ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – For more than a week, 18 News has been trying to find out when refunds will be issued to Elmira Mammoth season ticket holders, and people who bought tickets for a canceled concert on June 28th, featuring The Players formerly of Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. More than two weeks ago, the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency announced it was moving to evict Steve Donner, the CEO of Mammoth Sports & Entertainment.
In an email to 18 News reporter Nicolas Dubina on Wednesday, Steve Donner said a total of 23 tickets were sold for the concert, totaling $1,405 in sales. Dubina asked Donner how many season passes were sold for the next season of the Elmira Mammoth. On Thursday, Dubina reiterated his question to Donner in an email, and also called his cell phone. Mr. Donner did not return our calls.
For more than a week now, 18 News has also been trying to reach Joe Roman, the Executive Director of the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency. On Thursday, 18 News reporter Nicolas Dubina was told Mr. Roman was in a meeting. Dubina left a message and his contact details but did not hear back. A message on Mr. Roman’s cell phone was also not returned.
18 News also tried contacting Chemung County Executive Chris Moss. We were told Mr. Moss was not in his office today. An email and a message to his cell phone were also not returned.
The IDA didn’t provide specific details on the circumstances surrounding the sudden termination of Mr. Donner’s lease. However, a letter to the IDA from Chemung County Executive Chris Moss dated March 2023 said that Mammoth Sports hadn’t paid at least $230,000 in utility charges and that there were nearly $25,000 outstanding charges for security at the arena.
One letter says that the security agency was reportedly under the impression that the county would help pay those charges; however, according to Moss, the lease for First Arena doesn’t say the county will pay operational costs.
Donner, in response, said the County breached the contract by neglecting HVAC equipment and called out the IDA in surprise at its decision to “publically leak a lease dispute.” However, letters from County Executive Chris Moss claimed that Mammoth was hundreds of thousands of dollars behind on utility payments.
On May 26, 2023, Mammoth Sports CEO Steve Donner posted on Facebook that Mammoth would honor the lease termination served by the Chemung County IDA earlier this month. In his statement, Donner claimed the Chemung County IDA complicated the lease agreement from the very beginning in late 2021.
The statement also said that Donner and Mammoth have talked with the FPHL commissioner to give their “blessing for the league to try to broker a deal to keep professional hockey alive at the arena whether it be continuing the Mammoth franchise or with a replacement team.”
Did you purchase tickets at First Arena and are trying to get a refund? Let us know by emailing nicolasdubina@wetmtv.com
