A report prepared last month on Tampa Stadium indicated
support slabs for the east and west sideline ramps and the
stadium's upper concourse must be replaced within seven years.
Joe Henderson writes in the TAMPA TRIBUNE that John Schwanebeck,
Dir of Architecture at Reynolds, Smith and Hills, said the fire
marshal indicated the $4.3M repair job would trigger code
compliance upgrades which would run the bill up to $52M.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Joe Chillura found the upgrades
unnecessary. Since the $52M figure "roughly equals" the amount
city and county taxpayers may be asked to contribute toward a new
$168M Bucs stadium, Chillura was concerned about a perception
that "you might as well spend it on something new instead of
something old." Schwanebeck has agreed to "re-analyze" the
figures. Tampa Sports Authority Chair Steve Anderson denied
using the needed repairs as leverage (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/31).
EARLY RESULTS ARE IN: A report in the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
indicates the Bucs have received 12,000 envelopes containing seat
deposits for a new stadium. The report says that translates into
approximately 40,000 fans and would be a "significant show of
support" for the team and stadium effort (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES,
10/31).
