ARKANSAS ARENA UPDATE: In Little Rock, Alltel Arena
officials on Thursday declared the building "safe even
though the construction team has not conducted tests to
determine whether the beams supporting the upper deck have
structural flaws." Arena Board Chair Bob Russell,
"selecting his words carefully," said the concourse and
lower levels are "100 percent safe" (DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE,
10/15). Meanwhile, arena officials said "there is still a
slim chance" Tuesday's cancelled Lakers-Wizards game can be
made up, but said they are "turning their attention to other
scheduled events" (DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE, 10/15).
KINGS GET GO AHEAD: In Sacramento, city officials have
agreed to allow the NBA Kings to go ahead with construction
plans for an $8M basketball practice complex next to Arco
Arena. The team plans to break ground in January and hopes
to have it ready by the start of the 2000 NBA season.
Around 175 of 11,000 parking spaces will be eliminated at
the arena due to construction (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/14).
NOTES: Former Marlins Owner Wayne Huizenga predicted
that a proposed rental-car tax to pay for a new ballpark for
the team would fail. Huizenga, who has a limited stake in
Alamo and National Car Rental: "Forget about what we would
do. You can bet your sweet bippy that Hertz, Avis,
Enterprise, they'll be in Tallahassee every doggone day
fighting that thing. My gut tells me that's not going to
pass." Huizenga said that he plans to own the Dolphins for
"as long as he is alive, but the Panthers could be sold
anytime" (PALM BEACH POST, 10/14)....Philadelphia City
Council member Frank Rizzo agreed to "shelve a resolution
requesting that the Eagles stop blacking out games" on TV if
the city agrees to finance a new stadium for the team.
Council member Michael Nutter: "I'm not sure that,
unilaterally, the Eagles can do anything about that
[blackout] provision" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/15)....In
Minneapolis, Sid Hartman reports that T'Wolves Owner Glen
Taylor and Target Center Exec Dir Dana Warg "have a good
chance to go through with their plan to buy out" Ogden's
management contract at the facility because Ogden is in the
process of "selling the rights it owns to operate in many
buildings" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/15).
