THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 1996 TAG: 9611050005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 56 lines
Now's the time to see what Hampton Roads business and political leaders are made of.
A big opportunity has been plopped into Hampton Roads' lap - a chance to join the big leagues.
Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn, a man of deep pockets and big-league experience, wants to place a National Hockey League team in Hampton Roads. Although he doesn't have an NHL franchise yet, he is eminently qualified to get one.
But here's the problem: For Shinn to have the best chance to land a new franchise, the region needs an arena plan soon. Shinn will make his pitch to the NHL for a franchise within about two weeks.
The elected officials who must agree on an arena plan are the same people who haven't been able to agree all year on how to hire a consultant to perform a study on a pro-sports arena. For 10 months they couldn't take the first step. Now they must run the entire race in about two weeks.
But golden opportunities like this are rare. Hampton Roads city council members must put aside old and fresh differences, grit their teeth and do in haste what they could not do slowly. Business leaders, realizing the public-relations value of a big-league team, must rally to buy luxury boxes. Sports fans need to buy season tickets, expected to go on sale this afternoon.
The cities now have a specific apple to reach for, rather than a concept to dicker over. That ought to make a difference.
The cost to the cities is not outrageous. Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim estimates an arena seating 18,000 would cost about $120 million to $140 million. At the higher figure, the team and the region would have to pay about $12 million per year for 20 years to pay off the debt, counting interest.
As staff writer Harry Minium outlined Sunday, there are a number of ways to raise much of that money. The region might have to pay about $3 million to $6 million a year for 20 years. That works out to $2 to $4 per Hampton Roads resident each year.
What the cities get is big-league entertainment. What the region gets is big-league status and its name in sports pages across the nation every morning after the hockey team plays.
The publicity and status are priceless. Most people's opinion of, say, Cincinnati, would be lower if that city lacked big-league teams.
You've heard it said, ``If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?''
It might be said to a region like ours, ``If you're so hot, how come you're not big league?''
A big-league arena would mean more than big-league hockey games. We could attract NCAA tournaments, which are nationally televised. We'd get super winter concerts and large conventions that now bypass the area. Probably we'd get arena football.
If the region fails to land an expansion team, Shinn says he will try to purchase an existing team and move it to the area.
But that's only if this region shows it can act like a region.
This is a test. by CNB