The AP's Jacob Adelman reports a "little-noticed provision in a current draft of the plan" for a downtown L.A. NFL stadium "would transfer valuable development rights from the city" to AEG. The company's initial printed pitch, which an L.A. City Council committee "will begin considering" today, "envisions a deal that would grant it the ability to build on a 2.4-acre parcel within its LA Live hotel and restaurant complex that the city planned to use to expand its aging convention center." The firm "had agreed to leave the so-called Event Deck parcel alone until 2021 as part of the 2001 deal that allowed the company to build its 27-acre LA Live project on land that it owns." AEG officials now say that the city "no longer needs access to the parcel" (AP, 4/18).
PLACE YOUR BETS: In N.Y., Selim Algar cites a source as saying that a "memorandum of understanding between the Shinnecock Indians of Southampton and Nassau County executives on using all or part" of the Nassau Coliseum site "for a gaming facility is close to completion." But even if the memorandum is "signed by both sides, it's still not a sure thing," as it would be "only the first step in a sale of all or part of the 77-acre coliseum parcel to the Shinnecocks." The Islanders "would not necessarily be left in the cold -- they might also get a facility on the site" (N.Y. POST, 4/18).
PLAY IT AGAIN: In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein cited sources as saying that the Illinois-Northwestern college football game at Wrigley Field in November was "such a financial and marketing success that Cubs and Northwestern officials have talked about putting an annual Wrigley Field game on the calendar." But that "won't happen until the Cubs renovate their ballpark." Once it "secures funding, the team hopes to create space for a regulation 100-yard field by manipulating walls in at least one dugout area." NU officials "would re-examine their ticket policies after fans complained about prices and location" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/17).
