In Phoenix, Jeff Metcalfe notes Arizona State's football program this summer will move into the "still unnamed student-athlete facility" at the north end of Sun Devil Stadium. Completion of the 118,669-square-foot building is "arguably the central piece in elevating ASU football to a higher level." The main glass entrance on the north side of the stadium will include a HOF display and is "next to a 9,813-square-foot weight room, above which is a 1,924-square-foot deck for cardio training." ASU football coach Todd Graham said the area just outside the locker room will be branded to create a "museum of ASU football" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/2).
WAIT & SEE: In Oakland, Elliott Almond writes an insider trading case involving SoftBank Group's acquisition of Fortress Investment Group "shouldn't impact" a proposal to build a $1.3B stadium in Oakland for the Raiders. The SEC yesterday announced that it is "freezing assets of those under suspicion of insider trading, a development that came a day after news that Fortress had submitted a formal stadium plan to NFL executives." No one from N.Y.-based Fortress has been "connected to the trading scheme" (EAST BAY TIMES, 3/2).
HORSE PLAY: A study released by the Maryland Stadium Authority last week calls for a $250-320M redevelopment of Pimlico Race Course, and a Baltimore SUN editorial states that "may seem like a stretch" at a time when "neither the state nor the city is flush with cash." Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico, has "poured millions into refurbishing" its other track, Laurel Park. However, the study "nonetheless constitutes good news for those who value the tradition" of the Preakness Stakes and for those who "appreciate the economic value of holding the second leg of the Triple Crown in Baltimore" (Baltimore SUN, 3/2).
CITY TRANSFORMATION: In Wisconsin, Nate Beck in a front-page piece reports the developer of a basketball arena in Oshkosh for the Bucks' G-League franchise will "pay upfront costs for nearby public infrastructure projects, which the city will pay back with a special tax incentive." The Oshkosh Common Council yesterday "unanimously approved" a $7.3M deal with Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc., which will cover about $4.3M in street improvements, utility work and other expenses. The city then will "pay the developer back for those costs," plus about $2.5M in interest, "over the course of more than 20 years, by refunding much of the arena's annual tax bill" (Oshkosh NORTHWESTERN, 3/2).
