Brewers Owner Bud Selig said he will neither reconsider a
downtown site for his club's proposed ballpark nor take on new
equity partners to raise additional stadium revenue, according to
the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Selig's comments follow a
Saturday meeting with WI Gov. Tommy Thompson in which the two
discussed the "financial impasse" surrounding the Brewers planned
$50M contribution to the $250M facility. Earlier on Saturday,
Thompson put the odds of the stadium being built at "55 to 45
against." On Friday, Thompson predicted the stadium could not
open before 2000 (a year later than originally planned) and
suggested that Selig revisit the idea of a downtown site. The
city of Milwaukee had offered to make the $50M available from the
sale of parking garages if the team would build downtown.
Thompson also met with Milwaukee business leaders Saturday in an
attempt to seek "alternative solutions" (Lamke & Nichols,
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/9). Columnist Dale Hofmann
implores WI's "glacial government" to negotiate an end to the
conflict. He warns the Brewers are "closer than ever" to
leaving. Hofmann: "If there are people who think the team has
nowhere to go, they should remember that they're dealing with the
commissioner of baseball. The Brewers can move with more freedom
and less opposition than any other team in sports" (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/9).
