Council hears Memorial Field revenue plan, questions marketing and winter options

Commissioner Pinckney told the City Council on March 24 that Memorial Field has more than 100 pending outdoor events for the coming season and that current contracts and bookings put projected revenue in the neighborhood of about $500,000 for the year.

Why it matters: The stadium is a large city asset and council members said they want to see whether the field is operating at a net gain or loss after expenses, including staffing, maintenance and any capital costs. Members asked for a clear profit-and-loss statement and a sponsorship strategy before approving recurring arrangements.

What officials said: Pinckney said the field’s calendar includes sports, concerts and festivals and described ongoing efforts to attract events. He cautioned that Memorial Field is effectively a six‑ or seven‑month outdoor venue without a permanent weather cover and that winterizing the field (a ‘bubble’) would carry significant costs. He also said the department has sought a leasing agreement for turf‑marking equipment (Turf Tank) rather than purchasing because of high capital cost and limited vendor availability.

Council requests and next steps: Council asked the commissioner to present a detailed P&L showing revenue and expense projections and to outline sponsorship and marketing plans; the commissioner agreed to prepare the requested materials for the next work session (targeted for April 7). Council members also suggested exploring marketing to the broader Tri‑State area and reviewing the stadium’s operating budget for any gaps in marketing funds.

Quotes: “We have pending over a hundred events at an outdoor field with 3,900 seats… according to the amount that we see coming in, just the sporting things, we’re already up to about 500,000,” Commissioner Pinckney said. Council members asked for a line‑by‑line accounting to assess whether the field is breaking even or producing net revenue.

Ending: The commissioner will prepare a presentation for the April work session with a P&L, a list of pending events and a sponsorship strategy for council review.