FACILITY NOTES

          In Dallas, Robert Ingrassia, under the header, "Arena
     Taxes Flowing Faster Than Expected," reports that the arena
     taxes are "rolling in so fast that the city might repeal the
     levies sooner than planned."  A tax on rental cars "outpaced
     projections" by more than 30% during its first year.  A
     surcharge on hotel rooms is "exceeding forecasts" by more
     than 15% (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/17)....In New Orleans, Ted
     Lewis reported that Network Int'l, a subsidiary of SMG, has
     "been attempting" to sell naming rights to the New Orleans
     Arena since April.  Superdome & Arena GM Doug Thornton: "We
     feel it is worth $650,000 a year.  It is adjacent to the
     Superdome, and it's in a high traffic area where it's passed
     by something like 150,000 vehicles every day.  And if we
     were to get an NBA or NHL franchise in the future, we feel
     like the rights would triple in value, so we've built in a
     higher rate that the original sponsor would have the option
     to take."  In a sidebar, Lewis wrote that most estimates
     "put the value" of naming rights to the Superdome at $2-4M
     per year, "probably closer to the lower range, particularly
     if the word `Superdome' remains part of the title." 
     Thornton, on selling Superdome naming rights: "There's no
     desire ... to go out and [start] selling the rights until
     there is a need to do so" (TIMES-PICAYUNE, 8/15).