A NEW HIVE WOULD GIVE HORNETS SOMETHING TO BUZZ ABOUT

          Charlotte City Council data shows that if the Hornets
     moved into a new arena with 80 luxury suites in 2001, their
     annual profit would jump from about $1.7M to $15.6M,
     according to Ames Alexander of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER.  City
     Finance Dir Richard Martin told Charlotte City Council
     members that figures, given to Charlotte officials and
     consultants by the Hornets on the terms that they not be
     directly "shared with council members or the public,"
     "corroborated" earlier estimates by a city consultant which
     showed the Hornets will begin "to lose money by the year
     2005 unless they find more revenue."  Though profits would
     "gradually drop," the team would remain in "strong financial
     condition" with a $9.2M profit in 2011.  This assumes that
     the average ticket price rises $5 over today's levels, and
     parking rises from $4 to $10 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/14).