KY state and Jefferson County leaders "may have slammed
the brakes on the momentum for building" a downtown
Louisville arena for the Rockets yesterday when they said
that they "doubt they would approve bond money for the
project," according to Shafer & Poynter of the Louisville
COURIER-JOURNAL. But Louisville Mayor Dave Armstrong, along
with county commissioners, "responded to the skepticism" of
the state and county officials by "urging" them to withhold
judgment until a financing plan for the arena is complete.
Armstrong's comments "came after" Jefferson County Judge-
Executive Rebecca Jackson sent Armstrong a letter directing
him not to "issue any statements of commitment, or send a
memorandum of understanding at this time on behalf of the
county" to the Rockets about the city's plans for an arena.
(COURIER-JOURNAL, 6/13). In Houston, Eric Berger writes
that relations between Louisville attorney Bruce Miller, who
is leading the city's efforts to attract an NBA team, and
the Rockets are now "strained" after Miller claimed last
week that the Rockets gave him a deadline to submit an arena
proposal. The team is now "bypassing" Miller and "dealing
directly" with Mayor Armstrong (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/13).
