In Denver, the arena project manager for the proposed
Pepsi Center for the Nuggets and Avalanche said yesterday
that moving the facility out of Denver would require an
"architectural overhaul" and delay the project for at least
another 4-6 months, according to Arthur Hodges of the DENVER
POST. Project Manager Tim Romani said the company has done
no design planning for the new arena except at one site in
Denver's Central Platte Valley, "despite recent threats" that
the teams might move a new arena in the suburbs. Romani:
"Everything we've done in terms of planning to date has been
in the Central Platte Valley" (DENVER POST, 1/22).
THE PEPSI CHALLENGE: Denver Mayor Wellington Webb wants
to "hammer out" a deal on the Pepsi Center at a "marathon
negotiating session sometime in the next 11 days" with Ascent
Entertainment CEO Charlie Lyons. Sources close to the talks
say the meeting, which has no specific date set, could either
produce a "meeting of the minds or a permanent parting of the
ways." If no deal is reached, Ascent faces defaulting on a
$200M loan agreement from NationsBank of Texas that requires
Ascent to begin construction of the arena by this August,
though analysts say Ascent could "probably" get an extension
of the arena deadline (DENVER POST, 1/20).
