COMMISSION APPROVES A "TAJ MAHAL" OF SPORTS IN BEANTOWN

     The 13-member MA Convention Center Commission unanimously
voted yesterday to build a downtown Boston convention-sports
complex that could include stadiums for the Patriots and the Red
Sox and cost as much as $1B. Now the "real challenge" is in
forming a financial plan that "brings in the private investment
interest that everyone agrees is crucial and win legislative
approval."  The commission also eliminated two sites, leaving
three sites in the running (Richard Kindleberger, BOSTON GLOBE,
4/20).
According to records filed with the MA Secretary of State,
Patriots owner Robert Kraft's Foxboro Stadium Associates has paid
$8,500 to the lobbying firm of Joyce and Joyce during the
megaplex debate.  New Boston Garden Corp. paid $19,500 to
lobbyist William Coyne in '94 and '95 to "monitor megaplex
issues" (Phil Primack, BOSTON HERALD, 4/20).