THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 22, 1995 TAG: 9511220678
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
The city of Norfolk was asked Tuesday to fund up to $400,000 worth of improvements to Foreman Field to make the stadium ready for the Canadian Football League Pirates, sources say.
The Pirates, who have moved from Shreveport, La., to Hampton Roads, pledged in a proposal presented to Mayor Paul Fraim to repay the $400,000 within two years through taxes on ticket sales, concessions and novelties.
According to a copy of the proposal obtained by The Virginian-Pilot, the Pirates requested the city to:
Extensively renovate the locker rooms, including adding 1,500 square feet to each locker room that would include additional showers, lockers and toilets.
Enclose the upper press box on the stadium's east side, install air conditioning in all press boxes and build platforms for television cameras.
Purchase single-pole goal posts and upgrade stadium lighting, if necessary, for television.
Bring in portable restrooms, if necessary, and provide external stadium security and traffic control.
The proposal is similar, though not identical, to one between the Norfolk Tides and the city to help fund the construction of Harbor Park.
The Tides agreement calls for the team to pay $1 million in rent, minus concessions and amusement taxes, to the city per year to help pay off bonds used to build the stadium. The Pirates will pay rent to Old Dominion University, which owns Foreman Field, and will provide the city only with tax monies.
The Norfolk City Council, which must approve the $400,000, briefly discussed the proposal in executive session following its regular meeting.
Though most Council members appeared to emerge undecided, Vice Mayor Paul R. Riddick said he's inclined to vote no on the proposal.
``I don't believe this would be a good investment for the city at this point,'' Riddick said. ``We're dealing with an unknown commodity. The Pirates left Shreveport in a cloud with unpaid debts. And the possibility of the five American teams leaving the CFL concerns me.
``At this point, with everything we have going on, I don't think we can accommodate them.''
City councilman Randy Wright said he'd like to support the proposal, but wants financial experts to go over the Pirates' numbers before committing.
``I look at the CFL as football on the Triple-A level,'' he said. ``It's something we should explore.
``I remember the days when the Norfolk Neptunes played at Foreman Field. The Neptunes demonstrated that the potential to support a team is there. They pulled this region together.
``I would like to see them (the Pirates) succeed.''
Said another council source, who asked not to be identified: ``Most of the council members are undecided. They'll be looking for guidance from citizens and the business community over the next few weeks. They honestly don't know what to do.''
Pirates president Lonie Glieberman and executive vice president Bill Haase, who along with Norfolk attorney Doug Sorensen presented the proposal to Fraim, were unavailable for comment, as was Fraim.
Glieberman has insisted in previous interviews that the Pirates will pay all of their debts in Shreveport even though Louisiana bankruptcy laws might allow them to leave the state without doing so.
``We sent a letter to everyone, saying we'll pay by Jan. 1,'' Glieberman said.
That commitment hasn't stopped a torrent of letters and faxes from people in Shreveport to politicians, business people and the media in Hampton Roads.
Cary Camp, who owns the radio station that broadcast Pirates games last season, sent a press release to area newspapers and television and radio stations, saying he's owed $17,300 and offering to make himself available for interviews.
``Cary and the Pirates reached an agreement'' on a repayment schedule, Haase said in a previous interview. ``He knows he's going to be paid.
``When you incur something on the order of $3.5 million in losses, it takes some time to transfer funds. But the bills will all be paid.''
The team is paying those bills with funds from the Glieberman family, which owns a Detroit homebuilding company.
Pirates officials considered, then rejected, a proposal for upgrading Foreman Field's restroom and concessions facilities which are considered inadequate. Renovating and adding on to those facilities at the 59-year-old, 25,600-seat stadium likely would have more than tripled the cost.
The Pirates' proposal projected at least $240,000 in direct tax benefits to the city from the 10 CFL games at Foreman Field next season. The team projects a minimum of 15,000 paid admissions per game. If the team were to average 25,000 per game, the entire $400,000 would be repaid in the first season.
The proposal does not include additional taxes, such as sales taxes from purchases made by the team, monies spent by visiting teams, spending by spectators at city restaurants on game days and a team payroll of $4.2 million.
The team must still negotiate a lease with ODU. Monarchs athletic director Jim Jarrett has declined comment on his negotiations with the Pirates. Pirates officials and Jarrett have met three times to discuss general terms. The Pirates will present him with a lease proposal next week, sources say. by CNB