Six weeks before the Raiders open their '96 preseason
schedule, less than half of the planned 175 Oakland Coliseum
suites have been sold, and building plans have been scaled back
by 20%, according to Dennis Akizuki of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS.
The suites cost from $30,000-150,000 and are being promoted as
the "biggest and best luxury suites" in the NFL. Gail Steele,
President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, admitted
they are "concerned" about slow sales. Earlier this month, the
Oakland City Council decided to cut the number of suites from 175
to 139. But the Oakland Football Marketing Association has sold
only 60 of those 139, which includes 49 suites held over from
last year. OFMA officials "remain upbeat," saying a "major
problem" has been an inability to show prospective clients the
new suites. At least one suite is expected to be finished this
week to show. Unlike season tickets, sales of luxury suites have
no financial impact on taxpayers, as all suite revenue goes to
the Raiders. As far as club seats, 3,400 of the 6,000 available
have been sold. Akizuki notes that East Bay corporations "don't
seem eager" to purchase Raider suites, while there is a 450-
person waiting list for 93 suites at 3Com Park (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 6/23).
