House of Cards

The main convention center, which will be attached to the stadium, is estimated to include a 350,000-square-foot exhibit hall and 250,000 square feet of meeting rooms and support space. The "no-frills" convention facility is projected to cost $90 million, a number Williams and HHN agreed was reasonable.

The murky cost estimates for the stadium, changing plans and the inherent uncertainties in building the prototype facility raise questions about whether the stadium the team is touting before the May 18 election would be the one actually constructed.

"That's a good question," says Facilities District board member Pat Gilbert.
Mesa assistant city manager Hutchinson says if the cost estimates to build the stadium come in too high, there would be three options: Cancel the project, have the Cardinals kick in more money, or cut back further on the design.

"You don't do the retractable dome. Or you don't do the field that goes in and out," he says.

But wouldn't such alterations in the scope of the project amount to a bait-and-switch on the public?

"Do those changes make it untenable? I don't know. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Hutchinson says.

A further wild card in the mix is that very little of the Cardinals' $75 million construction contribution must be forwarded to the district until two years into the project. The stadium is designed to come online first, four months before completion of the convention center.

A likely scenario arises in which construction cost overruns make it clear the contractor won't be able to finish both the stadium and the convention center on budget. Project supporters say that any cost overruns would be the responsibility of the contractor.

Nevertheless, the Cardinals could be in position to insist that their contribution go only toward completion of the stadium.

Mesa vice mayor Giles says cost overruns are inevitable, and a showdown with the Cardinals and the contractor is likely.

"We are looking at a project with a potential for huge cost overruns. Nobody has tried to build one of these before," Giles says.

The vice mayor predicts the Cardinals will play hardball if it appears there won't be enough money to finish both the stadium and the convention center.

"They are not going to be nice guys," Giles says. "It's a very scary deal."

Early on a March Sunday morning, the parking lot at the Riverview Municipal Golf Course is packed. The popular course is one of the most affordable in the Valley, costing only $13.75 to play a round of nine holes.

Nearby, four softball fields host a western regional tournament involving teams from as far away as Oregon.

On another field, a soccer tournament is under way--as it is every week from sunup to sundown. Young, mostly Latino men watch quietly from the sidelines as players bolt up and down the field.

The small fishing pond has attracted a half-dozen folks hoping to land a catfish.

Families unload children from minivans and sedans to celebrate a girl's sixth birthday. Parents push children in swings.

Jets roar overhead.
It's just another day at the park.
Most people randomly surveyed were unaware that the neighborhood park could become the site of the Arizona Cardinals' new stadium.

Asked if they thought it would be a good idea to build the stadium and pay the tax, the majority of folks said they didn't care one way or another, but said they probably wouldn't vote in the May 18 election.

"I don't give a shit," one man says while sitting on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

A few thought it would be a great benefit for the city, bringing economic growth and construction of an exciting place to go.

"I think it will help out the economy for Mesa," says Ted Ackerley as he walks to his car with a golf bag slung over his shoulder. "It's time for Mesa to step up to the plate."

Others were firmly opposed to losing the park and the inexpensive municipal golf course to make way for $100-a-round championship courses and the stadium and convention center.

"We like our park," says Nash Jaurejui, who lives across the street. "This is what we use for recreation. We are not too interested in paying taxes for big stadiums so other people can make money."

It appears the May 18 election--arguably the most important day in the Cardinals' team history--will be like most of its home games and attract only a small crowd.

For once, poor attendance may be a blessing for the team.

Contact John Dougherty at his online address: jdougherty@newtimes.com