Facility Notes
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LSU Breaks Ground On New
$14M Basketball Practice Facility |
In Baton Rouge, Scott Rabalais writes, "In his first official day on the job, LSU [AD] Joe Alleva was turning over a ceremonial shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking for the school's new $14[M] basketball practice facility" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 7/2). By October '09, the new facility is "expected to be steel and glass and hardwood-floored reality." The "most visible segments of the project will be identical practice gymnasiums, grafted onto the north side of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at ground level." Also included in the facility will be "new locker rooms and support facilities for men's basketball" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 7/2).
rocking the suburbs: The Sarpy County (NE) Board yesterday voted 5-0 to hire Minneapolis-based consulting firm Convention Sports & Leisure Int'l for $70,000 to "evaluate the feasibility of building a ballpark" for the Triple-A PCL Omaha Royals. The firm will "examine the market demand for a suburban stadium ... and report back to the board in September" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 7/2).
BOND ISSUES: Arlington City Council members yesterday voted to refinance $164.2M of Cowboys stadium bonds, a "move that will cost the city an additional $4.7[M] in fees but potentially limit the risk to the city associated with variable-rate bonds." Staff members told the council that the "refinanced bonds could be issued as early as August at a fixed interest rate of about 5[%]" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/2). In Dallas, Jeff Mosier reports the company insuring the city bonds, MBIA Insurance Corp., "has been downgraded by all three major rating agencies since the spring." City Council Member Mel LeBlanc: "I don't fault anyone for this but the market" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/2).
GOPHER IT: The Univ. of Minnesota has made final plans for a new $15M baseball stadium and "various other projects that will benefit the intramural department." As soon as the school administration gives final approval, fundraising will begin. There also is a "phase two to plans for expansion of the track and field bleachers at a cost of $600,000, plus a three-seasons dome over the existing football field that will cost more than $1.6[M]" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/30).
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