VIRGINIA LOOKS TO PRIVATE SECTOR FOR BALLPARK SITES

     Having "whiffed" in its attempt to invite local governments
to submit sites for a new ballpark, the Virginia Baseball Stadium
Authority will now accept offers from the private sector with
ground rules for such submissions appearing July 10, reports Paul
Bradley of RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH.  Authority Chair George
Barton, who expects to have "four or five" sites by the end of
the current season:  "We probably have not involved the private
sector as much as we should have."  Meanwhile, a legislative
committee has extracted a pledge from Virginia Baseball for $100M
towards the stadium and hopes the state can contribute up to
$150M in money raised with revenue bonds backed by a new lottery
game.  The panel "is expected to issue a broad statement of
support and leave the hard bargaining to the Virginia General
Assembly" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 6/30).