The Expos ownership group "is considering the
possibility of adding a roof" to the team's proposed
downtown ballpark after the "miserable" weather in Montreal
last month, according to David Johnston of the Montreal
GAZETTE. Expos Exec VP David Samson, on the design of the
proposed ballpark: "Right now, the [facility] does not have
a roof, and until now we haven't contemplated putting one
on. But anytime you have weather like we've had ... it
gives one pause to wonder. But we don't have the financing
lined up. We don't have the design. We have nothing." A
revised ballpark plan with a retractable roof "would push
construction costs above" the C$200M price tag initially
agreed upon by the team's owners. This could hurt the
Expos' ballpark efforts because prospective Expos investor
Jean Coutu "is threatening to pull out of investing in the
club if [ballpark] costs exceed" C$200M (M. GAZETTE, 5/11).
Samson said that the ballpark proposal he and Expos Majority
Owner Jeffrey Loria will present to the team's ownership
group later this month "does not include a roof," although
that "doesn't mean a roof won't be added" (GAZETTE, 5/11).
