THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060428
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: NHL In Hampton Roads
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 99 lines
The Sports Council of Hampton Roads, an arm of the region's two largest chambers of commerce, will lead the effort to build a 20,000-seat arena that would be home for a National Hockey League expansion team, officials said Wednesday.
The 100-member group will take over many of the duties previously shouldered by the Hampton Roads Partnership, which has represented the region since November in negotiations with Charlotte businessman George Shinn, who is seeking an NHL team.
The partnership is a public-private group of nearly 60 prominent business, educational and government leaders, including the region's mayors. The group signed an agreement with Shinn in January to build a regionally funded arena if Shinn is awarded an NHL expansion team.
Partnership officials said then their task was complete and that another organization needed to take over. Partnership officials say they need to move on to other projects, such as plans to improve the port and attract high-tech industry and tourism.
The region's leaders mulled over the issue for nearly a month before deciding upon the sports council.
Partnership officials were unavailable for comment Wednesday. Some acknowledged privately that the controversial nature of the arena - it has drawn criticism from some citizens and public officials in the region's suburbs - was also a factor in the group's decision to bow out.
The partnership is less than a year old, and officials fear it could unravel if its first high-profile project becomes too controversial.
The sports council was formed by the Hampton Roads and Peninsula chambers of commerce to promote sports in the region. Partnership officials say it is a more appropriate organization to undertake the next task on the arena front - mounting a public relations campaign to sell the arena to the region.
The council will form a task force headed by former sportscaster Brad Face to lead that public relations effort. The task force will hold its organizational meeting today at the Norfolk office of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
Face, a Smithfield resident, said he is bringing several members from the Future of Hampton Roads, a 15-year-old private group formed to foster regional cooperation, onto that task force, including Harry Lester, president of Virginia Beach Vision.
``A lot of what is going to happen still has yet to be determined,'' said John Hornbeck, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. ``The sports council has agreed to be the catalyst to bring together individuals and organizations interested in being certain the story is told of just what an arena would mean to this region.
``It was obvious that the story wasn't being told. We believe a coliseum represents much more to us than just a hockey team.''
A regional negotiating team formed by the partnership will continue work as a separate entity to formalize a lease with Shinn, said Art Collins, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
Collins, Hampton City Manager Bob O'Neil and Norfolk attorney David Delpierre are among members of the negotiating team. The team likely will remain dormant until Shinn receives a franchise. An arena will not be constructed without an NHL team.
Face said his task force will move quickly to begin explaining details of the arena deal to the public.
``There's been no agency to inform the public about this,'' Face said. ``The partnership was not designed for that. . . . I happen to believe that the deal is an excellent one for the public if the people of Hampton Roads want a major league team.''
Collins said the region's leaders have failed so far to make their case to the public on the arena.
``There's an awful lot of misunderstanding out there about what this arrangement is all about,'' he said. ``The cities have been asked to fund $1.50 per resident for 30 years. Beyond that, they have no liability. Our sense is the public doesn't understand that.
``That's our fault. We haven't communicated well.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
THE SPORTS COUNCIL
The Sports Council of Hampton Roads is a 100-member organization
formed by the Hampton Roads and Peninsula chambers of commerce. Its
mission statement says the council was created ``to market Hampton
Roads as a destination for amateur and professional sports events
and sports related meetings.''
The group is chaired by Jeff Sias, director of sports promotions
for the Hampton Roads chamber, and meets monthly. It seeks to bring
sports events and teams to the region, such as the Virginia State
Games, which it helped attract to Hampton Roads.
Other members include Morton V. Whitlow, chairman of the Sports
Authority of Hampton Roads; Frank R. Bowers, vice president and
general manager of Cox Communications; Richard F. Kiefner Jr.,
special agent, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance; John Hornbeck,
president and CEO of the Hampton Roads chamber; and Brad Face, CEO
of The Face Companies.
Face will chair a task force being formed by the Council to lead
a public relations campaign to convince Hampton Roads it needs to
build a $143 million, 20,000-seat arena that would be home to a
National Hockey League expansion team. The task force will hold its
formative meeting today.
KEYWORDS: NHL NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FRANCHISE ARENA