Facility Notes

In Ft. Lauderdale, Sarah Talalay writes a panel of Miami-Dade County commissioners “gave the go-ahead” yesterday to “continue negotiating a deal for a Marlins ballpark” at the Orange Bowl site, although three commissioners said that “they will balk if the team lowers the amount it committed to the project earlier this year.” Some on the panel “want a ballpark plan brought to the full commission before making a decision.” Commissioner Carlos Gimenez said, “If the Marlins come up with less money on the table, you’re going to lose this commissioner” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 10/31).

NCAA Grants Omaha Additional Time To Develop Best Deal To Retain College World Series

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: In Omaha, David Kotok reported the NCAA Monday gave the city of Omaha an additional four months “to come up with its best offer and strike a deal to keep” the College World Series in the city past 2010, when the current contract expires. The decision to extend the negotiation deadline to April 30 “gives the stadium review committee the time it needs to come up with a recommendation to either invest in improving Rosenblatt Stadium or build a new stadium north of downtown” (Omaha WORLD-HERALD, 10/29).

ASTRODOME: In Houston, Bill Murphy reports a $450M plan to turn the Reliant Astrodome into an upscale convention hotel "may have hit a wall,” as the Texans and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (HLSR) officials came out against it. HLSR COO Leroy Shafer said, “Every dollar spent that is spent there is one that might not be spent at the rodeo.” Texans President of Business Operations Jamey Rootes said that the team “was worried that the hotel would hamper the flow of fans in and out of Reliant Park” on the team’s ten game days. Rootes added that the Texans “share the rodeo’s concerns over sponsorship and deals for exclusive sales rights” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/31).

PGE PARK: Triple-A Pacific Coast League Portland Beavers Owner Merritt Paulson is considering changes to PGE Park that “could accommodate a [MLS] team but force the Beavers to find new digs.” Proposed renovations would turn the stadium "into a soccer and football venue exclusively.” The proposal is contingent on Paulson finding “at least $80[M] to renovate PGE Park, purchase an MLS expansion team and build a new Beavers park” (PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/26 issue).