49ers co-Owner Denise DeBartolo York, "citing unforseen
costs," said yesterday that her board of directors "is
putting the brakes -- at least temporarily -- on plans to
build a new stadium and mall at Candlestick Point,"
according to Matier & Ross in a front-page feature in the
S.F. CHRONICLE. The news "blindsided" S.F. Mayor Willie
Brown and 49ers President Carmen Policy -- "both of whom
apparently didn't know anything about it -- and raised more
questions about who's calling the shots on the new stadium."
In a statement, DeBartolo York "suggested" that the cost of
the stadium-mall complex had risen $175M since voters
approved the project in June: "Clearly, these kinds of
economic issues demand close analysis." She added that the
board voted unanimously to "slow things down." The $175M
cost increase would bring the total project to $525M, but
Matier & Ross note S.F. sources consider $525M "the original
price tag of the plan," including the mall complex. But
some sources say the "actual costs have risen at least"
$50M-75M, bringing it closer to $600M. Mayor Brown said
that he had met with three board members who supported the
stadium going ahead. Brown: "I think there is some kind of
error in the statement. ... There may be one member of the
board who wants to slow it down" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/28).
BROTHER IN ARMS: The stadium statement is the latest in
an "ownership tug-of-war" between DeBartolo York and her
brother, Eddie, who "has balked at signing a final ownership
agreement" -- stemming from his possible indictment over a
casino license in LA -- "in part out of fear that it would
severely curtail his powers" with the 49ers and their parent
corporation, DeBartolo Corp. Yesterday, a source close to
DeBartolo "insisted that the announcement" by DeBartolo York
"was an orchestrated attempt to put pressure on DeBartolo to
sign the agreement." DeBartolo York also said yesterday
that while the company's board "has not authorized the sale
of the team ... it is impossible to say whether or not such
discussion could ever occur" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/28).
