COST OF HOUSTON'S NEW FOOTBALL INCREASES BY $35M

          Houston's new Reliant Stadium will cost about $402M to
     "design, build, and equip, eclipsing previous estimates by"
     $35M, according to Eric Berger of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. 
     Pushing the total cost above $400M are about $26M in design
     costs and $22M for equipment and furniture, but Berger notes
     that the majority of that increase will be covered by the
     tenants and not taxpayers.  The Harris County-Houston Sports
     Authority, which is paying the public's portion of the
     stadium, has agreed to a guaranteed construction price of
     $354M.  Sports Authority execs said that the publicly funded
     share of the new, higher price is $324.7M, which still meets
     the original target.  The Texans and the Houston Livestock
     Show & Rodeo requested suite upgrades and more locker-room
     space and will "pay for those costs privately." Texans VP
     Steve Patterson: "We want this to be the greatest football-
     rodeo stadium it can be" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/28).