SYRACUSE -- The transformation of the Oncenter into a huge bowling venue is nearly complete. Beginning April 7th and lasting through July 3rd, 30,000 female bowlers will compete in the USBC Women's Championships.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau has already spent or is committed to spending $850,000 for the preparations and promotions of the tournament. Now it is requesting an additional $117,000.
Even the most fiscally conservative members of the County Legislature expect to approve the money. Richard Lesniak told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon "We're not bailing them out... the revenues they're producing from this event more than compensate what we're putting into this."
Lesniak says the 88 day bowling tournament will pump $40 million into the local economy. Fellow Republican Legislator Kathleen Rapp said, "This is the largest women's participatory sporting event in the world. 60,000 people coming to town ...huge."
"The USBC Women's Championships has been in the planning stages for the past six years. Never the less the $117,000 represents a last minute expenditure.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau says the money is needed for extra seating,parking spaces,outdoor welcoming banners, billboards and warehouse storage of materials.
Terri Toennies of the Oncenter says the extra money is coming a surcharge on hotel rooms. "It's really not the taxpayers, it's coming out of the room occupancy tax and we are getting back in our room occupancy tax about $450,000 from this event."
So for some more spare cash, Syracuse hopes to strike it big with the upcoming women's bowling tournament.
