Bangor has questions about study

BANGOR — Still waiting. That’s the position of city officials in terms of the rest of the feasibility study on a multipurpose stadium that could bring the Blue Ox to Bangor.

It has been three weeks since Dallas firm Coopers and Lybrand turned in a 44-page draft of the market analysis, so officials are more than ready to get the rest of the package. The company had pledged to do the study in seven weeks, which would have scheduled it for completion on June 30.

Assistant City Solicitor Norman Heitmann said Monday he expected at least one more part of the study to arrive this week, and the rest by next week.

Coopers and Lybrand is still working on the financial analysis, Heitmann said, as well as the economic impact analysis and project funding alternatives.

The firm asked the city and the Blue Ox — who are sharing the $40,000 cost of the study — to submit comments on the first part of the study.

“They didn’t think private suites [in the stadium] were feasible, and we asked them to expand on that,” Heitmann explained.

The city also wanted more information on the history of independent leagues and their teams, he added, “in terms of looking at their track records — how many [leagues, teams], how long they’ve been in place.”

That’s important information, Heitmann said. “If the stadium does go, the Blue Ox would be a major tenant.”

The city also asked a few other questions, mostly odds and ends such as “How did you arrive at that figure?” for a certain piece of information.

No specific location has been named as the best site for a stadium, which also would host concerts and other activities. But officials have talked generally about land at Bass Park, which would be both convenient and visible because of its proximity to I-395.

The report on funding alternatives will be of great interest to city officials, and could be the make-or-break factor. In grappling with the annual $250,000 subsidy to Bass Park, councilors have stated often that such recreational and meeting facilities should be supported regionally, not just by the Bangor taxpayers.