Here's an article on stadiums that have been, or will be abandoned, by NFL teams. Even though the teams have left, or will leave, the cities still owe money on stadium construction or renovations that they funded over 20 years ago.
Oakland still owes $90 mil of the $200 mil in renovations done to the Coliseum in the 1990's. St. Louis still owes $85 mil of the $300 mil for building the Edward Jones dome. San Diego still owes $47 of $68 mil in renovations done in the 1990's.
St. Louis claims they are actually making more money with the Rams no longer in town. I think that's a different situation than in Calgary given the size of the stadiums are vastly different, and the concerts that "wouldn't be possible" are the ones that are skipping town in the first place.
Quote:
In the NFL’s absence, the dome has done better financially, said Kitty Ratcliffe, the president of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which operates the dome. She said the dome lost around $400,000 in a year of Rams games but generally can gain about that much with a single big concert.
Last September, for example, the dome hosted a Beyonce concert that would not have been possible if the Rams were still there. The dome is part of a convention center complex that can host a wide array of events year-round. She said there are no plans to tear it down.
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...rams/99848210/