Stadium to retain top boss

Chattanooga Lookouts owner Frank Burke said Monday he’ll run Finley Stadium one more year after receiving promises to help defray expenses that have cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars since 2005.

“We’ve made a commitment to do this,” he said. “We want to see it through to a logical conclusion.”

Mr. Burke said he has “a fair amount of debt to pay off,” but that he and stadium officials plan to push for more money-making events this year.

Mr. Burke said he received written commitments totaling $180,000 in support from the city, Hamilton County, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and stadium officials.

He said securing more high school football games is a priority. Mr. Burke said the Baylor-McCallie school rivalry will come back to Finley this football season after missing last year.

“McCallie has already signed a contract,” he said.

Bryan Patten, Stadium Corp. chairman, said he’s pleased Mr. Burke will return to manage the Southside stadium and adjacent First Tennessee Pavilion.

“He knows how to run concessions, and he has experience in managing an open-air stadium facility,” he said.

Mr. Patten said UTC will have six home games in the upcoming season, and if the Mocs are better on the field, Mr. Burke can make more money in concessions.

The stadium official said the pavilion is Mr. Burke’s “show” in that he can do his own leasing and charging. A superstructure added to the pavilion for sound and lighting offers more potential for holding concerts and other events, Mr. Patten said.

“If he has a successful concert, somebody will say, ‘I want my birthday bash or wedding reception there,’” he said. “He’ll generate revenue from that. Frank has got a lot of imagination.”

Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey said Mr. Burke does “a very good job” and the NCAA championship game, played at the stadium in December, is important.

“Those officials have a lot confidence in Frank. That’s a lot of my interest,” Mr. Ramsey said.

He said the county is putting in $30,000 from the hotel room tax, and the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is chipping in $30,000 — which is similar to last year when the stadium received financial support.

The city will contribute $60,000. Richard Beeland, spokesman for Mayor Ron Littlefield, said the Lookouts owner is “the most qualified person.”

“We look forward to working with him for another year,” he said.

Richard Brown, UTC’s vice chancellor for finance and operations, said the university “is pleased to continue its partnership with Mr. Burke and the Stadium Corp.”

Mr. Patten said he has been told the funds from the city and county will be provided by Sept. 20 at the latest. UTC will pay on a per game basis, he said.

Mr. Patten said he has a meeting planned with student leaders and others later this month to get ideas on how to help boost interest in Finley events.

“It will bring student input into the equation,” he said.

Low UTC attendance, the absence of the Baylor-McCallie game and not attracting other high school contests were cited as reasons for the financial losses last year, officials said in February.

Then, Mr. Burke said he needed a commitment for financial support by March 15 or he would step aside as Finley’s operator.

Mr. Patten has mentioned a four-year time frame by which the facility’s operations could be turned over to UTC. A UTC spokesman said there has been long-term interest in the university taking responsibility for the facility.

In early 2005, UTC officials were set to make a proposal for control of Finley, but UT President John Petersen quashed the idea, saying the school’s “core business” was educating students and not running facilities.

If Mr. Burke had not renewed, Mr. Patten said he had talks with another party to run the facility whom he would not name.

He said stadium officials had about $150,000 on hand in case those funds were needed.

FACT BOX

Finley support

Commitments for Finley Stadium:

* City and county — $60,000 each

* UTC — $37,800

* Friends of Finley — $22,200

Source: Stadium Corp. Chairman Bryan Patten