Facility Notes

Allegheny County (PA) Chief Exec Dan Onorato said that he and Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Bob O’Connor “are trying to ‘find a way’ to fund a replacement for the Mellon Arena and secure” the Penguins’ future in the city. Onorato said that public officials “have been meeting with the Penguins to discuss funding for a new arena.” He does not think the situation “is as dire as” Penguins Owner & C Mario Lemieux said last weekend (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/13).

VOTED DOWN: The Lino Lakes (MN) City Council last night voted 3-2 against a resolution “that called for a citizen vote” on a proposed three-quarter-cent sales tax to help pay for a $560M Vikings stadium complex in Anoka County. Anoka County Dir of Government Services Steve Novak said that the county “intends to ask the Legislature to grant an exemption from the state law that requires a referendum on sales taxes” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/13).

TIGHT LINES: NCAA Exec VP Tom Jernstedt said that organization leaders met with architects “so that basketball sightlines will be considered during construction” of the new Colts stadium. He said that the stadium may be able to hold 65,000-70,000 fans for the 2010 Final Four, compared to 43,500 at the RCA Dome (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/10).