St. Louis Post-Dispatch


County role may shift in stadium funding proposal
BY ERIC STERN
Post-Dispatch
12/16/2002



The Cardinals owners and Mayor Francis Slay apparently are confident enough of big dividends from a new ballpark that they plan to ask St. Louis County officials for a loan instead of a subsidy.

The Cardinals and Slay want the county to put up $45 million of the $402 million cost of tearing down and replacing Busch Stadium.

In return for the loan, the county - after 29 years - would get back $200 million to $250 million, and possibly partial ownership of the ballpark. The city and state also might jointly own the new ballpark after 29 years.

In addition, if the team were to be sold, the county could share in the profits, said Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to the mayor. The team has pledged that the city also would share in the profits if the Cardinals were sold.

Busch Stadium is 36 years old. Team owners say they need a more modern stadium and additional luxury boxes to bring in enough revenue to stay competitive.

Members of the County Council have been invited in recent weeks to private meetings with the Cardinals. Although a formal plan has not been proposed, the loan idea has near unanimous support among the seven council members.

"If we're an investor and we get something in return, I'm in favor of that," said Councilman John Campisi, R-south St. Louis County. He opposed an earlier plan to subsidize the ballpark with county dollars. "From what we were told, it looks pretty good."

"It's a much better deal," said Councilman Richard "Skip" Mange, R-Town and Country. "Before we were just literally writing them a check and there was no return for us."

Mike O'Mara, D-north St. Louis County, and Kathleen Kelly Burkett, D-Overland, also appeared to support the loan.

Council Chairman Greg Quinn, R-Ballwin, said the county "would be protected to a large extent" under the latest proposal. And while the plan appeared to have the Council's support, Quinn said it still would hold public hearings.

"We do need to give the public an opportunity to have a say," he said.

The county loan would formally be made to the Land Clearance and Reclamation Authority, the city agency that would own the stadium site. Private investors would build and own the stadium structure.

The county likely would sell bonds to raise the $45 million. It would pay back the investors with the county's growing surplus of hotel tax revenue. The bulk of payments would begin after the county finishes paying off the Edward Jones Dome in 2021.

Voters approved a 3 1/2 cent tax in 1990 to help build the dome. The county pays $6 million a year in hotel-motel taxes to retire debt on the football stadium, but the tax is generating millions more than that. The extra money generally has sat in a bank account, earning more than $500,000 a year in interest.

The Cardinals long have wanted to tap into the hotel tax money. The baseball club's earlier financing proposal, which failed to win legislative approval, would have had the county making annual payments from the hotel tax fund, eventually totaling $95 million.

The hotel tax was approved to pay for a sports facility, which was one reason Councilman Charlie Dooley, D-Northwoods, said he supported the idea of a loan to the Cardinals.

The team's owners expect much of the project to be financed by private investors, although the state and city have agreed to kick in tax credits and tax breaks.

The Cardinals have offered to pay $50 million up front and $14 million a year for at least 29 years to lease the stadium, which would be owned by private investors. The team is looking for those investors now and has not disclosed whether any have signed on.

After 29 years, the private investors would be required to pay back the county loan. That could translate to cash plus interest, or transferring ownership of the ballpark to the county, or both. The Cardinals would continue to pay rent, which would be split, possibly, among the city, county and state.

"The county will actually receive in payment substantially more than its original investment," said Rainford. Slay will formally ask the county Tuesday for the loan.

Private investors "would know going in and that would be part of the equation," Rainford said. "It seems only fair the county has something in the end."

Mark Lamping, the Cardinals president, did not return a phone call Monday.

____________________________________________


Sign On San Diego


Ballpark construction at midpoint


Padres, city ready to clear the bases

By Jonathan Heller
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 19, 2002

The Padres' downtown ballpark is half done.

Rare is the construction project that celebrates passing the 50 percent mark, but the ballpark is not your garden-variety construction project.


Not when it took an election, 16 lawsuits and two multimillion-dollar public and private financing deals to get the project off the ground. And it overcame about the 15 months of construction delays, too.

With those things in mind, the Padres invited community leaders and the media to a "Halfway Home" ceremony yesterday. Officials placed second base in the exact spot it will be when the $458 million edifice opens in April 2004.

About 80 percent of the structural steel is in, and 85 percent of the concrete has been poured. All three levels have their basic components, and lighting fixtures are in place in the right-field tower.

The Western Metal Supply building, the historic warehouse being incorporated into the ballpark, is 90 percent retrofitted.

"All the big pieces are in place, but we still have many months to go," said Erik Judson, the Padres' vice president for development.

To Mayor **** Murphy, one of the dignitaries who autographed second base, the place is not just a ballpark. Its completion is one of the 10 goals he set when he took office – goals he said will make San Diego a city "worthy of our affection."

"Today, goal No. 6 is 50 percent complete," Murphy said.

Padres President **** Freeman, in his job less than three months, looked around at the towering steel beams and expanses of newly poured concrete and said unabashedly that he has come to love the ballpark.

"I can't wait until we have the 100 percent complete day," Freeman said.

The Padres plan to hold a topping-out ceremony in February to celebrate the completion of the highest level of structural steel.

Also in February, they expect to start installing exterior stone paneling from India, Judson said.

St. Louis County agrees to loan $45M for new Cardinals Stadium
Jan. 15, 2003
SportsLine.com wire reports




ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County has agreed to lend the city $45 million to help replace Busch Stadium with a new Cardinals ballpark.

The county council unanimously approved the deal Tuesday night, though the county still must approve the loan's terms and authorize the sale of bonds to raise the money.

The Cardinals, contributing $50 million up front for the project, plan to use mostly private money in the $402 million effort to tear down and replace the 37-year-old stadium with a new 45,000-seat ballpark, expected to be ready by Opening Day 2006.

The state and city have approved tax credits and tax breaks for the project, including the elimination of city ticket taxes on Cardinals' games, freeing up $3.4 million a year for the team.

The county will pay off the bonds with taxes from hotel and motel rooms, with the total cost for the county over the life of the bonds estimated at $110 million.

-----------------------------
Anaheim Angels 2002 World Champions

Let's hope, for their sake, that a new stadium is as good to the Arizona Cardinals as Heinz Field was to my Steelers - 2 seasons played at Heinz, 2 trips to the playoffs.

--------------------------------------------------
"Nobody ever played second base like he did, and I've been in the game 50 years. The impressive thing about Maz was that he did everything perfectly. I backed him up for 10 years and never got a ball."
–Bill Virdon

Portland in the National League!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20030116-9999_1n16task.html

Chargers seek split on tab for stadium



By Norberto Santana Jr.
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

January 16, 2003



The San Diego Chargers want taxpayers to pay half the cost of a $400 million stadium that would be built on the current 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site.

The team envisions using 100 acres of the site, which would consist of a 25-acre stadium surrounded by parking and open space. Under the plan, the city would find a developer to purchase or lease the remaining 66 acres, which would feature an urban village with a mix of retail shops, housing and a 300-room hotel.


Mark Fabiani, special counsel to Chargers President Dean Spanos, released limited details of the project to reporters late yesterday afternoon. He provided renderings of the development plan, but no written proposal.

Fabiani and team consultants are expected to make a presentation on the proposal at tonight's San Ysidro meeting of the Citizens' Task Force on Chargers Issues, a City Council-appointed panel.

Fabiani declined to give specifics yesterday on the financing or land-use plans, but he described the team's proposal as "meant to inspire community debate and discussion."

Under the proposal, the city would continue to own the 100 acres used for the new stadium and surroundings and the team would sign a 25-to 30-year lease, with the rent to be negotiated, Fabiani said.

He said he expects the public contribution would likely be paid for by a public bond that would last for 20 to 25 years. Fabiani said one possibility would be for the city to sell the 66 acres for $100 million and use the proceeds to secure the bond.

Council members reached last night greeted the proposal with skepticism.

Councilwoman Donna Frye, whose district includes Qualcomm Stadium, said, "When we are facing a $100 million deficit (in the city), facing layoffs and cuts in basic public services, given those financial realities, to say their timing is poor is likely the understatement of the century."

Councilman Michael Zucchet, elected in November, said getting the city to sponsor any kind of public bond for the stadium is a "total nonstarter."

"It's such a joke. The Chargers have a contract (for the current stadium). They can honor it or initiate litigation. I don't really care," he said.

Mayor **** Murphy declined to comment, saying through a spokeswoman that he will wait for the task force to make a recommendation.

Fabiani said he understands the city's financial situation, which is why the team is proposing a plan that pays for itself. He said commercial development of the 66 acres would "net well in excess of the public's investment."

"This is brand-new revenue not currently flowing to the city," Fabiani said, noting that the current Qualcomm site costs millions of dollars to operate annually.

Fabiani said the Chargers and the NFL would pay $200 million for the new stadium, with the NFL's contribution likely to be a loan to the team.

The city's Chargers task force has spent six months analyzing redevelopment plans for the stadium site.

Task force Chairman David Watson, a land-use attorney and former city planning commissioner, said some panel members have developed "serious questions about whether a redevelopment plan can pay for itself."

"They have to balance land-use planning, work with environmental constraints and mitigation measures and financial requirements," Watson said. "This is a real challenge, and I'm interested to see how they deal with it."

He said tonight's meeting could "determine the future of the National Football League in San Diego."

The Chargers want to ask voters in November 2004 to approve a ballot measure that would pay for a new stadium. Fabiani acknowledged the time is short to accomplish that.

City leaders first would have to negotiate with the team on its current lease, which runs through 2020, and then almost immediately begin a public planning process on the Chargers' proposal. That would include public hearings and environmental reviews, followed by a council vote.

Then the matter could go before voters.

"All of that goes on simultaneously," Fabiani said.

It is possible to meet those tight deadlines, Fabiani said, "but it's going to take a tremendous amount of work."

The last time San Diego voters were asked to finance a stadium was for the Padres' ballpark in 1998. Nearly 60 percent of voters approved Proposition C, a $411 million public-private partnership to create the ballpark district.

With delays caused by court cases and political scandal, the price has risen to $458 million. The city's share is $206 million, most of which was raised through a bond sale last year.

The Padres are putting in $157 million, some of which is revenue from an as-yet-unsigned naming-rights deal for the East Village ballpark. The team also agreed to arrange for new office, retail and hotel development in the area immediately surrounding the ballpark.

The Centre City Development Corp., the city's downtown redevelopment arm, contributed $74 million. The San Diego Unified Port District will fund $21 million in infrastructure improvements.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff writers Jonathan Heller and David Washburn contributed to this report.

Quite a while ago, in another discussion, I brought up the fact that the builders of Sacramento's Arco Arena had started the foundation for a ballpark (Arco Park) next to the arena. The park never got past the foundation stage, but I wondered what happened to it since then.

Thanks to the Microsoft Terraserver, I found an image from Aug. 1998 that shows the foundation still existed at that time, a good 10 years after it was poured. It appears that it is being kept in relatively good shape, "just in case."

Arco Arena (lower), Arco Park foundation

San Francisco Giants - 2002 National League Champions!

I'm thinking if the MLB2Sactown ever gets off the ground they will bypass that site...Rally Field is a good teap park, and MLB teams are moving their opperations back into the city. And as we all know Arco and the footprint is in the middle of a cornfield on the outskirts of Sactown...To far out of town for MLB's tastes...

Now if they wanted to tweak the site that footprint could be a great NFL venue...Lots of parking, and even corn on the cob for tailgating!

-----------------------------
Anaheim Angels 2002 World Champions

Yeah, even the Kings are looking downtown for a new arena. There were a lot of reasons why the complex was built out there, but they are ancient history now.

The city is moving closer to Arco every day, and Sutter County to the north is rapidly expanding. The arena might be in the middle of the city folk soon.

San Francisco Giants - 2002 National League Champions!

True on that dadda...The whole Central Valley is booming..I wouldn't be suprised in the least bit to see a team in that area within the next 5-10 years (NFL or MLB) the San Joquien Valley population from Fresno to Redding is close to 7 Million people...Thats unexplored riches if I've ever seen any...

Look at the top-100 Popluations in California(the bold is CV Locations)...

BEACHCALIFORNIA.COM, BEACHES, CITIES AND TOWNS POPULATION
Statistics for January 2002 provided by the State of California Department of Finance RANK CITY COUNTY POPULATION
1 LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES 3,807,400
2 SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO 1,255,700
3 SAN JOSE SANTA CLARA 918,000
4 SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO 793,600
5 LONG BEACH LOS ANGELES 473,100
6 FRESNO FRESNO 441,900
7. SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO 426,000
12 BAKERSFIELD KERN 257,900
8 OAKLAND ALAMEDA 408,800
9 SANTA ANA ORANGE 343,700
10 ANAHEIM ORANGE 334,700
11 RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE 269,400
12 BAKERSFIELD KERN 257,900
13 STOCKTON SAN JOAQUIN 253,800
14 FREMONT ALAMEDA 208,600
15 GLENDALE LOS ANGELES 200,200
16 MODESTO STANISLAUS 198,600
17 HUNTINGTON BEACH ORANGE 194,600
18 CHULA VISTA SAN DIEGO 190,900
19 SAN BERNARDINO SAN BERNARDINO 189,800
20 OXNARD VENTURA 182,000
21 GARDEN GROVE ORANGE 168,600
22 OCEANSIDE SAN DIEGO 167,200
23 ONTARIO SAN BERNARDINO 162,300
24 SANTA CLARITA LOS ANGELES 158,300
25 IRVINE ORANGE 157,500
26 POMONA LOS ANGELES 153,900
27 SANTA ROSA SONOMA 152,900
28 SALINAS MONTEREY 148,400
29 MORENO VALLEY RIVERSIDE 146,400
30 HAYWARD ALAMEDA 144,300
31 TORRANCE LOS ANGELES 142,100
32 FONTANA SAN BERNARDINO 139,100
33 PASADENA LOS ANGELES 138,800
34 RANCHO CUCAMONGA SAN BERNARDINO 137,100
35 ESCONDIDO SAN DIEGO 137,000
36 CORONA RIVERSIDE 134,000
37 ORANGE ORANGE 132,900
38 SUNNYVALE SANTA CLARA 132,800
39 FULLERTON ORANGE 129,300
40 CONCORD CONTRA COSTA 123,900
41 PALMDALE LOS ANGELES 123,700
42 LANCASTER LOS ANGELES 123,100
43 THOUSAND OAKS VENTURA 121,000
44 EL MONTE LOS ANGELES 119,500
45 VALLEJO SOLANO 118,600
46 SIMI VALLEY VENTURA 115,500
47 INGLEWOOD LOS ANGELES 115,100
48 COSTA MESA ORANGE 110,700
49 DOWNEY LOS ANGELES 110,400
50 WEST COVINA LOS ANGELES 109,100
51 NORWALK LOS ANGELES 106,700
52 BERKELEY ALAMEDA 104,600
53 DALY CITY SAN MATEO 104,400
54 SANTA CLARA SANTA CLARA 104,300
55 BURBANK LOS ANGELES 102,800
56 SAN BUENAVENTURA VENTURA 102,300
57 RICHMOND CONTRA COSTA 101,100
58 FAIRFIELD SOLANO 100,200
59 SOUTH GATE LOS ANGELES 99,200
60 MISSION VIEJO ORANGE 98,300
61 ANTIOCH CONTRA COSTA 96,700
62 EL CAJON SAN DIEGO 96,500
63 COMPTON LOS ANGELES 95,900
64 VISALIA TULARE 95,800
65 RIALTO SAN BERNARDINO 94,800
66 SAN MATEO SAN MATEO 94,100
67 CARSON LOS ANGELES 93,200
68 VACAVILLE SOLANO 92,300
69 VISTA SAN DIEGO 92,100
70 SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA 90,700
71 WESTMINSTER ORANGE 89,700
72 CARLSBAD SAN DIEGO 88,000
73 ALHAMBRA LOS ANGELES 88,000
74 SANTA MONICA LOS ANGELES 88,000
75 CITRUS HEIGHTS SACRAMENTO 87,400
76 HAWTHORNE LOS ANGELES 86,400
77 WHITTIER LOS ANGELES 85,600
78 ROSEVILLE PLACER 85,500
79 REDDING SHASTA 84,600
80 LAKEWOOD LOS ANGELES 81,400
81 ELK GROVE SACRAMENTO 81,400
82 SAN LEANDRO ALAMEDA 81,300
83 SANTA MARIA SANTA BARBARA 80,500
84 BUENA PARK ORANGE 79,800
85 BALDWIN PARK LOS ANGELES 78,400
86 LIVERMORE ALAMEDA 76,700
87 LAKE FOREST ORANGE 76,600
88 REDWOOD CITY SAN MATEO 76,300
89 BELLFLOWER LOS ANGELES 75,100
90 ALAMEDA ALAMEDA 74,600
91 NAPA NAPA 74,100
92 CLOVIS FRESNO 72,800
93 TEMECULA RIVERSIDE 72,700
94 NEWPORT BEACH ORANGE 72,500
95 LYNWOOD LOS ANGELES 71,800
96 MOUNTAIN VIEW SANTA CLARA 71,600
97 CHINO HILLS SAN BERNARDINO 71,000
98 UPLAND SAN BERNARDINO 70,500
99 UNION CITY ALAMEDA 70,200
100 VICTORVILLE SAN BERNARDINO 69,300

In just those cities added up the population is 2,200,800 people add in the suburbs and whatnot and you've got a population belt from Baja to Mt. Shasta.

-----------------------------
Anaheim Angels 2002 World Champions

I think many of you already know about this but for those who are interested in the ballpark issue and not heard of this site, it's a pretty good site on ballpark news and info for both major league and minor league clubs.

http://www.ballparkwatch.com/

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/050/sports/Green_Monster_seats_may_be_del:.shtml


Green Monster seats may be delayed
By Howard Ulman, Associated Press, 2/19/2003 19:00


FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Don't plan on sitting in those new Green Monster seats for the Boston Red Sox home opener.

Club owner Tom Werner said Wednesday the seats atop Fenway Park's left-field wall may not be ready for the April 11 game against Baltimore because of the recent snowstorm in Boston and construction delays.

''We haven't sold seats yet that we (might) have to give back,'' he said. ''Fortunately, opening day is the 11th.''

The Red Sox play their first 10 games on the road, starting March 31 at Tampa Bay.

The team recently announced plans to add 280 seats, plus standing room, atop the 37-foot high wall. The seats are priced at $50 each, although cheaper group rates are available.

''I know they're working around the clock,'' Werner said, ''but I don't think anybody is absolutely positive they will be ready opening day.''

Money generated by the seats will help the Red Sox compensate for their 34,000 capacity ballpark, the smallest i the major leagues.

''The Red Sox have an enormously robust picture financially,'' Werner said. ''Their fan base is secure. We've got no concerns about supporting a high payroll. So if it makes good sense and it contributes to success, then the amount of dollars won't be an issue.''

Werner said the team has a ''cordial'' relationship with Perdo Martinez and there will be further discussions with the pitcher, who wants the team to exercise his 2004 option and negotiate a contract extension. Chief owner John Henry and team president Larry Lucchino met with Martinez last week in Fort Myers.

Werner said spending $160 million isn't necessary to win, citing the World Series champion Anaheim Angels, who had the 16th-highest payroll among the 30 teams last year.

''But we are going to have a $100 million-plus payroll this year,'' he said. ''We'll have it in the future and we ought to be able to win with brains and a high payroll.''

It won't be as high as that of the New York Yankees, Boston's chief rival, who currently have a $149 million payroll. Lucchino fueled that competition recently by using the term ''evil empire'' to describe them.

''I think Larry has said it very articulately,'' Werner said. ''It's actually nice to have a competitor like the Yankees because it will be all the more satisfying when we beat them.''

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/69622.htm

BRONX BEEP READY TO PLAY BALL WITH YANKEES



February 27, 2003 -- The Bronx borough president, who said a year ago that "we need schools, not stadiums," issued a grand vision yesterday of a new or renovated Yankee Stadium, a hotel and convention center, new ferry and rail stations and a Yankee museum that he called "Cooperstown South."
In a State of the Borough speech filled with plans for new business opportunities and job creation, Adolfo Carrión said The Bronx must "maximize the opportunities that Major League Baseball, the sports industry and Yankee lore afford us" by insisting on private investment in the area as part of any stadium plan.

The Bronx and the Yankees, at odds for years as the team threatened to leave, now have "a good, healthy, open relationship" and would be partners in planning for the area around the ballpark, Carrión said.

Yankee President Randy Levine, who sat through the speech and joined Carrión for a news conference afterward, said, "We are in partnership with The Bronx borough president in beginning a real, serious planning process."



He quoted team owner George Steinbrenner as saying, "If The Bronx is going to work with us, then we're delighted to stay here."

Levine noted, however, that when Carrión said in his speech that "the Yankees are staying at home in The Bronx," he was referring to the team's agreement to add five years to its lease, which would have expired this winter.

Levine said the team is still hoping for a new ballpark in The Bronx, but is "sensitive to the budget situation in the city."

The city has a $3.4 billion budget gap for the fiscal year starting July 1.

Carrión stressed the money-making potential of the area around the Stadium, saying a Yankee Hall of Fame and Museum would be a tourist magnet, and a hotel would win back "millions of dollars that the Yankees and their visiting teams now invest in Midtown Manhattan hotels."


Post Wire Services

http://www.startribune.com/stories/679/3727586.html


Jets Unveil Plan for Manhattan Stadium
Associated Press

Published Mar. 1, 2003

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Jets unveiled their plan for a $1.2 billion stadium on Manhattan's West Side, complete with a retractable dome and seating for 85,000 fans.

The proposed facility is a key part of the city's bid for the 2012 Olympics.

According to Jets president Jay Cross, the new facility would host four major rock concerts per year, along with 10 football games and more than 150 other events. The stadium would also allow the city to compete as a possible host for the NCAA Final Four.

As he showed off the plans Friday, Cross said the new stadium would not cause traffic jams in the already-crowded streets around the Lincoln Tunnel. The stadium would not come with any parking facilities, meaning no tailgating for the Jets fans who currently arrive early at Giants Stadium. Cross estimated that 70 percent of fans would take mass transit to the team's dream dome.

The proposal was quickly criticized by neighborhood residents, who questioned the validity of the team's claims.

The Jets' current lease at Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands in New Jersey expires in 2008.

Over 1 billion for a stadium

--Steeplechase3k--
--Red Sox Fan--

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-fred053157930mar05,0,7317128.story?coll=ny-mets-print


Wilpon: City Can't Afford New Park

Steve Zipay

March 5, 2003


The New York economy remains so weak right now that it is impractical to seek public funds for a new $800-million ballpark to replace 39-year-old Shea Stadium, Mets owner Fred Wilpon said yesterday.

"The economy is such that we don't think it's realistic to even ask for a ballpark at this very moment," said Wilpon. But he said city-subsidized planning continues for a 45,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof in Flushing Meadows that was first proposed five years ago.

In December 2001, during the final days of the Giuliani administration, the Mets and Yankees each were promised up to $25 million over five years in rent credits if they continue planning for new ballparks. The Yankees continue to plan for a stadium in Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx, city officials said.

The city was preparing to pay half the cost of each of the proposed $800-million stadiums and the state was to contribute another $300 million. The city would have floated $1.6 billion in bonds for construction costs and the teams would split the $46 million in debt service for each stadium.

But Mayor Michael Bloomberg, citing a projected budget deficit of $4 billion or more in each of the next few years, put the plans on hold and suggested the teams seek private money to finance the ballparks.

"We haven't altered our financing plans," Wilpon said yesterday. "We're going by the agreement that was made for both Yankees and ourselves, where each year money is set aside for the planning." Wilpon said his son, Jeff, continues to oversee planning.

Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.

Realize that I'm probably subverting the purpose of this thread, but this link to the new Texas AA affiliate shows an interesting little park here.

Frisco Ballpark

Yes, it's the formerly lamented Shreveport franchise.

On top of this is the news that, a few miles away, Frisco has announced an agreement with Dallas Burn to build a 20,000-seat soccer stadium. Frisco apparently wants some synergy to encourage development around their new facilities that has eluded many of the larger facilities built in the area and nationwide.

----------------------------------------------------
Brain cells come and go, but fat cells stay forever.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20030307-9999_1m7report.html

Task Force on Chargers offers summation


By Norberto Santana Jr.
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 7, 2003

The City Council received the final report yesterday from the Citizens' Task Force on Chargers Issues. It advises the council to talk to the team and consider leasing the Chargers the 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site.

The 15-member volunteer panel was appointed by the council in July to explore if there is a fiscally responsible way to respond to the Chargers' call for a new stadium.


In the 85-page report, the task force analyzes council options for enforcing the current contract with the Chargers and says its economic impact on San Diego is $150 million annually. The report also details the condition of Qualcomm Stadium and presents development options for the site.

"There's valuable information in this report for whichever path the city chooses to take with the Chargers," said task force member Geoff Patnoe, who represented the San Diego County Taxpayers Association on the panel.

Task force Chairman David Watson said the Chargers' decision this week to pull a contract trigger that allows them to leave the city makes the work done by the panel's contracts committee more relevant.

That committee was made up of attorneys, including Watson, and it offers councilmembers various strategies for muting the negative effects of the Chargers' trigger, he said.

"They're going to have to adopt a very businesslike approach to this," Watson said.

The council has scheduled a public hearing on the report for March 18. That day, the council also will consider hiring outside attorneys and auditors to handle renegotiation issues with the Chargers.

Chargers' Task Force Final Report85 pgs -- 303KB .pdf

Thanks for the photo of the new Frisco ballpark, Paul. Very nice looking design. I still find it unusual that minor league parks are going up in the vicinity of major league venues, such as this one, or the new park in Ft. Worth - they're so close to Arlington - yet the teams seem to do fairly well.
I'm sorry to see Shreveport lose its team, much as Jackson did after the '99 season. Fairgrounds Stadium is a pretty nice ballpark. Jackson got into the Texas-Louisiana League (now the Central League) and was "Organization of the Year" in the CL in 2002. I talked to the Jackson GM in January when I was back for my father's memorial service, and he said the CL was looking to move into Shreveport after the TL team is out.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030307-9999_7m7ccdc.html


Padres are told to stick to deal the voters OK'd

By Jonathan Heller
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 7, 2003

Downtown community members and baseball fans told Padres officials last night that they ought to stick to the ballpark deal voters approved in 1998.

Most of the roughly 200 who attended a planning meeting at the Community Concourse said they opposed the high-rise buildings and the smaller, one-acre grassy park beyond the outfield the ballclub proposed this year.

Earlier designs in 1998 and 2000 showed four-to six-story buildings and a two-acre park, from which fans could see much of the playing field. But Padres officials say those plans are no longer viable in today's real estate market.

One person drew applause when he turned a popular Padres slogan back at the team.

"I'm arguing that the Padres need to keep the faith," said Tom Carter, who helped plan the ballpark concept with a citizens task force and then lobbied for the ballot measure.

The latest proposal by the Padres and JMI Realty, the club's development arm, includes a 22-story condominium tower just beyond right field, a 10-story office building with ground-floor retail beyond center field, and a 20-plus-story structure of undetermined use beyond right field.

Together, the three buildings make up a development called East Village Square. It would surround the Park at the Park, the grassy area just outside the outfield.

Erik Judson, the Padres' vice president for development and point man for ballpark construction, stressed that the club was staying true to its fans and the community. He said the Park at the Park, while smaller, would still afford views of the field and would provide an open recreation area on nongame days.

"All the components in the old design remain," Judson said.

Also, the Padres have devised a new plan allowing fans to purchase $5 tickets giving them access to standing areas inside the ballpark and also to the Park at the Park on game days.

Previously, the club had planned to sell standing-room-only tickets for $7, with park passes being sold separately.

Last night's meeting was hosted by the Centre City Development Corp., the city's downtown redevelopment arm.

CCDC President Peter Hall told the audience that no decision has been made on the Padres' latest proposal. It must still past muster with the corporation's board of directors and the City Council later this year, he said.

Last week, the CCDC staff recommended that the Padres lower the height of the center-field building to six stories and push the outer buildings to the outside corners of their parcels to improve views out of the park.

The Padres agreed to move the outer buildings, but said the center building would not make financial sense at six stories.

"At six stories, that land has essentially no value," said Charles Black, JMI's executive vice president.

The city used eminent domain to acquire most of the parcels for the ballpark, and sold the Padres the land for East Village Square for $12.2 million in 1999.

The Padres have since decided to divide the property into three pieces and sell them to private developers, who would build the structures as the club proposes.

Bud Fischer gave up two parcels he owned at Eighth Avenue and J Street to make way for East Village Square. He expressed anger last night that the club was being allowed to simply sell the land for a profit when he wasn't given an opportunity to develop it himself.

"I think this is a travesty for the property owners in that area," Fischer said.

The East Village Association, a group of business and property owners, approved the concept of the Padres' plans for East Village Square last month. Members said the community would greatly benefit from an office building, which would bring more people to the neighborhood during the day and stimulate retail business.

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/baseball/mlb/oakland_athletics/5371251.htm


Ready for the Reds

Cincinnati's new stadium boasts big changes, smaller prices

By Rich Copley
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER


CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds fans dreaming of watching games in a red seat, holding a freshly grilled brat in their hands and feeling a gentle Ohio River breeze waft over them are a little more than two weeks from seeing their dream come true.

Construction crews are putting the final touches on the Great American Ball Park, which will place Cincinnati among many other major league clubs playing in state-of-the-art digs.

During the final media tour of the stadium before it opens to the public with an open house March 22 and 23, Reds officials touted many fan-friendly aspects of the 42,263-seat ballpark that replaces the widely reviled Cinergy Field.

Among the highlights:

"¢ Wide, high concourse areas so "it won't feel crowded, even when the stadium is completely sold out," Project Director Arnold J. Rosenberg said.

"¢ A new sports bar, The Machine Room, with premium views of the field.

"¢ An open outfield, providing views of the river, and gaps in the stadium bowl, with views of the city from the seats and into the ballpark from outside.

"¢ Lower seating, closer to the field.

"¢ Expanded concessions, including french fries, which food-service general manager Joseph M. Sims says fans have sought for years.

"¢ Thirty percent more restrooms with 50 percent more for women, and family restrooms for parents with small children.

"¢ Lower ticket prices.

Reds Chief Operating Officer John Allen said, "We are the first team to move into a new ballpark and lower ticket prices."

Well, not all ticket prices.

Premium seats will run $42 to $175, which Allen said is necessary for revenue. But 90 percent of the seats will be $30 or less, and 50 percent of those will be $16 or less.

For example, Allen said seats comparable to the blue seats in Cinergy Field, which were $32, will be $30.

But they won't be blue.

"Every seat is a red seat," Allen said.

He said fans will go from identifying where they sit by seat color to "neighborhoods," such as the bleacher seats in left field or the open "sun and moon" seats in right field.

"Whoever you are, there is a neighborhood here for you," Allen said.

The more exclusive neighborhoods will include the members-only Riverfront Club and the 4192 club for luxury-suite patrons.

The Machine Room will be open to all ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition to regular fare -- hot wings, barbecued pork or fried cod sandwiches, steaks, pasta and desserts including deep-fried Twinkies -- there will be specials tied to visiting teams, Sims said. When the Philadelphia Phillies visit, there will be Philly steak sandwiches.

Fans in the stands also will notice the open grills, which Rosenberg pointed out was not possible at Cinergy because of poor ventilation in concession areas. Ice cream concession stands will have kids' menus, including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Rosenberg reiterated the claim that "there's not a bad seat in the house." No obstructed views were evident during the tour, and some of the higher perches provided spectacular views of the city or the river, or both.

Only five regular-season games are sold out so far, and tickets remain available for exhibition games against the Cleveland Indians on March 28 and 29.

The sellouts are: opening day against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31, all three games of a series against the New York Yankees June 3 through 5, and the May 24 game against the Florida Marlins, at which bobble- head dolls of Reds radio announcers Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall will be given away.

In the press area, a sign was already up on the legendary duo's swank new booth, simply reading "Marty and Joe."

Walking through the clubhouse area of the ballpark, Allen tapped the sign to the new chapel and joked, "This is where we prepare for the weather for opening day. 'Pleeease, Pleeease.'"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great American Ball Park open house

When: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. March 22, noon-4:30 p.m. March 23.

Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/13/SP76539.DTL

Get out the vote -- Save Pac Bell!

Bruce Jenkins

We speak today of ballparks, those noble edifices so vulnerable to corporate greed. Stadium connoisseurs fancy this a golden era -- as opposed to the early '70s, when life was a cement-encased pool table -- yet it is a time of tiny annoyances, leaving most cities a trifle shy of perfection.

Take Pacific Bell Park, for instance. In the words of Jayson Stark, the Philadelphia baseball writer and ESPN analyst, after his extended San Francisco stay last postseason, "It's beautiful, a jewel, my favorite park ever built. The people out here should never take it for granted. I'd be glad to just sit here and watch 'em mow the grass, that's how beautiful it is."

And they're about to change the name to QLZ, if memory serves, or SBC or some such nonsense. The Giants have nothing to do with this; they're horrified at the prospect. No, it's the latest corporate giant tearing up the landscape over a simple name change.

It's one thing to write out your phone-bill checks to SBC instead of Pacific Bell, in the name of smart bookkeeping and common sense. The bigwigs changed the name, so deal with it. But what brand of idiot sends a wrecking crew to San Francisco, bent on tearing down the Pac Bell signs on a baseball park and irritating everyone in sight, from ticket printers to public- relations people to fans bustling through the turnstiles? Who could carry such a bloated sense of self-importance?

Well, just about everyone in Corporate America, as it turns out. None of them gets it. They all figure to be career billionaires (soaked in vodka and rum, they offer hearty toasts to their own sheer brilliance) until reality appears -- they wind up in severe legal trouble like Enron or in financial straits like USAir and 3Com -- and an innocent stadium lies nameless. But it doesn't have to happen here.

Granted, on paper, the Giants signed away their naming rights (for $50 million, you'd do the same thing) and SBC holds all the cards. It's a minor miracle that management was granted another year of Pacific Bell Park, a name associated with pure baseball magic after just three seasons of existence. "Now it's pretty much in their hands," says principal owner Peter Magowan. "They can call it whatever they want next season -- although we're going to argue strongly for the status quo."

It's an argument based on logic and goodwill. Did you harbor anything but resentment toward 3Com during its brief and pathetic stranglehold on Candlestick? Did you even once call it 3Com? That wasn't good P.R. for the company, it was an invitation to ridicule.

Similarly, if SBC goes through with this mindless edict, the company will stand for arrogance and buffoonery throughout the Bay Area. Whatever people might call the park -- Pac Bell, The Big Phone, The Yard, The Ballpark -- they won't call it SBC. Not in a million years. Nor will they be forced to, because four or five seasons down the road, SBC will have changed its name again. Guaranteed.

It's a massive stretch, but imagine if SBC were to say: "You know, it's not that big of a deal. Let 'em keep 'Pac Bell Park.' The name means too much to the Giants, their fans and the city of San Francisco. We can slip 'SBC' onto the tickets and press releases, tucked in a corner somewhere, make our presence felt, but behind the scenes. People might think we're kind of cool."

That should be the essence of the Giants' plea: Forget the Sherman tanks, just think for a minute. It's worth a shot.

How they're dealing with change in other cities:

Houston: This will be the second season of Minute Maid Park, a name that only grows in absurdity. As macho-man Jeff Kent continues to throw subtle rips at the Giants, there's something hilarious about him playing in a park with the word "Maid" in it.

Cincinnati: Seldom has so much been accomplished in 37 seconds. That's how long it took to implode Riverfront Stadium, where a thousand great moments were framed against an inexcusably stark and sterile backdrop. Next month, the Reds will open The Great American Ballpark, which sounds a bit presumptuous, but this means real grass and pleasant memories of old Crosley Field. All hail.

Boston: I've been fortunate to watch about 50 games at Fenway Park, one of my favorite places on earth, and I can't see the sacrilege in adding a few hundred seats above the famed Green Monster in left field. We can't be sure until the new look debuts April 29, but what was the beauty of home runs settling into a net? What's wrong with a narrow sea of heads? Might add even more character to the place.

Chicago: Just to complete the damage done when the stadium opened in 1991, Comiskey Park is being renamed U.S. Cellular Field, with a series of structural improvements due. White Sox fans are outraged, but in truth, "Comiskey" died with the old yard, a magnificent cathedral that should have been preserved. The new Comiskey -- turned 180 degrees so fans could no longer see the Chicago skyline -- was doomed from the start.

Philadelphia: Fans have to endure just one more year of the Vet, with its scorched earth and frightening nooks and crannies, but it's a costly year. With the club spending like drunken sailors and bringing in Jim Thome, among others, this was the year to start fresh. By next April, Thome could be completely disillusioned.

San Diego: In a field of worthy candidates, the Padres' new park (scheduled to open next year) might have the worst name of all: Petco, after the San Diego-based retailer of pet supplies. Fans can look forward to a Triple Crown of Southern California tackiness, visiting Petco, the Arrowhead Pond and Edison Field, ear-shattering home of ThunderStix, in a single week. And while it isn't yet official, fans apparently will get free admission to Petco by saying the magic words: "Come to Papa, my little poochie woochie."