Florida A&M University has requested funds to further improve Bragg Memorial Stadium from the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (BIA), which is comprised of the City of Tallahassee and Leon County Commissions. The meeting which began with a focus on affordable housing, turned to Bragg Stadium infrastructure after a brief intermission.
Commissioners debated the request and ultimately decided to further the ask and find a way through funding from the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV). The vote only had one negative vote in Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe, who questioned if the citizens of Tallahassee and Leon County envisioned stadium spending when they approved BIA funding and the associated sales tax. FAMU Vice President of the Foundation Dr. Shawnta Friday-Stroud presented a compelling argument for FAMU’s request. She cited the economic impact of FAMU football games.
FAMU received funding in 2021 to renovate the stadium
In 2021, FAMU was granted $10 million to renovate the stadium as it was in dire need of upgrades. Engineers had threatened to render Bragg uninhabitable if it did not immediately make infrastructure improvements and upgrade ADA access. BIA immediately gave FAMU the $10 million and the stadium was updated in many aspects. However, inflated construction costs coming out of the pandemic which escalated steel costs, prevented any improvements to the bathrooms and concessions areas. These were the focus of the recent ask.
The initial motion was withdrawn by FAMU graduate and City of Tallahassee City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox. After going through the process, it was determined that this process was different than FAMU had done in the past. Commissioners were split on the importance of non-emergency expenditures. The first grant to FAMU was an emergency. This request was for long-needed infrastructure improvements that were not funded previously.
Howard grad was at the forefront of pushing for funding
Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, a Howard University graduate, referenced FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson’s letter dated September 23, 2023. Robinson’s request was for health and safety concerns. Proctor insisted that other items that the agency had approved should be trimmed to allow FAMU’s request. “We should make this facility tight and right because the ROI is substantial,” Proctor said.
“We don’t have to wait til Moses comes back,” Cox said. “FAMU can’t wait for down the line for this funding. I’m open to creative financing. They need money to do the things you see listed here so we can continue to be a national championship venue.”
Jeremy Matlow, a city commissioner, forwarded thoughts about creative ways to produce the funding. Leon County commissioner Christian Caban also searched for non-traditional ways to provide the funding, citing its importance to tourism and tax dollars collected from home games. They both were obviously in the spirit of trying to make the venture happen. Matlow pointed out that the agency had bonded the money to give Florida State’s $27 million request, which he vehemently opposed; but, since FSU was funded that way then BIA should look at the same financing structure for the FAMU request.
Source link : hbcugameday.com
