PROPOSAL FOR D.C. ARENA HITS SNAG

     The Washington DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) has
delayed its decision on the approval of a city arena.  The agency
spent several hours Wednesday reviewing the arena deal struck
between Bullets/Capitals Owner Abe Pollin and the National
Capital Development Corporation (NCDC), a nonprofit consortium of
District entrepreneurs who would oversee construction of the
facility.  The RLA board decided it did not have enough
information to recommend turning over city land to NCDC and
agreed to reconvene December 1 to review a counter-proposal from
BET President Robert Johnson.  Johnson has offered to guarantee
repayment of arena bonds and eliminate the city's financial risk
if Pollin would agree to sell him a share of the Bullets.  NCDC
spokesperson Kwasi Holman predicted that the agency will approve
of his group's deal with Pollin because it "makes such economic
sense":  "We are going to make out deadlines and build this
arena" (Howard Schneider, WASHINGTON POST, 11/11).