Facility Notes

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the city of S.F. “to get a judge’s opinion on whether the 49ers and the city can proceed with a football stadium project that differs from the one narrowly passed by voters” in ’97. The earlier proposal authorized $100M in city bonds “to help finance the stadium, while the new development will be funded privately.” Also, while the previous project’s “signature feature was a shopping mall” along with the stadium, the new proposal “would place housing, retail and office space around the stadium” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/29).

U.S. National Whitewater Center Hosts Inaugural Event

CARDINALS STADIUM: In Arizona, Jerry Brown reports an out-of-control truck “crashed into a wall at the north end of Cardinals Stadium” during a monster truck event on Saturday. Cardinals Stadium Dir of Sales & Marketing Scott Norton said that the wall “is mostly cosmetic.” Norton: “No one was hurt and the damage was minimal. ... The structure is fine.” Norton added that the monster truck promoters, Amp Live, “will be picking up the four-figure tab for repairs” (EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, 8/29).

WHITEWATER RAFTING: The new $35M U.S. National Whitewater Center near Charlotte hosted its first event this past weekend, the Slalom National Championships. Kayaker Eric Jackson said of the center, “Before today, Charlotte was an OK paddle town because of its closeness to the mountains. Today, it’s a great paddle town.” The center has the world’s largest manmade whitewater river and will eventually have a 22,000-square-foot lodge and conference center, as well as a rock climbing tower (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/26). In Charlotte, Scott Fowler: “Nowhere else in America has a place quite like this” (OBSERVER, 8/26).