Facility Notes

In St. Paul, Charley Walters reported it is "beginning to look like" Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Vikings Owner Zygi Wilf "could have the framework of a new stadium deal -- probably in a suburb and perhaps open-air -- early next year." It "won't be surprising" if the town of Blaine "re-enters the picture" as a possible stadium site (TWINCITIES.com, 1/18).

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: In San Diego, Matthew Hall reports the Chargers and San Diego officials claim that the team's playoff loss "won't slow efforts to build a new stadium," but fans called Sunday's loss a "speed bump on the drive to build a downtown stadium with hundreds of millions of public dollars." A 15- to 18-month process of "obtaining approvals to pump future property taxes into a stadium site in a downtown redevelopment zone is under way." Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani said that the timetable turns the "2011 season and perhaps part of the 2012 season into the ones that will be most influential on the public vote," and noted that the "vote likely would be decided by people who aren’t football fans" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/19).

Rizzo Says K.C. Proposal To Cut Deeper Into City's Subsidy Of Sports Complex "Shortsighted"

WEIGHT WATCHERS: Jackson County (MO) Legislature Chair Henry Rizzo yesterday said that a proposal from K.C. to "cut deeper into the city’s subsidy of the Truman Sports Complex is shortsighted." Rizzo said the stadiums are a "proven revenue enhancement, not detraction." Interim K.C. City Manager Troy Schulte's budget proposal released Friday included a plan to "trim the amount budgeted to send to Jackson County for maintenance of the stadium complex by $170,000," on top of "$300,000 that was cut last year" (K.C. STAR, 1/19).

IN FOR A TUNE-UP: Charlotte Motor Speedway is installing approximately 15,000 new premium seats along the frontstretch. CMS also is removing several narrow seats in the grandstands and replacing them with 21-inch seats (CMS). In Charlotte, Jim Utter notes "any fan who purchases the same seats to all three Cup series events at the track this season will receive a personalized, bronze nameplate on the new seat and will be able to take home one of the historic seats as a keepsake" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/19).