From the AP 02/25/2003

Katz to meet with tribes over stadium,
By AP Staff
KGW.com

Mayor Vera Katz plans to meet with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to discuss a tribal proposal to finance a Major League Baseball stadium in exchange for building a casino in the metro area.

But any deal involving a casino outside of reservation land would have to be approved by Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

"It's intriguing and entertaining, and definitely something we'd be interested in pursuing," said Mary Volm of the city planning office. "But it depends on the governor and his willingness to set a precedent."

U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton also would have to approve building a casino outside of reservation land.

Tribal officials say they just want to get talks started, and hope other tribes will participate.

"Our priorities are to foster a deal that will help all of Oregon's tribes, jump start the city a little bit and maybe help with some economic development in Oregon," said Grand Ronde spokesman Justin Martin.

City and state officials said they were at first caught off guard by the proposal, first reported last week by KGW.

Roger Noll, a Stanford professor and co-author of a book on the economic impact of sports, says that pressure is building to develop casinos in major cities because "it's almost free money -- this temptation to let people build a casino, then rake money off the top in taxes for the state, it's just irresistible."

Noll said the economic downturn could make cash-strapped cities and states more willing to deal for a casino, so "you might as well get a baseball stadium out of it too."

Stadium financing will be a key component of Portland's presentation to the Major League Baseball relocation committee on March 20 in Phoenix.

The city is making a bid for the Montreal Expos, but is facing competition from Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia.

A Southern California group called "Inland Empire Baseball" also is making a bid based on a unique plan that would allow fans to buy "units" of the franchise for between $6,000 and $9,000 to pay about half the cost for the Expos and a 45,000-seat stadium.