In San Diego, Millican & Huard wrote that "after a
closed meeting of the San Diego City Council" on Tuesday,
Mayor Susan Golding said that "there will be no more
negotiations between city officials" and Padres execs on
continuing construction of the Padres new ballpark until a
federal investigation of Council member Valerie Stallings is
completed (see THE DAILY, 9/20). Millican & Huard reported
that city officials "had suggested that the Padres could
obtain private bond financing" to continue the project. The
privately backed bonds would be a financing bridge until
voter-approved, tax-exempt bonds "could be issued by the
city." But the team reportedly is not interested in the
private measure (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/27).
COULD TV MONEY HELP SOX? In Boston, Meg Vaillancourt
reports that as the Red Sox "struggle to secure" private
financing for a new Fenway Park, some of the team's limited
partners have "urged" CEO John Harrington "to begin
considering alternative sites" in Somerville, Everett and
Revere. But ballpark spokesperson Kathryn St. John said,
"We are strongly committed to this [Fenway] site. And we
are going to the wall to build this ballpark on this site"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 9/28). A BOSTON HERALD editorial notes that
with MLB's new TV deal, the Red Sox have assets today "it
didn't have 48 hours ago, and that could make all the
difference" in funding a new park (BOSTON HERALD, 9/28).
NFL Europe officials, "boasting" of a $2.5M economic
impact, announced yesterday that they "were moving" their
training camp from Orlando to Tampa. With the move, more
than 400 players and 200 support personnel "are expected to
spend" four weeks in Tampa (ST. PETE TIMES, 9/28).
