Though all told the city may be getting off light in losing the NFL Rams franchise, considering how much money it would lose if the Rams stayed in town:
The city is on the hook for the money after its failed attempt to build a riverfront stadium to entice the Rams to remain in St. Louis. The fees will go to architects, attorneys, and other associated consultants, as well as options to purchase land along the riverfront. …
[What the city potential loses with the Rams leaving include]:
• $10 million in lost athlete taxes from Rams players and their opponents
• $4.2 million in game-day losses from taxes, not including revenues from parking, restaurants, and other associated businesses
• Potential losses from the Rams’ donation to local charities, an amount which totaled a surprisingly low $3.5 million since 1995, according to tax records
The flip side of that, of course, is that the city is not on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars for a new stadium.
What do the winners get? See a previous post, “The road to the Super Bowl is ‘paved with subsidies‘” and “‘stadiums have the life expectancies of hamsters.'”