Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell said yesterday that he
"prefers a Center City location" for any new sports facility,
but is "concerned that costs may be prohibitive," according
to Marder & Gorenstein of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.
Rendell's announcement came as the City Council announced
plans to organize a "series of public hearings on what kind
of stadium is needed and where it would go." Rendell: "If a
downtown stadium ... adds $80 million to the cost of the
project ... then, folks, it ain't gonna be downtown." The
Mayor also said that he would agree to a South Philadelphia
site "only if plans included shops, restaurants, and possibly
an NFL Hall Of Fame," and added that discussion of a stadium
location was "premature" until the state decided how much
money it will contribute to the cost, estimated to be more
than $200M (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/31). An Arthur
Andersen study showed that a ballpark built anywhere in or
near Center City would have an $416M annual economic impact
on the city, while a park in South Philadelphia would
generate $341M in annual revenue (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 10/31).
