Facility Notes

A'S BALLPARK: A poll commissioned by the Oakland Tribune of 500 Alameda County residents between June 27-July 10 by OH-based Markinetics found that 38.2% said that they "would support spending public funds for a ballpark if it was part of a downtown redevelopment venture." About 60.7% said they would not support the project. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.5% (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 7/16). Meanwhile, in Oakland, Carl Steward wrote that with last week's signing of a five-year lease extension at Network Associates Coliseum, the A's "completed a remarkable metamorphosis from ugly, uncertain caterpillar to increasingly beautiful green-and-gold butterfly." Steward added A's co-Owner Steve Schott "is regarded as one of the few truly fiscally responsible ... owners who has been able to make the A's an attractive, competitive and comparatively affordable product in spite of budget limitations and a poor stadium situation" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 7/14).

NOTES: In NJ, John Brennan reports that the NJ Sports & Exposition Authority yesterday "attracted representatives from more than three dozen prospective bidders" for the 104-acre Continental Airlines Arena site. Among the "interested parties" were Mills Corp., Hartz Mountain and Kajima Int'l, all of which "have previously expressed interest in major Meadowlands projects." Proposals are due by September 16 (Bergen RECORD, 7/16)....Moag & Co. CEO John Moag, on the Eagles' $140M naming-rights deal with Lincoln Financial: "This agreement is a strong indication that things are finally recovering, and that the naming rights market isn't dead by any means." The Bonham Group Chair Dean Bonham added, "The sports and entertainment industry is rebounding ahead of the overall economy. This is providing a return to normalcy in our business" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/15).