Report: Columbus Blue Jackets Need Financial Fix

JoANNE VIVIANO

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus may have trouble holding on to the NHL's Blue Jackets because the club has been losing $12 million a year in central Ohio, according to a report released Thursday by a business group.

The report commissioned by the Columbus Chamber offers a variety of options for strengthening the hockey team's financial position, such as new taxes or fees or selling shares to other investors or the general public.

Other suggestions include allowing the team to renegotiate its lease for Nationwide Arena or trying to attract a second major tenant, such as a basketball team.

"It is important that our community retain this team," said Dave Blom, chairman of the Columbus Chamber board. "The Columbus Blue Jackets impact our regional economy, support thousands of jobs and bring millions of dollars in tax revenue that contribute to our quality of life."

In the decade following 1998, the year after investors began the move to bring the team to Columbus, the city's downtown Arena District has attracted various retail, restaurants and other businesses, increasing property values by 267 percent and employing thousands, the report says.