FACILITY NOTES

          The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority "acquired
     the final piece of land needed" to build the Astros new
     downtown ballpark when it completed the last of five eminent
     domain proceedings Monday, according to John Williams of the
     HOUSTON CHRONICLE.  In all five hearings, property owners
     received "substantially less than what they had sought"
     (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/25)....Abe Pollin, NFL facility
     consultant Rick Horrow and economist Roger Noll were
     participants at a stadium and arena financing forum at DC's
     Brookings Institute.  Noll, on proposed legislation by U.S.
     Senator Pat Moynihan (D-NY) that would take away the tax-
     exempt status of municipal bonds used to finance facilities:
     "If Congress eliminated the tax exemption on state and
     municipal bonds used to finance sports arenas and stadiums,
     the interest rates would go up and cause the public to think
     twice about each project" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 11/24).