Michigan Stadium Suite and Club Seat Status & List of Corporate Leasees

Submitted by MGoShoe on

Crain's Detroit Business reports on the current status of sales of Michigan Stadium suite and Jack Roth Stadium Club seats.

After being marketed for three years, 63 of the 81 luxury suites in Michigan Stadium were leased for three, five or seven years as of Friday, said Joe Parker, senior associate athletic director.

Separately, 84 percent of the 2,952 seats that are part of the Jack Roth Stadium Club have been sold. The club was named after Jack Roth, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based advertising firm Admarketing Inc. and the stadium project's largest donor.

“We have a number of discussions that should lead to additional commitments” before Michigan's first game, Sept. 4, Parker said.

The transactions so far mean sales and leases have topped the 70 percent figure needed to cover debt payments, he said.

The article includes a list of corporate leasees, so here's hoping you work for one of these companies or know one of their high muckety mucks. Also, queue the outrage for customers of some of these companies for the seeming extravagance of this expense.

Sorry, neither Brian Cook Enterprises, LLC nor MGoBlog.com, Inc. are included in the list, so don't expect any MGoSeat contests here.

jblaze

August 17th, 2010 at 9:11 AM ^

How much money does the T-Shirt business bring in? Damn.

Also, it's sad not to see the Big 3 on that list, but after bailouts, they would get shot in the press if they were linked to this.

Don

August 17th, 2010 at 10:04 AM ^

I'm also sure that all the employees laid off by Con-way in the last 18 months are thrilled about that company's expenditure on the suites. Not to mention the fact that Con-way's former spin-off Consolidated Freightways went belly-up in 2002 while underfunding its pension liabilities to the tune of $400 million.

CRex

August 17th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^

Leadership/executive councils in the Union's day to day operations for things like this.  The IBEW Workers can vote out the people next election cycle, but that's about it.  Aside from labor contracts and due hikes, the Unions "board of directors" pretty much runs the show.  It's not a direct democracy in the big unions.

MGoShoe

August 17th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^

...and I'm not discounting the idea that the local's elected leadership would vote on this and not submit it to a general vote of the members, but even so, I'd think this sort of issue would have gotten a lot of debate and consideration whether ultimately voted on by the entire membership or the leadership.  It's still a democratic process either way.

MGoShoe

August 17th, 2010 at 11:36 AM ^

...split hairs, both direct and representative democracies are forms of democracy.  Also, neither you nor I know whether the IBEW Local took a general membership vote on this issue.  It's often the case in smaller organizations that major decisions are made through a vote of the general membership vice the leadership.  As I noted in my response to CRex, in either case, a full membership vote or a board vote, the decision is still arrived at through a democratic process.  As CRex noted earlier, if it's the latter, the full membership can vote the bastards out if that's their druthers.  It's the American Way.

MGoAlumnus

August 17th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^

From one of the comments:

In response to Walt regarding the IBEW securing a suite. Often times with new stadium construction, in particular professional stadiums, the stadium owner will exchange in-kind services with select contractors in leu of total cash payments. In this case UofM most likely worked out a deal upfront with IBEW whereby in exchange for electrical contracting services, UofM would pay IBEW in both cash and either a significantly reduced suite lease rate or an altogether lease free suite. Rest assured, IBEW IS NOT paying full rate for their suite.

Who knows if this is actually true, though.

pullin4blue

August 17th, 2010 at 9:30 AM ^

There can be a public outcry, but aside from the suites being expensive, they are not posh. I had a 1/8 share of a suite at the Palace. With that suite you got a private bathroom, indoor and outdoor seating, VIP parking, and tickets to every event held at the Palace. In addition, there was food service and alcohol was allowed.

At the University of Michigan, there remains a no alcohol policy for the stadium, including the suites. Seating is indoor only, and with the glass and the sun, many of these will get pretty hot pretty fast. I think if the alcohol policy was lifted for the suites and club seats, they would be 100% sold.

TorontoBlue

August 17th, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^

probably tied to stadium construction project in some way - in kind for professional services. 

i would kind of be pissed off if my private company's transaction for a suite or preferred seating was published like this.  i guess it's understandable in the eyes of  "transparency" for public companies, but a private company should not be exposed like this IMO.

see you guys for MSU, my regular old tix arrived last Friday.

GO BLUE

CRex

August 17th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

IMHO Suites are overrated.  One of the suppliers the family business buys heavily from is based in Detroit and is constantly offering me the hookup with their JLA suite.  Basically you end up in a room with 10 guys in suits, their harpy trophy wives that bored and being bitchy and the only real perk is the booze is free.  You'll be sitting there, watching the Wings on powerplay and some suit will come sit down next to you to "socialize".  So you end up missing Franzen's second goal of the night because some dude with a MBA degree wants to tell you about a phone call he had with your dad last month.   

Last time I was at JLA the only guy who was even worth talking to about hockey was the stadium worker who was serving the food.   I'd much rather be down in the cheap seats next to the drunk autoworker.  He'll at least understand the sport and agree me with that Claude the Turtle is the biggest scumbag in the history of the sport.

Unless you can score the entire suite and load it with your friends and party it isn't worth it.  

Mgobowl

August 17th, 2010 at 12:01 PM ^

Why do BCBS of MI, UMHS, and Delta Dental needs suites? Usually suites are used for tax purposes, but they are all not for profit if I'm not mistaken. People overlook one time purchases as a drop in the bucket of healthcare, however the drops do add up eventually.

From a non-business standpoint, UMHS makes perfect sense.

pullin4blue

August 17th, 2010 at 12:18 PM ^

Regents don't need the suite. Before the addition, the regents had seats in the pressbox. Had a friend who was one. All the regents have pressbox seats. There were no lines for bathrooms and free food as well! Since the regent I knew is no longer a regent, I don't know if they are still in the pressbox or if they were given a suite (or two).