WEST SIDE STORY: Jets Owner Robert Wood Johnson "voiced
his strongest preference yet" late last week for the
construction of a domed stadium on the West Side of
Manhattan. Johnson: "The West Side would be a pretty good
site because it has multiple uses." He said that estimates
for a retractable-roof stadium "have run up to $1 billion
and construction could take as long as 42 months." Johnson
noted that getting approval for the project will "most
likely take a struggle" and he "did not completely dismiss"
a NJ location for a stadium (N.Y. TIMES, 11/24). In NJ,
Paul Needell wrote: "The one question Johnson and [N.Y.
Mayor Rudy] Giuliani continually fail to address is where he
and/or the city is coming up with the projected $1 billion"
(STAR-LEDGER, 11/26). In NJ, Dave Hutchinson reported that
Jets Development President Jay Cross is "talking to
planners, environmental people and people in the community
to get feedback on the proposed stadium" (STAR-LEDGER,
11/24). NY State Senator Tom Duane (Manhattan) writes an
Op-Ed in today's N.Y. DAILY NEWS that a stadium on the West
Side would bring "overwhelming gridlock and pollution and
the loss of the opportunity for meaningful development."
Duane: "That is the reason I and so many others are
committed to stopping this plan" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/27).
NOTES: Hornets co-Owner Ray Wooldridge "anticipates"
the city of Charlotte making "some sort of proposal" when
negotiations for a new uptown arena resume November 30. The
city and Hornets have gone three weeks without talks.
Wooldridge said, "I understand they're going to make a
proposal. That's all I know" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/23).
...In FL, John Oehser examined the stadium building boom in
the NFL and wrote, "If [NFL Commissioner Paul] Tagliabue has
a legacy it may be as the stadium commissioner, and part of
that is because of his push to award Super Bowls to cities
as a reward for constructing new facilities." But Bills
Owner Ralph Wilson continues to criticize the league's G-3
Resolution, which provides league loans to help teams fund
stadium projects: "I've had, and still have concerns about
the league funding all this stadium construction out of our
TV money, which we never get back. There's a philosophical
difficulty. As usual, I'm in the minority. Most of the
owners feel that particularly in a town like Chicago we want
to help them out" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 11/26).
