After some "serious negotiating hardball," San Diego
Mayor Susan Golding and the Padres agreed Tuesday on a plan
to "build a baseball-only stadium in downtown San Diego in
time for Opening Day 2002," according to Alan Drooz of the
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The deal, reached after "nearly
round-the-clock" talks, still needs City Council approval to
be placed on the November ballot, "but that seemed clearcut"
Tuesday as many Council members appeared at a news
conference wearing buttons that read "A New Ballpark For San
Diego." Plans call for a 42,500-seat ballpark, located in
the city's East Village area, with a public park beyond the
outfield and 5,000 parking spaces. Golding said the new
ballpark "will do no less than transform the city core for
all time," while Padres President Larry Lucchino said the
team hopes to "build a ballpark that will create an
explosion of civic pride" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/14).
DETAILS: The ballpark cost is estimated at $267.5M,
with the total project, including land and infrastructure,
costing $411M. The city will provide $225M through hotel
taxes and $50M from redevelopment funds, while the Padres
will contribute $115M -- an increase from their original
offer of $100M -- and will also "bring in private developers
to build up the area around the park." In addition, the
team has agreed to pay rent of $500,000 annually. The city
also received "other concessions" from the Padres, including
an agreement for the team "to pay all construction cost
overruns and city administrative expenses beyond" $3.5M
annually. The final $21M for the project "still needs to be
found," although Golding said that both the Port District
and the County Board of Supervisors "are actively pursuing
projects that would provide that funding." However, should
the $21M in funds not be found, the city retains "the option
of pulling out" of the deal by April 1, 1999 (Alan Drooz,
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/14). The Padres' commitment
includes an expected $30-$40M from the sale of the
facility's naming rights. The Padres' Lucchino said that
"it was impossible to say at this point" how much the team
itself will contribute (USA TODAY, 7/15).
WHAT IT MEANS: This morning in San Diego, Philip
LaVelle examines the deal, writing that although "major
points" have been agreed upon, some "basic fiscal questions
are unanswered." LaVelle reports that hotel taxes are a
"politically charged source of funding for nearly 200 civic
programs, and a heated battle is virtually certain" if any
suffer due to the ballpark project. Also, after Golding
said Tuesday that the $21M gap in funding would be filled
with help from the Port District and the county, Port
Commission Chair David Malcolm "flatly said the port will
not fill any funding gap" yesterday, while the county Board
of Supervisors "set steep conditions" regarding any
participation on its part (S.D. UNION TRIBUNE, 7/15).
