In Atlanta, Tucker, Leslie & Stafford in a front-page piece report the Georgia World Congress Center Authority Thursday walked away "from its several-months-long attempt to acquire one of the two churches on the preferred site" of the new Falcons stadium. The GWCCA in a letter told Mount Vernon Baptist Church that it is "'officially terminating negotiations' and 'abandoning its efforts' to purchase the church’s property." The letter and other documents show that the action "came after the church 'unanimously rejected' the GWCCA’s 'best and final offer'" of $6.2M. The stadium without Mount Vernon's property "cannot be built on the site just south of the Georgia Dome long favored by the city and the GWCCA" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/2).
THIS IS FOR THE BIRDS: In Minneapolis, Rochelle Olson reports concerns about birds flying into the new Vikings stadium "appear to have been quelled in an environmental report issued Thursday." Several agencies had "asked the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority to consider the fate of birds migrating along the Mississippi River corridor." The concern was the birds "might fatally fly into the glassy new structure or be disoriented by the bright lights." The MSFA will "turn off the lights overnight at the stadium in the spring and fall and will continue to work with the Audubon Society to ensure bird safety" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/2).
IT TAKES A VILLAGE: In San Diego, Roger Showley reports the plan to build Ballpark Village, a proposed residential and commercial area near Petco Park, "is back." The "keystone in the Petco Park master plan, first approved eight years ago, is now a $250 million, 634-unit residential project, 51,000 square feet of retail space." The city's redevelopment arm Civic San Diego is "expected to take formal action" on the project this fall. If it "wins final approval, construction could start at the end of next year" and open in '16-17. The project is "being developed by JMI Realty, former Padres' owner John Moores' real estate company, and Lennar Communities, the national housing company" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/2).
