Creative Solutions President Steve Cushman on Tuesday "endorsed" the present 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site "as a potential 'real asset for the city' if it could be redeveloped with a stadium, housing and commercial buildings." In San Diego, Roger Showley notes Cushman spoke the day after he made "similar remarks on KPBS-TV, when he endorsed" San Diego Union-Tribune Publisher Douglas Manchester’s recent estimate that $200M "could be enough to fix the stadium’s many issues." Cushman said, "Maybe it isn’t feasible. Maybe it’ll take $400 million to do it, maybe $100 million." But he added, "Nothing should be off the table. ... I do not want to see us lose the Chargers" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/4).
BUCKING UP: In Milwaukee, Don Walker notes BMO Harris Bradley Center officials have been "rolling out a number of improvements over the past few months." The changes include "complete renovation of the arena's 44 suites; more theater boxes in areas that used to have suites; a new Backcourt Club hospitality area on the service level; and a South End food and beverage area on the 200 level." Arena President & CEO Steve Costello said that the renovations and upgrades "total about $3 million" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/4).
BETTING ON OIL? Alberta provincial political party Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith said that the province could put $100M (all figures C) toward a new Edmonton arena "over the next five years if the government expands Alberta’s keno lottery program." In Edmonton, Karen Kleiss noted the "Official Opposition has proposed rebranding Alberta’s keno lottery with NHL logos and making the game available to fans in 1,000 bars and casinos across the province, up from the current 88." The game last year "raised slightly more" than $3.1M in Alberta. Smith said that the figure could climb to $196M "if the program is expanded" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 1/3).
MOTO IN THE OUTFIELD: In California, Kenny Connolly notes Angels Stadium for the next six weeks will "play host to Feld Motor Sports-produced Supercross and Monster Jam events." Saturday will mark the 22nd time in four decades that the Monster Energy Supercross season "has gotten under way at Angel Stadium." The venue will host "three of the first five races of the 2013 Supercross season." Angel Stadium originally was scheduled to host "only two, but the race scheduled at Dodger Stadium for Jan. 19 had to be moved because of renovations at that stadium for the upcoming baseball season" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/4).
