What if..... Virginia Tech does finally sign a contract to provide $5 Mil ($250,000 a year for 20 years) to the Town of Christiansburg for the new aquatic center, as verbally agreed to in 2005? Remember, this covers the VT swim and dive team's use of this facility for practice and perhaps some small meets for 20 years. Additionally, it pays for specific add-on's or alterations necessary to bring the facility's design into compliance for VT and ACC requirements -- but the pledge was made before the current economic crisis or additional cuts to the state budget.
What if..... After agreeing to the commitment, VT changed their minds and "renegotiates" the contract with Christiansburg? Remember, the town increased lodging taxes 2% in 2005, passing 1% to a Regional Partnership for tourism development -- but is "renegotiating" that contract now.
Public information on the aquatic center's genesis can be found here, and the town's funding participation in the joint tourism development partnership can be found here (search "tourism" beginning in 2005).