The Marion County (Ind.) Capital Improvement Board yesterday "signed off on an agreement" with the Colts that calls for the city "to spend up to" $2M to add suites at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to Jon Murray of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. The money will "pay to build two more luxury suites and two small kitchens." The Colts are "chipping in for improvements, too, by adding two more illuminated ribbon message boards in the Downtown stadium’s upper corners." Those will "complement two similar boards that cost the team about $700,000" in '11. The stadium currently has 141 luxury suites, but CIB President Ann Lathrop said that it was "built with space to construct up to six more." The Colts "requested the addition of two new suites and the conversion of two food pantries into small cooking kitchens, which CIB officials say together are estimated to cost about" $2M. Under the agreement approved yesterday, the Colts "would be responsible for any amount above that." Lathrop said that the $2M would "come out of money budgeted this year for capital outlays at CIB facilities." Work on the suite expansion will "get under way in coming months but isn’t expected to be finished until November." Officials said that crews will "work around Colts games and other events." The two new suites will be "built on the upper level, near the large Quarterback Suite" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/9).
