Town unveils its plans for dome

Town of Watertown officials unveiled plans for a 5,500-seat, thin-shell dome that will act as a regional exposition center at a meeting Thursday night. But don't look for the signature roof to pop up in the town.

Officials are looking to house the 67,905-square-foot structure within the city limits along Interstate 81.

Supervisor Joel R. Bartlett said he will begin lobbying the City Council and Jefferson County Legislature for tax relief for the project.

Residents who attended the meeting and town officials said they thought that County Route 202 would be the best place for the estimated $12.643 million project. It would be financed over 30 years, according to the consultant's study, at an interest rate of 4.15 percent. At that rate, the town would pay debt service of almost $750,000 per year.

Mr. Bartlett said negotiations have stalled with the owner of a large swath of vacant land along connector road where the dome could be built: P.J. Simao.

"How can I say this delicately?" Mr. Bartlett said. "We're not negotiating with that property owner at the moment."

The town plans to construct a single dome on a 12-acre parcel. The roughly 14 acres along Interstate 81 is owned by Vision Development, whose principal is Alexandria Bay developer James M. Donegan.

"The consultant has identified those properties as being ideal for this particular structure," Mr. Bartlett said.

Paradigm Economics, Buffalo, was hired to create a feasibility study for the project.

The dome will create an exposition center that is not offered in Northern New York, said Michael E. Bokucki, the company's principal.

The properties bordering the highway to the east provide ample accessibility, visibility and parking for the project, he said.

The town now will ask that the county Legislature increase the bed tax from 3 percent to 4 percent.

Jefferson County imposes a 3 percent tax on the occupancy of some hotel and motel rooms. The proceeds can be used only for the promotion of tourism and conventions within the county.

In 2006, nine towns and the city of Watertown collected $587,935.57 in bed taxes. It was unclear Thursday night how much the town collected in 2007.

Mr. Bartlett said he will request a portion of the revenue from the tax hike to help fund the debt service for the dome. He did not say how much money he is aiming to collect from the county.

Legislator Robert A. Boice, R-Rutland, attended the meeting. He said he's acting as a messenger for county lawmakers and needs more information before developing an opinion of the project.

The town will also request that the city not collect taxes on the properties the dome and parking lot are built on. At the 2007-08 fiscal year tax rate of $7.14 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, the city collected $8,568 for the roughly $1.2 million that the land is assessed for.

The dome, which could be used for large trade shows, concerts and rodeos, will not be used as an ice skating rink. Mr. Bokucki said that maintaining the ice (the floor is large enough to hold two full-sized sheets) would inflate the operational costs beyond what the town is willing to pay.

The City Council has mulled attaching a second sheet of ice to the municipal arena at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds on Coffeen Street.

Both the supervisor and consultant said the town plans to partner with the Disabled Persons Action Organization to hold concerts at the venue. A DPAO representative who spoke at the public forum said the agency will work with the town to hold concerts at the dome.

A few vocal residents at the meeting said they were on the fence about the dome project.

Jeffrey M. Parker said he is waiting for answers about what will happen if the dome does not bring in the revenue being advertised by the town.

"Ultimately, the cost of this falls on the taxpayer," he said.

Mr. Parker said will continue to attend meetings as the project progresses.

"My intention is not to pay for this through property taxes," Mr. Bartlett said.

Mr. Bokucki said the dome can expect to generate $300,000 for rental time. The town can charge for parking for venues, which also will boost revenues.

The annual operating cost, the consultant said, will range from $385,000 to $550,000 annually. That would mean the facility would operate at a deficit of $85,000 to $250,000 annually — not including debt service.

Mr. Bartlett said that budget gap will need to be closed by annual fundraising of at least $150,000. That will be done by the recently formed town of Watertown Local Development Corp.

The plan to build within the city limits likely will leave the town of Watertown Fire Department out to dry. The department had planned to build a smaller, adjacent dome at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. If the town builds the exposition center along Interstate 81, it is unlikely that the Fire Department would have the room to continue its plans. There would also be jurisdictional questions that would have to be answered before the town Fire Department relocated inside city boundaries.