Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 4, 1993 TAG: 9312040182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
WRC-TV reported that Cooke is inquiring about building a new 78,600-seat stadium on a tract near Laurel Raceway. The horse track is nearly equidistant between Baltimore and Washington. Baltimore failed this week in its bid to land an NFL expansion franchise.
A Redskins move to Laurel would not help Baltimore in its search for an NFL franchise.
"It certainly can't help us, whether Mr. Cooke is, in fact, negotiating or has any intention of moving to Maryland," said Herb Belgrad, chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, which supervised the city's effort in the expansion race.
"The fact that he advises the other owners that he is considering it, the fact that he certainly allows those discussions does not help in our discussion with perspective owners," Belgrad said Friday night.
Belgrad said he had been told that Cooke informed the NFL expansion and finance committees before Jacksonville, Fla., was selected for a team Tuesday that he was considering Maryland.
"Apparently he [Cooke] was making his best effort to block Baltimore in its expansion efforts," Belgrad said.
District of Columbia officials, who are trying to help Cooke build a new 78,600-seat stadium to replace Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, said they had not heard that the Redskins' owner was considering leaving the city.
"There has been no indication from Mr. Cooke that there was any unhappiness with the situation in Washington," said Thursa Thomas, Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly's communications director.
"The television report is the first we have heard of the proposal," Thomas said. "We probably will not have a response before Monday."
George Brown, the district's deputy mayor for economic development, said Thursday that the city had not finalized a lease with Cooke for the new stadium.
A nonbinding memorandum of agreement for a new stadium was signed by Cooke and city officials in February.
Cooke refused to comment on the television story, saying he preferred to build a stadium in Washington.
The proposed site north of RFK Stadium, where the Redskins have played since 1961, has run into congressional delays. RFK Stadium is the smallest in the NFL.
Congress has questioned the environmental impact of a new stadium, the use of federal lands for what would be a private venture and the team's nickname - which has been labeled offensive to Native Americans.
Cooke, 81, has pledged to finance the $160 million cost of the project, and district officials pledged a minimum of $46 million for infrastructure improvements, including parking lots, access roads and water and sewer hookups.
Kelly in September approved a freeway project making it easier for Maryland and Virginia football fans to reach the new stadium.
Cooke tried to move the team to Alexandria in 1992, but a proposed stadium at an abandoned rail yard had neither local nor state support.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB