Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration yesterday said that the city "expects to net" about $16M "from the sale of the Malcolm X College site" to the Blackhawks and Rush Univ. for the construction of the Blackhawks' new practice facility and an expansion for the school. Blackhawks Chair Rocky Wirtz said that the Chicago Blackhawks Community Center would cost the team $50M and "contain two NHL regulation-size rinks and spectator seating." Emanuel spokesperson Elizabeth Langsdorf said that the Blackhawks and Rush Univ. "will pay $50 per square foot for the 11-acre parcel -- slightly below the $55 rate that the city's appraiser determined the land is worth" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/4).
PIT & THE PENDULUM: NBCSPORTS.com's Dustin Long noted NASCAR is "making plans to extend the wall that separates the track from the pits" at Pocono Raceway to "limit vehicles from crashing on to pit road as happened three times this past weekend." NASCAR Exec VP & Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell yesterday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” said that "plans are being put in place to make changes for when the series returns next year." O’Donnell: "We’ve already got a plan in place to look at extending that pit wall. Certainly got to make sure that by doing that you put the proper protection for the race cars and the drivers coming off of (Turn 3) as well” (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/3)
CENTRAL TIME? An American Athletic Conference rep said that "there have been discussions in the past about moving" the conference's HQ. In Orlando, Shannon Green noted N.Y. and Orlando "were once in consideration and, now, Dallas is considered to be the most centralized location for all 12 schools and is being discussed as a possible" future HQ. But a move away from the AAC's Rhode Island HQ "could be a long way away." The conference "has a five-year lease in Providence and, behind the scenes, there is no groundswell movement for a venue change" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 8/3).
