Cincinnati business and community leaders are voicing strong
support and financial interest for redesigning Riverfront Stadium
and building a new facility for either the Bengals or Reds,
according to this morning's CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.  PNC Bank
President and CEO Ralph Michael said "we are willing to buy
luxury boxes, even if it is required at both places," and
Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble's Chair Ed Artzt stated his own
company support for stadium plans.  Small business leaders also
voiced interest in skyboxes and club seating.  Such financial
commitments should offset the estimated $200M for construction.
City officials said local companies should participate as
"corporate good citizens" and to attract prospective employees
with pro sports teams.  The regional task force formed earlier
this year to assess the project also hopes to solicit financing
through local and state tax dollars, as Cleveland did for its
$425M Gateway project.  City officials might also approach
officials across the river in MY about contributing to the
project (Richard Green, CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/14).
     HIDDEN COSTS: In a related column, Tom Lang writes "there is
no repair fairy godmother" and an endowment or "infrastructure"
fund would offset future maintenance costs and "might even force
prudent design and material changes in the original construction"
(CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/14).

     Soldier Field officials unrolled the first shipment of 6,000
feet of new sod to repair the "overused, exhausted" field for the
Bears home game this Sunday.  American Sod Corp. President George
Brandt said "it will take time" for the field to recover from
heavy use during the World Cup and concerts this summer.  Soldier
Field Stadium Manager Jim Dugan is "praying for no rain" which
would make the field much more vulnerable during the game (Peter
Baniak, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/14)....The purchase of the IHL's
Detroit Vipers "fits snugly" with Pistons owner William
Davidson's strategy to keep The Palace at Auburn Hills "busy."
Davidson acquired the Vipers by buying the IHL Salt Lake City
franchise in April for $5M, and moved them to The Palace.
Besides filling dates at The Palace, Pistons President Tom Wilson
notes that IHL franchises have jumped in value 20-fold in the
past four years, and the Vipers could average 10,000 in
attendance this season and be profitable in their first year
(David Barkholz, CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 9/5-11 issue)....Susan
King of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission said that
although the Metrodome will lose as much as $600,000 in revenue
from the Twins, they will still have more than $12-$13M for
improvements.  King told THE SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY: "The
Metrodome is the only publicly owned stadium in the nation.  The
money we have is through profits that will be used to do major
expansion on the building" (THE DAILY, 9/13).  The Commission is
also in "serious negotiations with the city of Bloomington to
sell the Met Center for between $15-20M, with the final price to
be determined by an arbitrator" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/13).