THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 1996 TAG: 9611050277
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 122 lines
Organizers of an effort to bring a National Hockey League team to Hampton Roads received two pieces of good news Monday:
An endorsement from Gov. George F. Allen, who reportedly told one area official that he would consider providing state funding to help build an arena for a hockey team.
A little more time from the NHL, which delayed the date for the region's presentation in New York from Nov. 14 to a date to be announced.
In addition, sources say Charlotte businessman George Shinn, who is leading the bid to bring a team to Hampton Roads, will announce today that downtown Norfolk has been selected as the site for a prospective arena. Shinn is expected to make the announcement at noon today at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel, where he will kick off a season-ticket drive.
It isn't known whether Shinn prefers a site adjacent to Harbor Park or one adjacent to MacArthur Center. Both have been proposed by local officials, along with a site on the CBN campus in Virginia Beach.
Allen's support of an NHL team should boost the chances of working out an arena deal between Shinn and area officials. Barry DuVal, president of the Hampton Roads Partnership, said Allen told him he would consider providing state funding to help build an arena for a hockey team.
DuVal said he asked Allen to provide funding from the Opportunity Virginia fund, a war chest used to attract economic development.
``The governor said he would like to see a proposal'' from the partnership, DuVal said. ``He said there may be some opportunity for state assistance.''
Allen was unavailable for comment, but Mark Christie, counsel to the governor, said Allen was solidly behind Hampton Roads' bid for a team.
``We're certainly going to work with them to be as cooperative as possible and to help bring this about,'' Christie said Monday.
DuVal also said that Allen, as expected, pledged that all state and local taxes generated at an arena - including sales and income taxes - could go toward paying off the arena debt. That could mean asmuch as $4 million per year toward retiring debt for a $140 million arena that would seat 18,000 for hockey and 20,000 for basketball.
Arthur Pincus, the NHL's vice president for public relations, said the NHL has pushed back the Nov. 14 presentation date because the league received nine expansion bids.
``It was felt there was too much to do in one day,'' said Pincus, who added he's not sure how long the presentations will be delayed. Another NHL source, who asked not to be identified, said it's likely to be a week or two.
DuVal said the delay is welcome news for Hampton Roads officials hurriedly trying to negotiate a deal to build an arena.
Shinn, owner of the National Basketball Association Charlotte Hornets, stunned community leaders Friday by applying for an NHL franchise with only a few hours' notice.
The region's mayors and city managers have been scrambling ever since to try to put an arena deal together.
``We think that will provide us with sufficient time to get a preliminary reading from the communities'' on whether they will support funding the arena, said DuVal, former mayor of Newport News.
Regional leaders held a series of meetings Sunday and Monday to try to reach an agreement on a funding formula. Most of the region's city managers met Sunday for 3 1/2 hours in downtown Norfolk. More meetings were held Monday in several cities.
Meanwhile, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission has provided funding to hire an accounting firm and attorneys to represent the region in negotiations with Shinn.
Art Collins, executive director of the planning commission, said he has hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Associates to help ``run the numbers'' on an arena deal. Accountants from the firm arrive today.
Vince Mastracco, a Norfolk attorney, is retaining attorneys for the planning district for arena negotiations.
DuVal said a proposed deal between Shinn and the region could be completed in two or three days.
``Once the formula is prepared, then it will have to be presented to mayors and their councils, and they will have to agree to participate,'' DuVal said.
DuVal said he hopes that most or all of the city councils will decide on the proposal by next week.
Most leaders in Hampton Roads say they're withholding judgment on the team until they see a detailed proposal. The mayors of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake were cautious Monday about the proposal; mayors of Portsmouth, Hampton and Suffolk were a little less reserved.
Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf: ``I'm just not ready to jump on or off the ship. I'm still just standing by watching. I want to be sure that anything we go into will be not only good for the Hampton Roads region, but be fair to the taxpayers in my city.''
Oberndorf said she liked the idea of a major league team coming here, but was leery of any project that required tax dollars.
Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward: ``The big question is: Is it worth Chesapeake's participation if it's not located in the city? Is it worth Chesapeake's investment? That question has to be answered within the next 10 days.''
Portsmouth Mayor James W. Holley III: ``We think it would improve the quality of life for people over here. There are certain spinoffs that would come from something like this that would benefit Portsmouth.''
Holley said the arena would help Portsmouth's efforts to revive its downtown and waterfront area. People who attended hockey games in Norfolk could take the ferry across the Elizabeth River to visit Portsmouth.
Hampton Mayor James L. Eason: ``It all has to do with the additional exposure, image and advertising that this will bring to the whole area. I do very strongly believe that there will be a positive dollar impact for us (in Hampton) and I also think there will be an impact relative to the feeling of a lot of the citizens in this whole community.''
Eason said the time is right to bring a professional sports team to Hampton Roads. Cooperation among the cities is improving; and a team would help defuse the lingering stereotype of Norfolk as just a Navy town and Hampton as just a shipyard community.
Suffolk Mayor Thomas G. Underwood: ``We're a part of the Hampton Roads community, so certainly we would benefit. We have a new sense of belonging to the Hampton Roads community, so we're interested in anything that would help the area.''
Hampton Roads is one of nine applicants for expansion franchises that could begin play as early as the 1999-2000 season. The others: Atlanta; Houston; Nashville, Tenn.; Raleigh; Hamilton, Ontario; Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City and St. Paul, Minn.
The NHL board of governors is expected to announce a decision on awarding franchises at its meeting Dec. 12-13 in Phoenix. MEMO: Staff writers Karen Weintraub and Battinto Batts Jr. contributed
to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Gov. Allen reportedly is willing to consider state
funding to help build a hockey arena. by CNB