The Pond Makes a Big Splash in Its First Year

From Manilow and Streisand to Ducks and Bullfrogs, The Pond of Anaheim has played host to about 180 events for nearly 2 million people in its first year of operation, exceeding the expectations of city and community officials.

“It’s been an incredible year,” said Brad Mayne, the arena’s general manager. “We’ve had a couple of parking snafus and other kinks to work out, but that’s to be expected. . . . We’ve been very pleased with what’s happened.”

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the arena’s first act: Barry Manilow sang to a sold-out crowd, but his performance was overshadowed by a serious parking shortage around the facility that left many concert-goers stuck in traffic.

Much has changed since then.

Now, most of the parking woes are solved and the headliners, not frustrated motorists, get all the publicity.

The facility is expected to top more than $25 million in revenue this year--about $2 million below the $27-million operating and debt service costs. Still, the revenues are more than officials had anticipated for the first year of operation.

“This exceeds all our projections,” Mayne said. “We’ve had really good cash flow.”

“I never thought we’d be so close to breaking even so soon,” said Councilman Bob D. Simpson, who was city manager when Anaheim embarked on the project. “I think this is one of the better moves we’ve ever made.”

Indeed, there were plenty of people who had predicted doom for the $121-million arena, which was derisively called a “boondoggle” and “white elephant.” They said it would stand empty and become a monument to a municipal gamble that didn’t pay off.

“It looks like they were wrong,” Simpson said.

At the time, most of the public’s concern centered on the financial arrangement that the city worked out with the Ogden Corp., its partner in the arena project.

Under that partnership, the city supplied the land and Ogden built the arena. In exchange for footing the construction bill, Ogden received a 30-year contract to operate the facility. The arrangement, however, also made the city liable for as much as $2 million annually for up to eight years, if neither a professional hockey nor basketball franchise became a tenant.

Public perception changed dramatically in December, 1992, when the Walt Disney Co. announced it was bringing a National Hockey League expansion team, called the Mighty Ducks, into the facility. During the negotiations for the team’s lease, the city managed to reduce its financial liability to a maximum of $7.5 million if a basketball team is not a tenant during the fourth through eighth year of the arena’s operation.

Most city officials, however, are optimistic that the city will never have to pay a dime.

“Just look at the success of the Ducks,” Simpson said. “This is a great sports market.”

The Mighty Ducks, more than anything else, helped transformed the arena into a successful sporting and entertainment complex.

“Obviously, we’ve ridden on the coattails of the Ducks’ success,” said Mayne. “The Ducks created an excitement around here that everyone wanted to be part of.”

Attendance statistics and merchandise sales prove it. The Ducks had 27 sellouts and averaged 16,979 fans per game in the 17,174-seat facility. Ducks merchandise outsold merchandise for all professional teams in every professional league.

Bill Robertson, a spokesman for the Ducks organization, said the team expects to sell out all of its games next year.

But city and arena officials are quick to say that The Pond of Anaheim is more than just a hockey facility.

“The variety of events we’ve had has been great,” Mayor Tom Daly said.

Music concerts have been among the most successful events. In fact, a couple of trade magazines voted The Pond the best new concert venue, attracting such top performers as Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Clint Black and Manilow.

There also have been circuses, rodeos, church revivals, figure skating shows and motor cross races. And although the Ducks are the most popular tenants, The Pond is also home to the Bullfrogs roller hockey team and the Splash, an indoor soccer team.

Still apparently years away, though, is one of the most desired sports attractions--a National Basketball Assn. franchise.

“That is one of our top priorities,” Mayne said, even though he admits that such a franchise may be at least three years away.

In the meantime, The Pond will be the part-time home for the Los Angeles Clippers, who will play seven games in Anaheim next season. The Clippers played two games in Anaheim last year, once in the preseason and then again in January when the Northridge earthquake temporarily closed the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Both were heavily attended.

“We’re looking to showcase the building to the NBA with the Clippers this year,” Mayne said. The Clippers, on the other hand, will be trying to attract fan support in Orange County.

“It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement,” Mayne said.

Daly said it won’t be long before the NBA finds a home in Anaheim.

Despite the potential departure of the Los Angeles Rams, “Anaheim is at the heart of one of the top sports markets in the U.S.,” Daly said. “The huge success of the arena verifies and confirms this. I think the NBA will come in here eventually. It’s just a matter of time.”

In addition to an NBA team, Mayne said arena officials are trying to lure collegiate playoff games, as well as Olympic and other world-class events into the building.

“We deserve those types of events here,” he said. “This is a state-of-the-art facility. . . . It’s a secure area and a great place to bring the family.”