THE PLAN (B) WORKED! BUCS & STEELERS TO GET NEW FACILITIES

          Allegheny County's Regional Asset District Board (RAD)
     last night voted 6-1 to approve local funding for an $809M
     plan to build two new stadiums for the Pirates and the
     Steelers, according to Barnes & Dvorchak of the PITTSBURGH
     POST-GAZETTE.  All told, the $809M earmarked for the so-
     called Plan B will be used to build a $228M ballpark for the
     Pirates, a $223M football stadium for the Steelers and a
     $267M expansion to Pittsburgh's Convention Center.  It would
     also pay off the $40M debt at Three Rivers Stadium and pay
     to demolish that facility.  The Pirates will contribute $40M
     to Plan B and the Steelers $76.5M.  Pirates Owner Kevin
     McClatchy: "This is a huge relief.  This vote will signal
     the resurgency of Pittsburgh, and means the two franchises
     will be able to exist and thrive in the city" (PITTSBURGH
     POST-GAZETTE, 7/10).  In a side-bar, Dvorchak reports that
     the two teams, both of which "have agreed to cover cost
     overruns," hope to play in their new parks by the start of
     the 2001 season (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/10).