CHARLOTTE UPTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORP. DRAWS IRE OF MAYOR

     As Charlotte's Coliseum Authority signed a lease Tuesday to
keep the Hornets at the Coliseum for five more years, the
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports the Charlotte Uptown Development Corp.
(CUDC), a tax-supported economic development group, approached
the Hornets last month about building a new arena downtown, while
the city was in negotiations to keep the team at the Charlotte
Coliseum. Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot:  "I really would have
liked to known about that.  They were, essentially, working at
cross purposes with our efforts to get a lease concluded."  CUDC
Exec Dir Mike Schneiderman said the group was just positioning
itself if the team was to move (Dan Chapman, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER,
11/29).  Hornets Owner George Shinn calls the new lease "short
term" (USA TODAY, 11/29).