During a news conference yesterday, members of Pittsburgh
Mayor Tom Murphy's Forbes Field II Task Force presented their
proposal for a "North Side" ballpark costing an estimated $187M
to $208M located along the banks of the Allegheny River.
According to this morning's PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, the stadium
would seat 35-37,000, making it larger than only Fenway Park, and
would have the Downtown skyline as a backdrop. Now, the focus
turns to financing. While the Task Force called on the state
government to fund at least half the cost, one member of the
state task force considering new stadiums in Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia, does not expect the state contribution to exceed
15-20%. The Task Force anticipates $90M from the sale of PSLs,
naming rights and luxury boxes, but offered no specific
recommendations for public funds. Pirates Owner Kevin McClatchy
has said he hoped to raise $20M to $30M, but he declined to give
a figure yesterday. If funding is not in place by February '98,
McClatchy could put the Pirates up for sale (Mark Belko,
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/26).
DETAILS: While Murphy and the Steelers both favor new
development in the area between Three Rivers and the new
ballpark, they differ on the "how to do it." Murphy backs an
entertainment district, while the Steelers favor a mall-based
retail package (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/26).
