Rtivo is dancing around this, but never states anything about how they’ll fix it. Just how much money it costs them, how this race deserves a wonderful setting, the limited time Pimlico is used, etc.
We already know how much it will cost - MD Staduim Authority did a study. It’s not fixable, it needs to be knocked down and rebuilt. He’s not dancing around it at all. Everyone knows what needs to be done to keep racing at Pimlico. It just does not make economic sense to do it and no one wants to pay for it.
Whatever happens at Pimlico, TSG needs to pay back half the subsidies they’ve been collecting from the state. Those were to be used for both Laurel and Pimlico, but the Pimlico share was largely diverted. TSG has truly acted bad faith.
I do believe Pimlico’s days are numbered. And the public and the industry are better served by moving the Preakness elsewhere. Much as it pains me to say so.
In addition to reclaiming the Pimlico subsidies and axing subsidies to Laurel (Belinda & Co keep telling us that Laurel is economically viable), I’d like to see the city and the state squeeze them for a top notch upgrade for the arabbers and their horses. TSG could make one, concrete contribution to sustaining Baltimore’s horse traditions rather than padding their own pockets.
Are you nuts? It would be stupid to have put any money into Pimlico. It’s infrastructure is aged and just about useless. You do know that most of the women’s bathrooms have been unusable the past few years, toilets overflowing, etc, right? On a rainy day you need an umbrella inside the clubhouse. Its used two days a year. Every other day of the year it’s empty. Stronach has never hidden any of the expenditures and has always been completely transparent about what upgrades were being done where.
Then why did he take the subsidies as structured by the state?
ETA: right or wrong the understanding was that the state funds would be sustain Pimlico.
12 racing days/yr not 2. And almost half the revenue fron the TSG Maryland operation.
No, there was no mandate as to where the funds were to be spent. And the MD Racing Commission (state appointees) approved it all. $23 million spent at Pimlico and it’s all a waste of money just trying to get 12 days of racing. Pimlico will be demolished. The $89 million spent at Laurel will last the next 100 years. And there may be 12 days of racing ,but NO ONE will be watching from the grandstand or clubhouse other than yesterday and Friday. NO ONE goes to the races at Pimlico. Pimlico is unsustainable- they just tried to make it habitable for two days and failed.
I love how people who weren’t there think they are experts. There are 131,000 plus people who would disagree wholeheartedly that they failed. As would the only thing that really matters in the end, the handle.
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I take it you were in a tent and had access to the large portapotty trailers, not wading through the muck in the grandstand or clubhouse, or trying to find a line with a less than 15 minute wait.
Your take would be incorrect, not that it matters. Except for the dining room and the jocks room there was nowhere I wasn’t for at least a little while. I saw no muck anywhere.
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I am looking for the quote from him where he states it needs to be torn down. Because, as I stated, all I see is dancin’
There is already a report that says that - he does not need to. They’ve already said they are not paying for it.
In addition to the bathroom and plumbing issues, there was also an electrical outage in the infield, affecting many of the vendors who were trying to prepare hot food for the infield guests.
Yeah, but they own it. Show me where Stronach says it’s coming down
He won’t need to, the building inspector will not pass it next year.
“We lack engineering skills and are even less adept at understanding the local political fabric, but can’t civic leaders and TSG heads come together with a multi-year plan for Pimlico that could address its needs section by section? It could start with the some 6,000 seats that were roped off a few weeks ago. Couldn’t that prime area be razed with a new facility taking its place? The other portions of the main plant could be restructured in later phases.”
He sure did hit that nail on the head. I guess they could haul in portapotties and generators while people sit in the newly refurbished 6,000 outdoor seats.
The plumbing and electric infrastructure have way outlived their useful life. The water issue is very serious. You can’t rebuild “section by section,” you have to fix the infrastructure, which at this point, means it’s more efficient to tear the whole thing down and start new.
[URL=“https://www.wbaltv.com/article/water-main-break-near-pimlico-race-course-entrance-causes-several-problems/27473518”]https://www.wbaltv.com/article/water-main-break-near-pimlico-race-course-entrance-causes-several-problems/27473518
““Today they had a good taste because we had a main water break. No water came in. Health department was everywhere, made sure everything is fine. We shipped water containers in,” Hofmeister said.”
You can’t have a waterless commercial kitchen. And I’m not anti-Pimlico; I’ve been to more Preaknesses than I care to count. I’m pro-Maryland racing and understand the big economic picture of doing what is best for the industry.
The Commission may be state-appointed but they didn’t follow their own process. Oops. Kinda fishy.
Fishy dealings within the Maryland Racing Commission and the Stronach Group? Say it ain’t so. :rolleyes:
(That is my “zero percent surprised” font, in case you couldn’t tell :lol:)
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Yep!
So arguments that the Stronach Group is in the clear cuz the Commission signed off strike me as pretty feeble.
They are just uselessly pointing fingers at each other.
