IS BCIC TRYING TO UNLOAD SPORTS PARK ON COUNTY? IS ZAG TOYOTA SPORTS CENTER COMING TO A B'TOWN NEAR YOU?

By Juan Montoya
Reports have begun to filter in indicating that there is a move afoot by the members of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) to transfer the Brownsville Sports Park to Cameron County.
Sources say that talks have already started with Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda and members of the BCIC board to do just that. The carrot at the end of the stick? While the county would take over the park and its maintenance, the BCIC would continue to service the $30 million-plus debt it took to build the facility.
Critics of the park say that the BCIC overextended itself when it undertook its construction. City officials back then said that the construction of the park was originally tagged at between $8 to $12 million. However, added costs and snafus cause the price to climb past $21 million and is now around $30.
Former city commissioner Charlie Atkinson – who some blame for the costs overruns on his watch – uses to say that visitors there could not appreciate the price tag because the bulk of the money had gone to install utility and drainage infrastructure which was not visible above the ground.
But with Atkinson gone and new BCIC members like La Chisquiada commissioner Rose Gowen with her pedal-pushing bike agenda on board, the BCIC would like to div est itself of the white elephant that is eating its budget with its debt service.
"She needs more money for bike trails, not to maintain the sports park," said a city hall source. "There is very little left after spending it on the park."
The BCIC is so hard up for reveneues for the park, critics say, that they charge Little League teams a fee to practice on its fields. In a related matter, the board in its Monday meeting voted not to send Requests For Quotes for its legal counsel and continue to receive free legal advice from the city through city attorney Mark Sossi.
Staff members said that the reason that the BCIC board considered that item on the agenda was because they had planned for at least two years to go at it alone and hire their own legal adviser. Cash poor, they probably decided it was "cheaper to keep her."
How Cameron County – also strapped for cash – will be able to maintain the park with its limited parks budget is also questionable.
"Everyone id cash-poor," said a former city commissioner. "The city is broke, the county is struggling and the BISD is barely making ends meet. About the only entity that is solvent is the Port of Brownsville. They really don't even need to levy property taxes, but they still do."
Sometime back former city commissioner Ernesto de Leon approached the city and Chris Zamora, the dealer principal with the Zamora Automotive Group which is building the Toyota dealership on property at the entrance to the park. He said that he had suggested a contract with them for the naming rights.
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility or event, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three to 20 years.
The distinctive characteristic for this type of naming rights is that the buyer gets a marketing property to promote products and services, promote customer retention and  or increase market share.
The Chicago Cubs, for example, play on "Wrigley Field," named after the chewing-gum magnate. " In 1953, the St. Louis Cardinals named their new stadium "Busch Stadium" after one of the company's founders.
And, unlike the current practices of Mayor Tony Martinez and the city commission to give away city assets without receiving something immediate, the city would actually be getting something tangible in return in the foreseeable future.
"I don't understand what it is about Brownsville politicans that they seem hell-bent to give away the public's property and assets to people and organizations who already have enough money," said a city critic. "Martinez and the city can't seem to give the city's real estate and millions away to private energy company Tenaska, the megaweatlhy UT System, billionaire Elon Musk, and to his buddies downtown. The same applies to former UTB president Julieta Garcia who actually wanted to give away all of Texas Southmost College's assets to the UT System. Why don't they give away their own money and not the public's?"
De Leon said he had floated the idea with city officials and with ZAG lead principals as well.
"I personally spoke with Mr. Zamora and told him it probably wouldn't help his dealership if some aggressive competitor like, say, Charlie Clark Nissan, moved in before he did and got the sports park naming rights," de leon said. "I gave him (Brownsville City Manager Charlie) Cabler's number and he said he would call him."
The sports park has been a drain on the BCIC and city parks because of its maintenance costs and debt service. If a deal is struck with a private investor, that might just provide the breathing space that would allow the BCIC to return to its original mission to improve the quality of life in Brownsville, de Leon said.