Facility Notes

In St. Paul, Aron Kahn reports the Univ. of Minnesota and TCF Bank will extend their $35M naming-rights agreement for a proposed football stadium through June 30, 2006, because the Minnesota state legislature “has not taken action on a bill to finance the state’s portion” of the $249M cost of the stadium. The original deal was to expire December 31. The contract also gives TCF “exclusive banking arrangements” on campus (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 12/23).

SHORTER STANCE: MLB has approved the Padres’ request to shorten the distance at “the deepest point of the right- field power alley” at Petco Park by 11 feet The ballpark last season yielded 118 home runs, third-lowest in MLB. Padres Exec VP & Managing Dir of Ballpark Management Richard Andersen: “We’re going to use this season to determine what is going to be the best way to redesign and utilize the area. We’ve talked about a lot of options, including a picnic area and a sunken food court” (SAN DIEGO UNION- TRIBUNE, 12/22).

BARDEN ME: In Pittsburgh, Mark Belko reports Don Barden, the only African-American casino operator in the U.S., “will join the battle for Pittsburgh’s slot machine license, with a proposal to build a [$300-350M] riverfront complex on land west of Heinz Field.” Barden owns five casinos and becomes one of “at least six candidates in a field that includes the Penguins” (POST-GAZETTE, 12/23).