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October 10, 2005 RESULTS OF 500 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH LANCASTER COUNTY RESIDENTS 1. Have you heard, seen or read anything about a proposal to build a new hotel and convention center on Penn Square in downtown Lancaster? Yes 79% No 20 Not sure 1 (IF YES:) 2. From what you know, do you support or oppose the construction of the hotel and convention center? (IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE:) Is that strongly or just somewhat (support/oppose)? Strongly support 17% Somewhat support 18 Somewhat oppose 13 Strongly oppose 24 Not sure/refused 28 (ALL:) 3. In fact, the proposal is to build a hotel and convention center in Lancaster City at the location of the former Watt & Shand department store building. The cost of the project is estimated to be 134 million dollars. Most of the funding for the project would come from state and local grants, and loans guaranteed by Lancaster County or Lancaster City. The loans are to be paid back by revenues from the countywide hotel sales tax and from revenues from the convention center and convention hotel. Knowing this information, do you support or oppose the construction of the hotel and convention center? (IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE:) Is that strongly or just somewhat (support /oppose)? 1. Strongly support 14% 2. Somewhat support 22 3. Somewhat oppose 12 4. Strongly oppose 29 5. (Not sure/refused) 22 4. How confident are you that a new downtown hotel and convention center in Lancaster will be successful enough to repay the over 76 million dollars in City and County guaranteed loans that will be required to build it? Are you: Very confident 8% Somewhat confident 24 Not very confident 20 Not confident at all 34 Not sure/refused 13 Now I'm going to mention three specific aspects of the proposed project and I would like you to tell me if you support or oppose each one. (IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE:) Is that strongly or just somewhat (support /oppose)? SCALE: 1. Strongly support 2. Somewhat support 3. Somewhat oppose 4. Strongly oppose 5. (Not sure/refused) 5. Under the proposed plan, the County of Lancaster will be responsible for paying up to one and a half million dollars each year for forty years, if the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority is unable to pay its debts. Strongly Support 8% Somewhat support 11 Somewhat oppose 17 Strongly oppose 51 Not sure/ Refused 13 6. The proposed convention center in downtown Lancaster will be owned and operated by a City-County Government Authority. The hotel will be owned by the City Redevelopment Authority and leased to private investors. Strongly Support 15% Somewhat support 21 Somewhat oppose 13 Strongly oppose 33 Not sure/ Refused 18 7. Of the estimated 134 million dollars required for the project, 10 million dollars will come from a private company, 35 million will come from state and local grants, and 76 million will come from loans guaranteed by Lancaster County or City. Strongly Support 13% Somewhat support 17 Somewhat oppose 12 Strongly oppose 42 Not sure/ Refused 16 8. Please tell me which of the following two statements is closer to how you feel about the convention center project: 1. The convention center project is a good investment of state and local dollars that will help revitalize downtown Lancaster and stimulate the economy; 30% 2. It is too risky to spend over one hundred and eleven million dollars of taxpayer money in grants, loans and loan guarantees for the convention center project when there is no certainty it will be a success; 55 3. (Neither) 3 4. (Not sure/refused) 12 Now, I'd like to ask you a few final questions for statistical purposes only. 9. What is your age? 18-25 8% 26-35 14 36-45 18 46-55 18 56-65 16 Over 65 24 Refused 2 10. What was the last grade you completed in school? Less than high school (1-11) 8% Graduated high school 41 Some college/Tech.Voc. 14 Graduated college 24 Graduate/professional school 9 Refused 3 11.Are you currently registered to vote? Yes 84% No 14 Not sure/refused 2 12. Politically, do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent or something else? Democrat 18% Republican 47 Independent 20 Something else 4 Not sure 4 Refused 7 13. Would you please tell me in which of the following categories I read is your total household income--that is, of everyone living in your family household? Less than $15,000 3% $15-24,999 3 $25-34,999 8 $35-49,999 13 $50,000-$74,999 13 $75,000-$100,000 7 Over $100,000 7 Refused/Don't know 46 14. Female 53% Male 47% Copyright © 2005, WPMT-TV, Harrisburg Link to original article: http://fox43.trb.com/wpmt-lanccon-pollresults,0,2327111.story?coll=wpmt-home-2 |