In Green Bay, Scott Cooper Williams notes city planners yesterday endorsed expanding lawn parking near Lambeau Field to include "large-scale events" beyond just Packers games. The action comes on the heels of a "successful country music concert that drew more than 40,000 fans this summer" to the stadium. Lambeau Field officials and other civic leaders have "since talked about pursuing other big non-football events." City Planning Dir Rob Strong said, "There will be events." The recommendation next "goes before the Green Bay City Council for final action." Alderman Chris Wery "mentioned possible NCAA sporting events" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/13).
ROSY OUTLOOK: In California, Brenda Gazzar noted despite some "recent setbacks in the Rose Bowl's $156 million renovation project, there is an apparent bright spot in the progress of the stadium's three-year upgrade." Officials said that "premium seating sales for the new press box -- which are key to funding the renovation -- are on track and doing better than anticipated." Legends Sales & Marketing VP/Sales Jason Gonella said that as a result of its success with loge box sales, the premium seating sales team "increased the price of the loge boxes from $24,000 to $30,000 annually for UCLA and the Rose Bowl Game, which is a 25 percent increase." They are now selling most suites "in the $90,000 range for both the UCLA and Rose Bowl Game, up from the average expected price of about $78,000" (PASADENA STAR NEWS, 12/10).
CASINO PUSH: In Boston, Arsenault & Morgan Bolton note Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn, in a letter "sent over the weekend to Foxborough residents, is offering jobs and dangling the promise of free employee day care if residents will accept construction of a casino resort in their town." The letter "arrived in Foxborough mailboxes yesterday." Wynn spokesperson Michael Weaver said that Wynn "sent out about 8,000 copies, targeting households that have at least one registered voter." The letter "followed the release of a 10-minute video pitch for the project, featuring Wynn" and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, who would lease Wynn the land for the casino. The video "aired over the weekend on Foxborough Cable Access." Arsenault & Morgan Bolton note so far, many residents of Foxborough and neighboring communities such as Walpole and Norfolk have "loudly objected to the casino idea" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/13).
TUNING OUT: In DC, Dan Steinberg noted he has "never before heard reports of FedEx Field monitors showing something besides Redskins football games during Redskins football games." But on Sunday he "got two such reports, from different sections of the stadium's 200-level." One TV was tuned to The Weather Channel and another to figure skating on NBC (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/12).
