Hoteliers in Broward, FL who met last night say they want a
new arena built but are "reluctant" to support a proposal that
would increase Broward's bed tax to help pay for a new facility
for the Heat and Panthers. Hotel operators "did not rule out
supporting a tax, but were far from unified in support of it"
(FT. LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL, 10/27)...In Atlanta, Maria Saporta
and Henry Unger write that building a new arena for the Hawks in
downtown Atlanta "has become more vital to the area in the wake
of the Federal Reserve's announcement that it will move out" of
its city headquarters in '99. The $200M planned project "becomes
more important to preserve the economic base of downtown."
Officials from Turner Broadcasting and the city are still
negotiating to put a new facility at the current site of the Omni
or a nearby railroad gulch (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/27)....Tampa
Stadium officials say they still don't have details of how the
team's ownership plans to pay for their cost of a new facility.
Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer has offered to pay for half of the
facility, and officials believe they will be asked to guarantee
bonds which Glazer likely will use, "potentially" increasing
taxpayer financial exposure. December 31 is the deadline to
finalize the financing for the new $168M stadium (TAMPA TRIBUNE,
10/27).
