After negotiating with attorneys on the telephone all
day Thursday, CT Gov. John Rowland and Patriots Owner Robert
Kraft "signed the development agreement early today to bring
the team to a new" $374M football stadium in Hartford,
according to Ohlemacher & Ubinas of the HARTFORD COURANT.
Rowland spokesperson Dean Pagani said the deal was reached
at 1:10am ET, but added that no details would be available
until later today. Much of the final work on the agreement
"involved creation of escape clauses for the Patriots if the
steam plant and the headquarters of the Connecticut Natural
Gas Corp. cannot be moved in time to clear the stadium
site." Meanwhile, Kraft spent yesterday touring the city
with Hartford legislators and meeting with leaders in the
community to discuss "targeting jobs for Hartford residents"
as part of the team's relocation plan (HART. COURANT, 2/12).
IS THERE AN ESCAPE CLAUSE? In N.Y., Mike Allen reports
that the Patriots won a provision that "lets the team back
out if the many problems with the riverfront site cannot be
solved in time to allow a kickoff in 2002." Allen adds that
Hartford legislators "protested the secrecy surrounding the
negotiations" because they said they "had no idea what was
in the final version" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/12). In Boston, Tina
Cassidy writes the deal reached this morning still left
"many questions unanswered" surrounding the construction of
the stadium. But it does allow the team to back out of the
deal if CT does not provide a clear site by the summer of
2000 (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/12). In Providence, Bill Parrillo:
"The deal sounds like a no-brainer. But why do I think the
Pats still feel a little uneasy about the whole thing? If
they don't, they should" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 2/12).
