After their "long-awaited summit" with State Sen.
Vincent Fumo, the Phillies' chances of a new ballpark at
Broad and Spring Garden Streets "rebounded a bit," according
to Christopher Hepp of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Fumo's
"assessment" of the team's plans were by far "his most
positive about the project." Fumo: "They gave an excellent
presentation. It was well-thought-out and fairly complete."
Phillies President David Montgomery, after the meeting: "It
was encouraging. I think we had a good dialogue"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/19). Also in Philadelphia, Moran
& Davies wrote that Fumo "appears he is willing to work
with" the Phillies. Fumo: "I've given them the green light
[to begin to work out their differences]. ... I still think
they've got some very serious problems. But the attitude
has changed. I think there is a spirit of trying to see if
those problems can be solved" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 6/19).
MORE PUBLIC OUTREACH NEEDED? In Philadelphia, Urban
Planning consultant Rick Shnitzler wrote an Op-Ed on the
proposed ballpark site: "Get some community-relations
skills, Phils. Don't we, the people, have the right to know
about off-site impacts and their costs to unwitting
neighbors and other taxpayers?" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 6/19).
