As New Haven city officials wait to hear whether the state will cough up ten million dollar to help knock down the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, the Coalition to Save Our Coliseum says hey wait a minute, the numbers were getting better.

"As a matter of fact, the event days in the last two years using the City Hall's own Scillia report was up 59 percent," says the coalition's Dick Walsh. "That translates into about 325,000 people a year who came to the coliseum."

Coalition members unveiled plans Thursday for a sharper, busier and more profitable sports, convention and concert venue to grace the Elm City, complete with storefronts as it enhances the city skyline.

The coalition even answered a city coliseum report with their own report, one they say proves the venue should remain. However, city officials say the old, tired building has got to go.

"We have to spend our money where it's going to have the best benefit for New Haven residents in terms of jobs and taxes," says Henry Fernandez of the city's Economic Development department. "At the end of the day the coliseum paid no taxes and provided very few jobs."

However the coalition will not give up.

"If we can work with the city, if they'll look at our plans and start to consider the possibility of keep it open with a few repairs, or a few dressups, then we've accomplished our goal," Jerry Deno said.

Members of the coalition to save the Coliseum say they are not just a bunch of sentimental fans. Simply, they just want to build up what New Haven is too eager to tear down.

New Haven officials hope the state Department of Economic and Community Development will give the city ten million dollars for coliseum demolition to begin before the end of the year.