As expected, the Bloomington City Council approved a 20-year agreement Wednesday to officially launch a new ECHL pro hockey team at Grossinger Motors Arena.
The Bloomington Bison will host three dozen home games, in the season that runs from October to April. The schedule will be in place by May.
The 8-0 vote covers the financial nuts and bolts of the partnership with Hallett Sports and Entertainment’s Illinois Hockey Club. The meeting, in the downtown Government Center, followed a morning news conference to unveil the team name and logo at the arena, just a few blocks west of the building.
“It’s a significant investment on our part. But it was your city management that made us feel welcome,” one of the team owners, Sean Hallett, told the council, adding, the Hallett family is confident of the partnership. In particular, the company likes the arena and the way the city is focused on a downtown revival.
The Bloomington Bison already are gaining support from several leading business leaders in the community, said Hallett.
“We unveiled our website just a few hours ago. We already have taken deposits on 200 season tickets. So, this is off to a positive start,” he said.
Council member Nick Becker, of Ward 5, and City Manager Tim Gleason were absent Wednesday. Council member Donna Boelen, Ward 2, attended remotely.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the city council OK’d using about $400,000 of its State Motor Fuel Tax fund toward the first project in the state’s nearly $7 million upgrades of Market Street; and approved the second phase for designing a south Bloomington Constitution Trail extension.
The meeting originally was scheduled for Monday evening, but was delayed due to the icy road conditions that hobbled the city earlier this week.
Hockey contract projects $15M in profits and rent over 20 years
Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus told the council besides the nearly $5.5 million in leasing over the course of the agreement, Bloomington anticipates the venture to bring about $750,000 in annual profit.
Last week, city officials announced the team was heading to Bloomington, pending city council approval.
This isn't the first ECHL team for Hallett Sports, co-owned by Jim Hallett, and his sons Sean and Chad. The company also has led the Indianapolis-based Indy Fuel for a decade.
The New Jersey-based ECHL bills itself as hockey’s premier AA league, with more than two dozen franchises spread across the United States, and a few from Canada.
Under the agreement approved Wednesday, Hallett Sports pays $180,000 in annual rent through 2029. The agreement with the Illinois Hockey Club includes an option to renew, at each fifth year — continuing through 2034. Annual rent the first period would be $180,000, and go up to $240,000, $300,000 and eventually $360,000. At the full 20 years, Bloomington would have brought in $5.4 million in rent.
The city also projects the 20-year plan will bring about $15 million profit— based on attendance, other revenue, and expense estimates.
There’s an expectation the Bison will sell an average of 2,200 tickets per game, and about $20,000 in concessions. Failure to meet that agreement is the responsibility of Hallett.
Both Tyus and Hallett said after the council meeting that reaching those ticket and concession sales isn’t a concern.
“The 2,200 isn’t an aspirational goal, it’s more of a minimum, where we’d be in breach of contract. So, we expect to do much better than that,” said Hallett, noting the average ECHL game attendance is around 4,500. There’s no other professional sports teams in Bloomington, and the history of hockey in central Illinois as well as the market here bodes well for the franchise, he said.
The team owners will handle naming rights and sponsorships. Tyus told the council that makes sense because they are experts at that subject, with more than a decade of experience with their Indianapolis teams.
“It’s something that they already do as part of their existing business,” said Tyus.
City: Growing interest in arena, shows turnaround
After the meeting, Tyus told WGLT that Bloomington’s troubled history with the arena’s finances is a thing of the past.
“Things are already turning around,” said Tyus, who credits the city with bringing arena management in-house, and the aggressive recruiting efforts from arts and entertainment manager Anthony Nelson to put the arena back on the radar of tour schedulers.
“This council and the City Manager Tim Gleason have made reactivating the arena a top priority, and it’s happening right now,” said Tyus. “In the last three months, we’ve had two sellouts or near sellouts.”
Over the next month, about 30,000 people are expected to be in the arena, ranging from an Illinois High School [IHSA] event, to a (non Bison) hockey game, and other events.
“That’s a lot of people to come through the arena,” he said, and another announcement is expected over the next few weeks, said Tyus.
These factors combined with other changes give administrators confidence the Bloomington Bison will spell good fortune for the city.
“Everything is different. This is a new time. It’s a new administration. It’s a new market. ... I don’t say that to negate any of the past efforts, but it’s a different time,” Tyus said.
Constitution Trail in south Bloomington focus of study
Also at Monday’s meeting, the council OK’d spending up to $157,000 with Hutchison Engineering for the second phase of designing the Constitution Trail extension, from Lafayette Street south to Hamilton Road.
This next phase covers final design and development of plans, specifications, and estimates. Bloomington is getting an Illinois Department of Transportation grant to help fund the project.
One of the project’s key elements is to provide pedestrians and cyclists a safe way to cross Veterans Parkway in south Bloomington.
Patrick Dullard, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Constitution Trail and member of Bike BloNo, told the council that because upcoming road improvements to Hamilton and Fox Creek roads are going to build connectivity, focusing on the trail in that area makes sense.
“This is a critical section of the trail. For so many years the southern part of the community has been disconnected from the Constitution Trail system. ... This section brings them into the downtown area and the rest of the community,” he added.
Also at Wednesday's meeting, the council:
- Approved using about $420,000 of Bloomington’s state motor fuel tax fund for its contribution to a major project on Market Street [U.S. 150/Illinois 9]. This is the first project in the state-led Market Street overhaul, estimated at $6.7 million.
- Made way for more housing in Bloomington. A vote annexed about 36 acres at Grove on Kickapoo Creek, sixth addition, and also rezoned the property as R-2 mixed residence. A housing shortage continues to plague the community.
- Reallocated $400,000 to the city’s major project of water meter installation. It doesn’t represent added costs. Rather, the city has an opportunity to buy more equipment in this budget year.
