A citizens task force organized by the Greater Tampa Chamber
of Commerce met yesterday to discuss a new stadium for the Bucs.
The task force discussed ways to encourage local businesses to
purchase season tickets and luxury boxes and the need for a
public relations campaign if a referendum to raise taxes for
stadium funding occurs.  Committee chair Leonard Levy: "If we
have to go to a voter referendum, we have to be prepared to sell
the community on the idea."
Bucs Trustee Steve Story said he met with NFL President Neil
Austrian and believes the sale to Malcom Glzer is "proceeding
smoothly" (Joe Henderson, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 1/25).

     NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani presented Yankees Owner George
Steinbrenner with a plan to create a "theme park" atmosphere at
Yankee Stadium, surrounding a renovated ballpark with
restaurants, parking garages and new roads.  The project's cost
estimates run as high as $600M, compared with a $250M estimate
for a plan to overhaul the stadium and neighborhood presented
less than one year ago.  Officials who attended the meeting said
Steinbrenner "indicated that the proposal was more to his
liking."  Improvements inside the stadium call for about 100
luxury boxes and a new outer wall "that would copy the original
facade of Yankee Stadium."  The "most striking" differences
between the current plan and those Steinbrenner has rejected in
the past are the roads and garages "that would allow fans to
drive from the suburbs directly to the stadium without sitting in
traffic on the streets of the South Bronx"  (Matthew Purdy, N.Y.
TIMES, 1/25).  Steinbrenner: "I can't say whether I'm optimistic
or not. ... What I will tell you is this was our second meeting
and this is obviously a priority for Giuliani" (Long & Guart,
N.Y. POST, 1/25).
     THE YONKERS YANKEES?  This morning's N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports
the team has received an offer to move to the Meadowlands Complex
in NJ, where the state of NJ would build a $350M "Camden Yards-
style stadium" that the team could lease "long term for short
money."  The NJ offer also includes a guarantee on yearly
attendance and a clause in which the NJ Sports Authority would
defend the Yankees against any lawsuit by New York City over
breaking their Bronx lease which expires in 2003.  Also in the
DAILY NEWS piece:  A source close to NY Governor George Pataki
says "he is waiting for Giuliani 'to fall on his face' in
negotiations with Steinbrenner 'so he can save the day and the
Yankees for New York, but not necessarily the city.'"  The source
says Pataki's aides have "made some preliminary investigation"
into building a stadium next to the Yonkers Raceway (Bill Madden,
N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/25).

     Herbert Belgrad, Chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority,
said he "has been told by prospective ownership groups seeking a
team for Baltimore that they are in contact with three" NFL
franchises interested in relocating to the city, according to
this morning's Baltimore SUN.  Belgrad, appearing before a State
Senate Committee, asked the committee not to deauthorize bonds
appropriated for the construction of a new NFL facility, saying
there is still "serious interest in bringing a team here."
Belgrad said Orioles Owner Peter Angelos is "actively engaged"
with three teams that have contacted him, and attorney Robert
Schulman is talking with two teams.  By deauthorizing the bonding
authority, Beglrad said the city "would send the wrong message"
to the NFL, adding: "It would convey to our opponents that they
have succeeded."  Projected costs for a new stadium run close to
$181M, and Belgrad said the state would pay another $10M on
property acquisition, as well as a $1M "temporary modification"
to Oriole Park for an NFL team to play there while a new stadium
is built.  Action to kill the authorizing legislation is not
expected to pass (Jon Morgan, Baltimore SUN, 1/25).

     In Boston, a meeting of MA political and business leaders
concluded with "an agreement that a state-financed convention
center should be built in Boston" and that a study should be
completed by June 1 "to review a half-dozen recommended Boston
sites for the $500 million convention center along with the
feasibility of fitting an add-on stadium at each location."
Legislative authorization is necessary before the study can
begin.  Included in the proposal is $35M for "highway
improvements outside Foxboro Stadium" as well as possible
improvements to the Springfield Civic Center.  Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino, who attended the meetings:  "I think it's a real
advance.  Finally we've got a plan in place" (Ackerman &
Kindleberger, BOSTON GLOBE, 1/24).  In today's BOSTON HERALD, MA
House Republican Leader Edward Teague questions the need for the
convention center.  Teague: "It is almost universally true that
every city that has built a large convention center has done so
with very rosy forecasts and projections that far too often have
failed to pan out" (Phil Primack, BOSTON HERALD, 1/25).

     MN Gov. Arne Carlson Monday told legislative leaders that
"if Minneapolis cannot solve the Target Center financing puzzle
on its own, he wants the state to step in and double its
financial commitment."  Carlson outlined a plan to increase the
state's commitment from $750,000 a year for 15 years to 750,000
for 30 years.  That would leave the state with a total commitment
of $22.5M.  The Minneapolis City Council is expected to submit a
new finance plan to Glen Taylor by today.  Taylor is attempting
to buy the Wolves, but the deal hinges on the buyout of the
Target Center.  In addition to state help, the possibility of a
loan from the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission to the
city of Minneapolis has been mentioned.  MSFC Chair Henry
Savelkoul says the legislature must act quickly because of the
NBA's March 1 deadline to allow teams to relocate.  Savelkoul: "I
can't see this going on for very long. ...The NBA isn't going to
sit by" (Whereatt, McGrath & Weiner, Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE,
1/24).

     The Jaguars, who will play next season in the $125M
renovated Gator Bowl, have one of the best lease deals in the
NFL.  The city of Jacksonville will pay over $11M annually to
cover expense, including maintenance and repairs. The team will
collect virtually all revenues and pay one of the lowest rents in
the NFL over their 30-year lease.  This is No. 27 in our series
of 29 profiles.


  
 
    

      
STADIUM: 
        Formerly the Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida
    
  
  
 
    
NAMING 
      RIGHTS:
    
Naming 
      rights to cost a reported $300,000-$1M per year, to be split Between city 
      and team.
  
  
 
    
AGE:
    
Facility 
      to be completed in mid-August '95.
  
  
 
    
CAPACITY:
    
73,000 
      -- 11th highest in the league.
  
  
 
    
OWNERSHIP:
    
Facility 
      owned by city of Jacksonville.
  
  
 
    
MANAGEMENT:
    
Spectacor 
      Management Group operates the facility.
  
  
 
    
LUXURY 
      SEATS:
    
74 luxury 
      suites -- team will operate luxury suites and receive all revenue.
  
  
 
    
CONCESSIONS:
    
No concession 
      contract presently. Team will receive all revenue from concession sales.
  
  
 
    
ADVERTISING:
    
Team will 
      receive all revenue.
  
  
 
    
PARKING:
    
Details 
      with parking not complete. Team will receive all parking revenue.
  
  
 
    
MAINTENANCE:
    
All maintenance 
      handled by the city -- average cost $1.1M annually.
  
  
 
    
GAME-DAY:
    
All personnel 
      paid for by city.
  
  
 
    
LEASE:
    
Jaguars 
      signed 30-year lease.
  
  
 
    
RENT:
    
$875,000 
      -- 8th lowest in the league.
  


(Source: David Auchter, Jaguars; rent figure from Florida Times-
Union article on July 24, 1994.)