MARINERS STADIUM COSTING MORE, BUT PUBLIC WON'T HAVE TO PAY

          Construction costs of the Mariners' new stadium are
     "nearly" $14M over original estimates, but "will still be
     within the overall" $417M budget, according to David
     Schaefer of the SEATTLE TIMES.  The numbers come from a
     monthly progress report made public Monday.  Ken Johnsen,
     Exec Dir of the Public Facilities District (PFD) said that
     change orders required to get concrete work on schedule
     "will cost an estimated" $3M.  However, he said this "extra
     cost won't change" the overall project cost, because it "can
     be contained within the stadium's budget for contingencies." 
     Johnsen said although he thinks the PFD "will use up all the
     contingency" before completing the stadium, it "will not ask
     for more public money, nor does he anticipate having to
     reduce the size or lessen the quality of the stadium to stay
     within budget" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/12).