The FL Supreme Court "laid waste Thursday to former
Tampa Mayor Bill Poe's crusade to stop construction of a new
football stadium" for the Bucs when it ruled that the
facility "serves a public purpose," according to Joe
Henderson of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. The "decision gave stadium
proponents a smashing victory," and the Tampa Sports
Authority "immediately announced" that it will sell bonds
"in about 30 days" to pay for the construction. Henderson
reports that the court ratified the entire Bucs' stadium
lease, "even a portion previously ruled unconstitutional"
regarding the team's collection of the first $2M in parking
and concession revenues from non-football events. Bucs VP
Joel Glazer said the team hoped the city would abide by the
original terms of the lease: "We negotiated long and hard to
come to the lease we came to. ... We expect it will be
honored." Tampa Mayor Dick Greco: "It should be honored."
Poe, who claimed that the stadium pact was unconstitutional
and that voters were not fully aware of the deal when they
voted on it, said he will not use a ten-day "window" given
by the Court to ask for a rehearing (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 5/23).
