The San Diego Centre City Development Corp. endorsed
the Padres ballpark/redevelopment project to the City
Council. The Development Corp. "essentially recommended"
that the team has "provided sufficient assurances that the
private development surrounding the $411 million ballpark
would be a success." The move "marks a big advance" for the
Padres' "quest for City Hall approval of its efforts to
date" (San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/20)....Sumitomo Bank has
loaned the Broncos $150M to help cover the team's $110M
"required" contribution to their $370M stadium project, as
well as "any cost overruns." The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's
Daniel Kaplan writes that it's "unclear" what Owner Pat
Bowlen used as collateral for the loan (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 3/22 issue)....In N.Y., John McQuiston wrote that
plans for a new Nassau Coliseum "are in doubt," with the
county "worrying about growing debt" and Islanders co-Owner
Howard Milstein "thinking about football." County officials
said that negotiations with the team are "at a standstill"
with talks that began to "collapse" when Milstein announced
his plans to buy the Redskins (N.Y. TIMES, 3/20).
