A mayoral committee's recommendation that the city of
Philadelphia build a new downtown ballpark for the Phillies
"was blasted" by city residents at a town meeting last night
and "dismissed as infeasible" by Phillies President David
Montgomery, according to Clea Benson of the PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER. Montgomery, who spoke in front of Mayor John
Street's transition committee on stadiums at the meeting:
"We believe there's no viable Center City site available at
this time. We have concluded that our franchise and our
fans would be best served by creating a special, new
ballpark at the Sports Complex [in South Philadelphia]."
The committee's report "labeled" three downtown sites "as
viable prospects" for a ballpark and suggested additional
studies on them, but it found "significant problems" with
other sites around the city. The committee also recommended
building a new stadium for the Eagles at the Sports Complex,
the site of Veterans Stadium, the First Union Center and the
First Union Spectrum. Eagles Exec VP Joe Banner said that
the team "was pleased" with the committee's recommendation,
although he's "open to other options" (PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER, 4/13). Also in Philadelphia, Jim Salisbury writes
that the Phillies favor the South Philadelphia site "mainly
because it would allow them to be in the facility for the
start of the 2003 season" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/13).
