After months of negotiations on a new ballpark, the Astros
are "close to announcing they will stay" in Houston if a downtown
site is selected, according to sources cited by John Williams in
the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The closing of the deal awaits Astros
Owner Drayton McLane and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
completing the county's repurchase of McLane's Astrodome lease
which runs through 2023. McLane is seeking about $20-25M for the
lease while he waits for a $265M 42,000-seat downtown
retractable-roof, domed stadium to be completed. Eckels "has not
budged" past $10M, to be paid over three years, for the lease.
In those three years, McLane would continue operating the
facility, which he claims will yield a $2.5M profit this year.
McLane is "expected" to announce his intentions via a press
conference this weekend or as early as today, but if a lease
agreement fails, he may resume talks with a prospective buyer,
Virginia Baseball's William Collins. A high-ranking Astros
official said "there is a 99% chance" McLane will announce this
weekend he will stay in Houston. But any announcement to stay is
"contingent" on Harris County voters approving a sports
facilities referendum on November 5 and the Legislature's
approval of funding assistance for construction costs. If either
"stipulation fails," McLane would be free to "shop his team"
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/13).
