County Mayor Weston Wamp on Friday hit Erlanger Health System's decision to pay for naming rights at the new stadium on the Southside.
He said, “When the county supported Erlanger’s transition to a non-profit hospital, we didn’t envision multi-million-dollar deals for stadium naming rights.
"I am very supportive of Erlanger Hospital and its current leadership, but at a time of severe nursing shortages and quality of care concerns, this decision is hard to explain.
"As feared, it appears the stadium will be a drain on our community’s resources for years to come.
"Before I was elected, the Lookouts convinced city leaders to give the team all revenue from naming rights on this publicly owned facility. Now, in a sad twist, our local safety net hospital will be footing the bill for the Lookouts' $1 million annual lease payment.”
Asked the amount of the Erlanger payment,Austin Cantrell of Bridge Public Relations said, "It’s a private agreement between private entities, the details of which will remain private."
Bridge Public Relations is handling public relations for the project.
Mayor Tim Kelly said, “This sponsorship makes a ton of sense for Erlanger, and we support their leadership and direction fully.
"A partnership between two organizations that have been supporting and improving Chattanooga for more than 100 years is something to celebrate.”
Jim Coleman, Erlanger president and CEO, said, “Erlanger has never been better positioned to continue delivering world-class services to Hamilton County than it is today. Thanks to our amazing team of medical professionals, we have industry-leading retention rates and do not have any nursing shortages. We are proud of our decision to become the naming rights partner of the Lookouts’ incredible new stadium because it allows our system an unparalleled opportunity to reach our community in new and exciting ways in a competitive market. This partnership makes sense, and we look forward to welcoming our entire region to enjoy Erlanger Park next year.”
"Relevant statistics:
- Erlanger’s retention rate is twice as good as the national average
- Erlanger opened 100 new patient beds in the last 18 months
- Erlanger hired over 600 new nurses in the last 18 months."
Rich Mozingo of the Lookouts said, “The Lookouts could not be more proud to partner with such an esteemed and impactful local institution as Erlanger, which is not only the largest employer in our county but is also our region’s biggest advocate for healthy lifestyles.
"This is a natural fit for so many reasons, not least of which is that both of our institutions have played major roles in making Hamilton County such a great place to live and raise a family for over 100 years.”
Lookouts officials also said, "Health systems frequently invest in naming rights partnerships at sports venues because they anticipate a strong return on investment from the marketing spend and because, through such partnerships, they can benefit the communities they serve. In just affiliated Minor League Baseball there are:
a. The new ballpark just opened in Knoxville is Covenant Health Park
b. The ballpark in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is named “Parkview Field” after Parkview Health Systems, the largest healthcare provider and employer in Northeast Indiana. The initial partnership was for ten years. It worked so well that Parkveiw extended it another five years, then extended it again for an additional 16 years.
c. The ballpark in Kannapolis, North Carolina is Atrium Health Ballpark
d. The ballpark in Rome, Georgia is Advent Health Stadium
e. The ballpark in Sacramento, California is Sutter Health Park
f. The ballpark in Clearwater, Florida is Baycare Health Ballpark
g. The ballpark in Erie, Pennsylvania is University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Park
h. The ballpark in Brooklyn, New York, is Maimonides Park (Maimonides is a non-profit hospital)
i. In Appleton, Wisconsin, they have Neuroscience Group Field
"In independent minor league baseball, you have examples like Staten Island University Health Community Park (Staten Island, NY) and CaroMont Health Park (Gastonia, NC). Beyond Minor League Baseball you have the Mayo Clinic with its name on a hockey arena as well as an NHL team’s practice facility, Northwestern Medicine with its name on a football field, Trinity Health System with its name on a soccer stadium, Novant Health has named the Charlotte Hornets practice facility and Emory Health naming the Atlanta Hawks practice facility. And there are many more. These health systems wouldn’t be doing and renewing these deals if they didn’t provide significant benefits to the health systems, which helps them serve their local communities.
"Under the financing deal the county insisted upon over a year ago, the Lookouts agreed to:
- pay $1 million per year rent (tied for the highest Minor League Baseball history)
- pay for all stadium operations and maintenance (an estimated $1 million per year)
- contribute $19 million in up-front cash
- cover any cost overruns if the project goes over budget.
"In return, the county agreed that the Lookouts would select the stadium’s naming rights partner and receive that revenue."