PA Gov. Tom Ridge and Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy
announced Thursday an $18.5M stadium financing plan that
will keep the Pirates' new stadium project "going through
early next year," according to Reeves & Shelly of the
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. The funding package, which will
include $13.46M from the state and $5M from Pittsburgh,
"will help both the Pirates and Steelers build new
stadiums." The financing is "crucial" to the Pirates
because Managing General Partner Kevin McClatchy had said
work on the new PNC Park "would stop" Monday unless the
administration "came up with some interim financing." Ridge
said the plan "is an important step, but it is just a step.
Our most important work still is ahead of us." McClatchy:
"It is my hope that a successful vote [by the Legislature]
by the end of January or early February will provide the
state match to secure the financial future of the Pittsburgh
Pirates and bring this issue to resolution." McClatchy
wants a "guarantee" from Ridge on the timeline for a vote so
the city can have a clean site in time for the April 1
groundbreaking for PNC Park. Ridge said that the earliest
he "expects" a vote on raising the state's debt ceiling is
mid-February. The interim funding "will enable" the city to
acquire and clear the land for the site of PNC Park (POST-
GAZETTE, 12/18). McClatchy said he "will continue" to spend
team money on stadium design while the stadium authority
continues to buy and clear land on the site. He said he
will have to "re-evaluate everything" if there is no vote in
February (Bumsted & Lord, Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/18).
