After several months of waiting following the Columbus City Council vote, the Franklin County Commissioners have unanimously voted to approve the deal that will see Nationwide Arena become public property and relieve the Blue Jackets of the financial millstone that has been dragging the club deeper and deeper into the red.
There are still plenty of legal arrangements to be completed between all sides in this deal, but this vote means the deal is essentially done, and we’re simply waiting for the final i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed before the deal is officially completed. Expect to see a lot more on this in the next few weeks in the local media as the various groups involved now work to “sell” the deal to a public that was generally opposed to the use of casino funds to finance the purchase.
It won’t help the product on the ice, but it’s good to see this issue put to bed and guaranteeing the long term stability of the club here in Columbus.