At a press conference yesterday to unveil a model of and
plans for DC's proposed downtown MCI Center, Bullets/ Caps Owner
Abe Pollin declared, "The long term package is complete and I am
delighted to announce it is going to happen." Pollin set a date
and time for groundbreaking -- October 18 at 11:00am EDT. Pollin
noted the MCI Center would be the "most technologically advanced
facility and finest sports facility of its type in the world."
MCI CFO Doug Maine declined to say what specific technological
amenities MCI would supply, but added "what we are going to be
putting into this is unlike anything that is anywhere in the
world today." Architect Coke Florance added the facility is
unlike any other arena in America and it is a "very specific
building to Washington" (THE DAILY).
MORNING NEWS COVERAGE: The WASHINGTON TIMES (headline:
"Pollin set to build theme park of an arena") notes that Las
Vegas hotels and Disney theme parks will be the models for
technological innovations. MCI's Maine, on the $262M Rose Garden
in Portland, which has been hailed as the standard for high-tech
arenas: "Frankly, they're in the dark ages" (Lorraine Woellert,
WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/28). The WASHINGTON POST gives the design
good reviews. Benjamin Forgey writes, "To the significant
benefit of downtown Washington, people will come to this place"
(WASHINGTON POST, 9/28).
METRO DC'S OTHER PROJECT: A coalition of civic groups and
individuals from Prince George's County filed state and federal
lawsuits yesterday to overturn legislation that allows the
Redskins to bypass several stages of a review process in their
bid to build a new stadium in the Maryland suburbs (Neal &
Pierre, WASHINGTON POST, 9/28).
