Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry has entered into a
$625,000, five-year lease for 12 luxury box seats at the new
MCI Center with the approval of the DC financial control
board, according to Yolanda Woodlee of the WASHINGTON POST.
But the control board warned him against using the seats as
a "perk" for city officials and their friends. Control
Board Chair Andrew Brimmer "confirmed that he had approved
the mayor's request to spend city revenues for the seats,"
but Brimmer "criticized" Barry for not having negotiated a
suite deal before the city spent $70M for arena assistance.
The money to pay for the suite will come from the $6M budget
of the DC Sports Commission, which is chaired and appointed
by Barry. Woodlee adds that MCI Center Owner Abe Pollin did
not offer a free suite to Barry (WASHINGTON POST, 11/14).
GOOD MARKS: In DC, columnist Michael Wilbon, who toured
the MCI Center yesterday, writes, "Abe Pollin isn't
overstating the matter one bit. MCI Center is the coolest,
hippest, smartest, most creative, most interactive,
customer-friendly, sports/entertainment facility in all of
professional sports" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/14).
