It's really too early to say, "We told you so" with regard to the economic failure of the Phoenix Civic Plaza (PCP) expansion, which cost $600 million in debt financing ($300 million of which is being financed with state dollars, from citizens as far away as Bullhead City and Douglas...).

But as the Republic reported today in a front-page story, the PCP is already taking on a lot of water.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2010/02/08/20100208conventioncenter0206.html

The PCP might become viable someday, but the odds are not good. I'm still going with the gloomy prognosis offered way back in early 2002 by the Goldwater Institute (I believe it was economist Robert Franciosi):

http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/1838

--Tom