As Covid-19 Closes Stadiums, Municipalities Struggle With Billions in Debt

Pandemic crushes tourism and turns sports venues into a strain on local budgets

By Sebastian Pellejero and Heather Gillers of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Two decades of using borrowed money to pay for new stadiums is coming back to haunt many cities across the country."

"Coronavirus lockdowns have emptied arenas and stadiums indefinitely, shuttering professional sports and concert tours alike, and have significantly reduced taxes. When cities issue bonds and use the proceeds to build stadiums, they pledge to make yearly bond payments on the debt, often counting on revenue from sales, hotel or rental-car taxes to cover the payments.

Public officials have borrowed billions of dollars to build stadiums for major teams. Since 2000, more than 40% of almost $17 billion in tax-exempt municipal bonds sold to finance major-league stadiums were backed by levies on hotels and rental cars—making tourism taxes the predominant means of public stadium finance, according to the Brookings Institution.

The borrowers envisioned the sports facilities as a form of economic development that would attract fans from near and far, raising cities’ national profile and boosting their revenue beyond what was needed to pay back the bonds. The pandemic has turned that calculus on its head, crushing tourism proceeds and turning stadiums into a strain on city budgets—when cities are already hemorrhaging revenue from coronavirus shutdowns."

"Municipalities’ struggle with tourism-linked debt marks the latest strain on the municipal bond market, where millions of investors traditionally put their money as a safe place for retirement. Much of outstanding municipal debt is backed by payments such as property taxes and sewer fees, leading many to consider the securities nearly as safe as Treasurys."

"No stadium bonds involving major professional sports leagues have defaulted in recent memory, but there are signs of strain.

In April, the Oakland Athletics withheld a $1.2 million rent payment to Oakland Coliseum as it furloughed staff members and cut salaries.

Moody’s has placed bonds backing Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, on review for downgrade, while S&P Global Inc. has lowered its outlook to negative on that venue and the BB&T Center, where the Florida Panthers hockey team plays."

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