PRIVATE FINANCING PLAN FOR BALLPARK GETS COLD WELCOME IN MN

          A proposal in which developers, investors and the Twins
     would each pay about half of the cost of a new privately
     financed ballpark in Minneapolis "got a cool initial
     reaction" from the team and city leaders on Monday,
     according to Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. 
     New Ballpark, Inc.'s "preliminary financial outline" for a
     $260-300M facility involves "trading development rights to
     desirable parcels of city-controlled land for cash donations
     to the stadium project."  This, along with a preferred stock
     offering, would produce up to $140M.  The plan has the Twins
     contribution of $160M coming from naming rights,
     sponsorships and PSLs.  New Ballpark exec Chuck Neerland
     said, "This is just the beginning of the testing of a
     possible financing plan, and if some elements don't work,
     we'll have to test others."  Twins General Counsel Ben Hirst
     said that the team's share sounds "unreasonably high."  But
     Neerland said that New Ballpark is "flexible" on the team's
     contribution (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/21).