NEW 10:40 a.m. BLOOMINGTON - The summer slowdown at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum added about $251,000 to the loss for August.

A football game and a Ted Nugent concert were the only major events at the Coliseum for the month. The United Indoor Football league All-Star game held Aug. 18 brought in about 4,500 people while Nugent drew 1,874 to his Aug. 5 concert.

The total operating loss the month is $57,258 while paying for the bonds that funded the building's construction added $193,723 to the deficit.

"The profitability is based on the number of events," said City Manager Tom Hamilton. "It is basically a six to seven month business with the summer being the slowest."

For the city's fiscal year, which began May 1 the total deficit is $931,956 with the operating loss for the year is $154,083 and the cost to pay the bonds is $777,872.

As part of the monthly reports the loss is separated showing the cost of operating the building and the cost of paying for construction. Most of the construction of the $35.8 million building was funded by $29 million in bonds. The total cost of repaying the bonds will be about $74 million.

In issuing the report, Coliseum General Manager Mike Nelson said the capital cost of the building should be considered separately from the cost of operating the building.

"The whole trick is paying the debt service which is something we've been talking about for a long time now," Hamilton said.