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Question 1.4. arrrr ec t t alletulafIC.,V talracledAV the facility anel I n ,rrrrpnsecd e;,�feeY r the ecoll 1n .)t the lycal c st r► Lagr . Alterulance Projection Review of attendance at spring training games over the 40 years that the Dodgers have tracked attendance clearly shows a steady upward trend. This is due in part to the increasing interest in spring training activities, the ongoing success of the Dodgers during the regular season and the growing local year-round population. Spring training attendance increased an average of 2.4% between 1981 and 2000. However, from 1990 to 2000, average annual attendance was down 2.3% per year; and between 1995 and 2000 average annual attendance was down slightly less at -1.8% per year. Several factors likely created the slight downward trend in the mid-90s. Most importantly, were the baseball strikes in 1991 and 1995, the recent sale of the Dodgers, and the possibility that they might soon leave Vero Beach. All accounts showed a significant drop-off in attendance in all of major league baseball after the 1995 strike. Additionally, the allure of brand new spring training facilities in nearby Orlando, Melbourne, St. Lucie West, Jupiter, Tampa and Fort Myers, may have temporarily lured away fans that night have otherwise attended games at Dodgeitown. The Dodgers were also not as competitive during the regular major league season in the 1990s as they were in the 1980s. As the effects of the strike seasons have begun to wear off, attendance has begun to trend upwards again in the late 1990s with a dramatic 23% improvement from 1998 to 1999, and a 1.2% increase from 1999 to 2000. Therefore, for the purposes of projecting attendance, the applicant will use the historic trend exhibited over the past 20 years of spring training of about 67,200 paid attendance annually -- with a 2.4% annual increase. Obviously, factors such as strikes, poor regular season performance, or series of rain -outs will affect annual attendance as they always have. The renovation of the facility, in concert with the significant redevelopment of the adjacent Dodgertown property, growing year-round population, and the premier nature of the Dodger organization, will likely insure continued strong annual attendance. In light of this, the above projection is a relatively conservative one. Econontic Impact The economic impact of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the local community has been well documented. Various economic models and studies have shown that the Dodgers contribute $30-$36 million dollars to the local economy on an annual basis. A 1994 study entitled a Strategic Plan for Indian river County Tourism prepared by Regional Research Associates, Inc. relrected that in 1992 19.3% of area visitors frequented Dodgertown resulting in an estimated direct impact of $10.6 million from tourism - M -1