A poll conducted by the Nashville Banner and cited in the
HOUSTON CHRONICLE indicates that "only" five of Nashville's 13-
member delegation to the TN Legislature will vote to approve $55M
in tax free bonds to help build a stadium as part of the deal to
attract the Oilers. The sale of bonds must be approved as one of
the "milestones" to be met to secure the move. The sale must
pass both houses of the state Legislature by March 10 to meet a
deadline in the relocation agreement (Stephen Johnson, HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 12/28). TN State Sen. Keith Jordan: "Outside
Nashville, the deal's about as popular as rat poison." The
Oilers and the city plan to spend more than $100,000 on a
lobbying campaign (USA TODAY, 1/3). TV spots began in the past
two weeks to sell PSLs for 57,000 stadium seats. The campaign is
expected to cost $1.5M and is backed by the Everly Brothers' "All
I Have to Do Is Dream" (TENNESSEAN, 12/23). WINNING BIDDER:
Charlotte-based McDevitt Street Bovis has won the contract to
build the $292M planned facility in Nashville. The firm oversaw
construction of $550M worth of Olympic facilities in Atlanta
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/23).
