from the local to Federal levels has become insane. 

Unfortunately most people got their faces stuck in their phones watching Tik Tok videos while watching the world burn around them like it's not happening. 

So even when journalists do actually ask the right questions (and most are just bought off or in cahoots with the politicians), they are ignored.

Amen.  And don't forget the role of many media outlets in protecting and propping up politicians...controlling the narrative means many regular Americans really aren't even aware of the extent of the corruption and how their tax dollars are actually being used (wasted)....

[Going Underground]

23 hours ago, drjohnnyfever1 said:

All of these people know if they wait long enough, just long enough for inquiring minds to lose focus on another item in the news cycle, they can make up some phony response that they say answers the questions but really don't.  Some silly feel good answer like, "This deal is a boon for the City of Baltimore and we are happy to be a part of it." lol.

Any odds on whether the questions in the Sun editorial will be answered with factual data???

It isn't a Sun editorial but an opinion piece from the former head of the MSA. He did get let go and the Orioles at the end didn't want to do the negotiating with him because they thought it would be easier with the new Governor coming in. So some of it might be a little bit slanted.

[drjohnnyfever1]

5 hours ago, Going Underground said:

It isn't a Sun editorial but an opinion piece from the former head of the MSA. He did get let go and the Orioles at the end didn't want to do the negotiating with him because they thought it would be easier with the new Governor coming in. So some of it might be a little bit slanted.

Yeah, I've been following it from your updates.  JA stopped talking to the Hogan appointed official, that's this guy, correct?  I guess "Sun Editorial" is the wrong term, but I'm following who's who... I think. lol.  It's shocking, but not, the degree of political back patting and pandering that goes on, even from the perspective of someone who's generally pretty cynical about anything government anymore.  The whole argument that this is somehow good for working people is laughable.

Back in the day, "transparent" wasn't a good thing.  It was a term used to show the clear disregard parties had for playing by rules to achieve their desired end.  Now, the guys who brag about being "transparent" - in today's modern, positive view of the term, are likely the most blatant offenders of what the old negative connotation meant.  The world turned on it's head.

[DenPA2002]

Any news on upgrades to OPACY?

[drjohnnyfever1]

54 minutes ago, DenPA2002 said:

Any news on upgrades to OPACY?

Quoting an un-named source, "The urinals will now have seats."

[accinfo]

2 hours ago, DenPA2002 said:

Any news on upgrades to OPACY?

They have to sign the lease before any upgrades will be made.

[NashLumber]

1 hour ago, drjohnnyfever1 said:

Quoting an un-named source, "The urinals will now have seats."

Bidets for everyone!