In L.A., Lin & Pringle report California Science Center Foundation Trustee Marvin Holen yesterday “called on Gov. Jerry Brown to stop a pending lease that would give USC millions of dollars worth of parking owned by the state museum as part of a deal to grant the private school control” of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Holen said that the “loss of parking revenue would cut deeply into educational programs offered by the Science Center and the neighboring California African American Museum.” Critics of the pending lease have “raised questions of whether the state negotiator promoting the proposal, Science Center board member Renata Simril, has a conflict of interest because of her ties to USC” (L.A. TIMES, 6/4).
SKY WALKING: In Minneapolis, Roper & Moore report Twin Cities developer Ryan Cos., which is proposing a “massive project next to the new Vikings stadium is asking the public to pay for skyways not required by the legislation passed last year -- likely about" $6.4M. Ryan Cos. also would “retain the right to build on part of a 9-acre plot of land that plans have set aside for a public park.” An outline of the plan shows that the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority would pay for "three skyways connecting Ryan’s two, 20-story office buildings with each other and nearby parking ramps, a cost often incurred largely by the private owner.” The skyways would “connect the stadium to downtown Minneapolis” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/4).
RELIEF PITCHERS: In Chicago, Rex Huppke noted the proposed $300M renovation to Wrigley Field will still have “urinating into a long metal trough.” Cubs VP/Communications & Community Affairs Julian Green said that while the park's bathrooms “will be expanded and some standard, one-man urinals added," the troughs "will remain in place.” Green said focus groups and fan surveys found “male fans have no problems with the communal nature of the troughs." He added, “It's part of enjoying the game" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/2).
JEAN JACKET: The new 49ers stadium will be called Levi's Stadium, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted Levi's has applied for "trademark protection of a couple of terms, including 'Field of Jeans.'" Florio: "That doesn't mean that the field will be called 'Field of Jeans,'" but Levi's may want to ensure "others can't sell t-shirts that say 'Field of Jeans'" ("PFT," NBC Sports Network, 6/3).
