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Stadium campaign says update will include cost estimate

By JOHN HUNT
The Oregonian
Sunday, June 27, 2004

New numbers are trickling in from HOK Sport, the firm exploring the designs and costs of a major league stadium in Portland.

Architect John Vosmek, the liaison between the Oregon Stadium Campaign and HOK, visited the HOK office in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday and returned saying the updates are a work in progress.

The new stadium cost analysis is one of the key pieces of information the OSC is hoping to include in its next update for Major League Baseball's relocation committee, but Portland's timing might or might not jibe with that of MLB.

"We owe it to them to deliver something to them before the All-Star break," OSC leader David Kahn said.

But according to The Associated Press, Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, will meet Wednesday with commissioner Bud Selig in Milwaukee to brief him on the findings of the relocation committee.

Selig then will decide how the process would unfold for selecting the new home for the Montreal Expos.

DuPuy also told the AP that he was "confident a decision will not be made before or at the All-Star Game."

It's hardly an unexpected delay, but it is DuPuy's first acknowledgement -- this year -- that baseball would not reach its goal of a decision by the All-Star break.

Will Somerindyke, chief executive officer of the Norfolk (Va.) Baseball Company, said he met with baseball officials Wednesday to update them on Norfolk's efforts, which include a season ticket drive that has passed the 7,000 mark and has deposits on 80 suites.

Meanwhile, Portland proponents are looking at ways to capture revenue from businesses in the proposed stadium districts, talking with business leaders and business owners.

"We continue to collect more data from stadium districts and to inform and educate the business community," Kahn said.

As for stadium project cost, Vosmek said the original estimate of $350 million is being proved correct.

"Could we pull 10 percent out? What we were told was that we would have a stadium that wouldn't seat the capacity we wanted and wouldn't stack up comparably to a stadium like Pittsburgh's," Vosmek said. "After all, you don't make all your beams 10 percent smaller."

John Hunt: 503-294-7643; johnhunt@news.oregonian.com