FINAL TAB ON BROWNS STADIUM HAS IT WELL OVER BUDGET

          Cleveland city officials said yesterday that the
     construction cost of Cleveland Browns Stadium will be $66.9M
     "more than" Mayor Michael White said it would cost when he
     unveiled the stadium plan in '97, according to Christopher
     Quinn of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER.  White has said that
     the "maximum potential price for the stadium would be" $314M
     once the final bills are paid.  White, whose staff is
     negotiating to reduce those bills, had originally estimated
     that the facility would cost $247M.  But City Council
     President Michael Polensek said that the "true cost" of the
     facility was $349M, with $35M in short-term loan costs. 
     Polensek: "Any way you cut it, this project has gone up $100
     million."  City Finance Dir Martin Carmody told the City
     Council that the city could afford to pay the cost overruns
     without going into the general fund (PLAIN-DEALER, 12/16).