California USA Wrestling’s Rob Valeiro has asked the city of Tulare to share the cost of a study to determine whether the 16,000-seat arena and sports complex the organization is proposing is feasible for northeast Tulare.
Valeiro said the study, with a cost estimated between $52,500 and $80,000, will document the project’s economic impact in the community.
“It’ll tell us what we can build. Is it feasible? What can be supported in the region and what kind of impact it’ll make on job creation.”
A Southern California Edison study prepared in March stated that the arena, to be built on Hillman Street south of Cartmill Avenue, would create about 1,000 temporary jobs during construction and up to 300 permanent jobs when it opens. The jobs include arena management positions and support staff.
California USA Wrestling’s Rob Valeiro has asked the city of Tulare to share the cost of a study to determine whether the 16,000-seat arena and sports complex the organization is proposing is feasible for northeast Tulare.
Valeiro said the study, with a cost estimated between $52,500 and $80,000, will document the project’s economic impact in the community.
“It’ll tell us what we can build. Is it feasible? What can be supported in the region and what kind of impact it’ll make on job creation.”
A Southern California Edison study prepared in March stated that the arena, to be built on Hillman Street south of Cartmill Avenue, would create about 1,000 temporary jobs during construction and up to 300 permanent jobs when it opens. The jobs include arena management positions and support staff.
“Those are real numbers, “Valeiro said.
The project will be a way of showing that Tulare is taking job-creating matters into its own hands, Valeiro said.
“We don’t want to wait for someone to hand us a way to get people back to work, “he said. “We want to create it right here in Tulare.”
Valeiro said an arena like the one being proposed would host about 100 events a year. Already, USA Wrestling has committed 89 events a year, including high school championship meets, he said. “That’s huge for us, “he said.
The arena will be the permanent home for USA Wrestling, a nonprofit organization seeking to promote and preserve collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling.
Estimates indicate that a three-day event could draw up to 7,000 visitors to Tulare, Valeiro said. The arena would also host concerts, recitals, tractor-pull competitions and monster truck demonstrations, while the convention center portion could host seminars and workshops.
Hosting those events would create added revenue for the city.
Tulare Redevelopment Director Bob Nance said visitors attending events buy gas at local stations, stay at local hotels and eat at restaurants in addition to what they pay to get into an event.”That’s like Disneyland, “he said.
Nance said the proposed arena is unusual because it includes commercial and public aspects.
Besides the arena, the project includes retail and corporate offices, a hotel and conference center.
In total, the project would take up 27 acres in northeast Tulare, Valeiro said.
Additional details on the facility include:
- Estimated building area of 500,000 square feet.
- Estimated floor space of 84,000 square feet.
- 11,000 floor seats.
- 27,000 total seat capacity.
- 32, luxury, suites.
- 200-seat restaurant with views of the arena.
Target opening date is Feb. 1, 2015.
But before a partnership can be considered, project proponents must give a thorough presentation to the City Council, Nance said. That’s part of a newly adopted council policy.
The council is expected to address the policy at its Jan. 17 meeting. A presentation on the project could be made at the same meeting, Nance said.
Generally, a feasibility study takes 60 days to complete, Nance said
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