THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411030526
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
It was a classic case of ``if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.''
When Ira Agricola of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce traveled to the U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis last summer to explore the possibility of Hampton Roads bidding for the games, he found that 140 Richmonders - including Gov. Allen - had beaten him to the punch.
Agricola returned home and huddled with other Chamber of Commerce officials. Their decision: Cast their lot with Richmond.
The result is that if Richmond gets the games, in either 1997 or 1999, Hampton Roads will get a small piece of them.
Ice hockey and speed skating would be held at Scope, sailing would be based at Old Dominion University, and shooting held at Langley Air Force Base.
``We realized how far along Richmond was,'' said Michael Barrett, chairman of the board of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. ``The best way for Hampton Roads to get involved was to get involved with a great team.''
Part of the Richmond team was in Norfolk on Wednesday for a press conference to promote the capital city's bid for the games and highlight Hampton Roads' role in it.
Jon Lugbill, executive director of the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers, said his group has collected 30,000 signatures and has received $2 million in corporate pledges in its effort to land the games. Many movie theaters in the Richmond area are showing a 30-second spot urging people to get behind the games.
``We've really established ourselves as one of the front-runners,'' Lugbill said.
Phoenix, Dallas and Seattle have also bid for the games, an Olympic-style event for American athletes held in non-Olympic years. The U.S. Olympic Committee will announce the sites for the 1997 and 1999 festivals in April.
If Richmond wins, Lugbill said the Richmond area can expect a cash infusion of about $30 million from the 10-day festival, which attracts more than 3,000 athletes in 37 sports.
Hampton Roads' slice of the pie would be much smaller - about $500,000, Lugbill said.
Still, local Chamber of Commerce officials said they hope to learn from Richmond's experience.
``It's an opportunity for us to learn what it's like to put on a sports festival,'' said Frank Bowers, chairman of the Hampton Roads Sports Promotion Task Force.
Most of the task force's efforts have focused on much smaller events, such as the Virginia State Games, the Hoop-It-Up 3-on-3 basketball tournament and the Columbus Day youth soccer tourament.
Richmond, by contrast, is moving in big-league circles. The games will cost an estimated $12 million to host. Lugbill said the plan is to raise $4.5 million in corporate cash, $4 million in in-kind donations and $3.5 million in ticket and merchandise sales.
As part of the bid, plans are under way for a $5 million track and field center, a $20 million swimming and diving center, and a new tennis complex. All would be located near The Diamond and the Arthur Ashe Center.
Construction of the swimming and diving center is contingent on Richmond getting the games, Lugbill said. Funding would come from four Richmond-area municipalities: Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield counties and the city of Richmond.
The track and field stadium - which will be financed by Virginia Commonwealth University and through donations - will be constructed regardless, Lugbill said.
What Richmond lacks is a sailing venue like the Chesapeake Bay. So when Hampton Roads expressed an interest in hosting part of the games, sailing was a natural, Lugbill said.
Richmond officials didn't want to isolate one sport, so they looked for another to move to Hampton Roads. Hockey was a natural, given the success of the Hampton Roads Admirals. Speed skating followed, and shooting.
Lugbill said the only thing holding Richmond bid's back is that ``people don't perceive us as being a major-league city like Dallas or Seattle.''
Richmond hopes to counter that by outworking the other cities, Lugbill said.
``We've tried to be ahead the whole game,'' he said. ``We think we're ahead at halftime.'' by CNB