The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which manages the Edward Jones Dome, "proposed a $124 million overhaul of the 16-year-old facility, while St. Louis city and county officials stressed that no new public money would go to the team without voter approval," according to Matthew Hathaway of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Meeting yesterday's deadline to deliver the plan to the Rams, the commission detailed "improvements officials argue would make the stadium one of the best in pro football." The proposal "asks the Rams to pay for slightly more than half the cost." If accepted by the Rams, the CVC plan would "hang a 96-foot wide and 26-foot high scoreboard over midfield that should give fans clear views of replays, scores and stats." It would "build a new, three-story structure on Baer Plaza that would be connected to the Dome via a bridge over Broadway." The structure would "include a 20,000 square-foot lobby, a rooftop beer garden and a new entrance for fans headed to Dome's club seats and luxury suites." The plan would also "install large glazed window panels that would allow more natural light inside the Dome," and "replace about 1,800 existing seats and four suites with 1,500 new club seats." In addition, the plan includes "aesthetic improvements to entrances, stairwells and corridors; updated locker rooms for cheerleaders and officials; and replacing the Dome's outdoor smoking area with a plaza." St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay "endorsed the plan" yesterday afternoon, but said that he has "no plans to lobby" Rams Owner Stan Kroenke personally. Slay said that he "believes the proposal satisfies requirements in the lease that the stadium meets the 'first-tier' standard in 15 listed categories." Under the plan, the Rams would "fund about 52 percent of the improvements." Commission President Kathleen Ratcliffe said that that figure "wasn't picked at random -- it is the average contribution by NFL teams in recent new stadium construction and renovation projects." The plan "doesn't identify the source of the rest of money, nearly $60 million" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/1).
