MA lawmakers announced a new stadium deal that "could
keep" the Patriots in Foxboro, offering $70M in public funds
for infrastructure work as an enticement to team Owner
Robert Kraft, according to Macero & Silberman in a front-
page report in the BOSTON HERALD. The deal marks the "first
time" that MA House Speaker Thomas Finneran is on board with
a stadium plan with Senate President Thomas Birmingham and
MA Gov. Paul Cellucci. Cellucci: "Connecticut has a little
bit of competition right now. We think this is a viable
option to keep the team in Massachusetts. ... We will put
the legislation together, we will get it filed and we will
get it enacted." Lawmakers "crafted the deal with the
approval of top NFL officials." The deal uses "easements to
allow the state to make improvements" on land owned by
Kraft. Kraft would then give the state "an estimated" $1.4M
in annual revenue from two sources: $1M in undefined stadium
user fees such as a ticket surcharge, and about $400,000
annually "from a $50 per-space license fee for satellite
parking lots around the stadium." The funds are designed to
offset an estimated $42M worth of road, sewer and other
improvements that would be made on land Kraft owns.
Finneran said the deal holds true to his "principles" on
public funding for stadium financing: "There is no public
money being put into the construction of a private stadium."
Kraft issued a statement yesterday saying that the team was
"not involved with any effort to develop or discussions
pertaining to any new Massachusetts stadium" (BOSTON HERALD,
4/28). MA business leader Paul Kirk Jr.'s message to Kraft:
"Come back home." Kraft would be eligible to receive a loan
from the NFL to fund a portion of construction costs, which
would be paid off from premium seat revenue (BOSTON GLOBE,
4/28). In Boston, Joe Battenfeld writes that the Patriots
"are expected to decide by Sunday whether to abandon" CT, as
there are "strong signs" that Kraft "is nervous about
environmental problems" at the proposed stadium site. But
Kraft "may hold off" until the MA legislation is "passed and
signed off on by the NFL" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/28).
MUHLEMAN TO LEAD MARKETING: In Boston, Cassidy &
Vaillancourt report that MA leaders will now work to get
commitments for 40 to 50 luxury suites at a new Foxboro
stadium over the next week. A new facility would have
roughly 100 to 150 suites at prices ranging from $75,000 to
$300,000. Sources said the league has hired Max Muhleman to
head the marketing effort (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/28).
