The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, Houston
Mayor Lee Brown and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
"presented an 11th-hour offer Wednesday" to the Rockets for
an "arena location the team has already rejected," according
to John Williams of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The proposal
offers the Rockets "free city-owned land" either north or
south of the George Brown Convention Center, but the Rockets
"worry that being too close" to the Brown Center and Enron
Field "would create mammoth parking and access problems when
all three facilities are used simultaneously." If the
Rockets reject the offer, they would then "have to pay the
additional cost of buying other property," although team
officials "appear unwilling to pay" an additional $15-40M on
a "preferred site" for the proposed $160M arena. Williams
writes that "privately, some authority members" wonder if
the city can reach a deal with Rockets Owner Les Alexander,
as he has been "unable to strike venue deals" with former
Mayor Bob Lanier, IHL Aeros Owner Chuck Watson and developer
Ken Schnitzer. But Rockets COO George Postolos said, "We've
been negotiating in good faith and we've made every effort
to close the deal" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/19).
