Amid concerns from local residents that a sales tax-financedevents center might ultimately force taxpayers to pay for theproject, Christopher Comacho, president and CEO of the regionalEDC, says the center is necessary to build a revenue base. Thedevelopment is along Pacific Avenue and north of the one-million-sfYuma Palms Regional Shopping Center. Comacho says the center wouldbring more people into Yuma for entertainment.

"Right now, we have a lot of sales tax leakage going to othercommunities," Comacho tells GlobeSt.com. "The only entertainmentvenue we have here are casinos. And beyond a farm-league baseballteam, we have no professional sports or a venue for concerts androdeos."

Steven Bielewicz, president of Global Properties, thePhoenix-based company that will oversee the center's development,says Yuma's location is ideal for a multi-purpose facility. For onething, the town is along Interstate 8, halfway between Phoenix andSan Diego. In addition, Yuma is close to the Mexican border."Approximately one-third of all the tickets sold will come frompatrons south of the border," Bielewicz believes.