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