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Facilities Venues

A KRAFTY COMPROMISE? PATRIOTS REACH DEAL ON NEW STADIUM

          Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and MA Senate President
     Thomas Birmingham unveiled a plan yesterday for Kraft to
     build a $200M privately-financed stadium in Foxboro in
     exchange for $72M in state aid and Kraft's pledge to keep
     the team in MA for 25 years, according to Anand & Walker on
     the front-page of the BOSTON GLOBE.  Kraft and Birmingham
     said that they were "closer than ever to reaching an
     agreement acceptable to lawmakers in both houses, as well as
     to taxpayers and football fans."  The new plan "requires a
     much greater investment from Kraft," and also calls for a
     new stadium, as opposed to the previous plans to renovate
     Foxboro Stadium.  The state would now "pitch in" $20M to
     purchase the 330 acres around Foxboro Stadium and lease it
     to the team for "about $700,000 a year."  The state would
     receive "roughly" $2.4M in revenue each year, with $1.25M
     from a ticket surcharge and $1.1M in parking fees.  The
     "bulk of state aid" would come in the form of $52M in "so-
     called infrastructure improvements around the stadium." 
     While MA Acting Gov. Paul Cellucci "endorsed the proposal,"
     House Speaker Thomas Finneran "was skeptical," saying that
     there was "nothing new" about the plan (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20).
          DETAILS: Kraft, who previously said that he "could not
     afford to build a new stadium," noted the "flourishing
     economy and historically low interest rates."  Kraft: "If
     there's ever going to be a time to take a big risk and make
     a $200 million commitment, this is the time to do it.  It's
     all timing."  Kraft said that the new stadium would seat
     between 65,000-70,000 and "could be ready for the 2001
     season" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20).  In Boston, columnist Derrick
     Jackson writes that while Kraft has pledged more financing,
     "[I]s not $72 million still $72 million?  Perhaps the
     Legislature should be applauded for not being completely run
     down by Kraft and the NFL.  But being sideswiped by a
     locomotive still hurts" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20).  But a GLOBE
     editorial says that the plan is "worthy of support" by the
     Legislature and Acting Gov. Cellucci (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20).

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