
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 10, 1994                   TAG: 9405100096
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SALEM FIRM HIRED TO DESIGN BUCS' STADIUM

A Salem architectural firm has been hired to design a stadium for the Salem Buccaneers for residents to vote on this July.

City council on Monday approved $50,000 for Kinsey, Shane & Assoc. to complete the schematic design of a minor-league stadium. If approved by voters, the stadium would replace aging Municipal Field, which major-league baseball officials have said cannot be used beyond this season because of inadequacies.

Residents will voice their opinion on the issue July 19 in an advisory referendum. Because the vote is not binding, city council still will have to vote to approve it.

Kinsey, Shane's plans will be finished by July 1, giving voters time to study the design, which is expected to seat about 6,500 - 3,000 more than the current ballpark. The stadium would be built on city property near the civic center.

Going ahead with the design also ensures that, if the stadium is approved, the city already will have the plans in hand. Construction likely will begin as soon as possible to try to get it finished by opening day 1995.

Bucs owner Kelvin Bowles has said he doesn't want to stay in Municipal Field another season, and neither do the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Bucs' major-league affiliate. Bowles also said moving into a new stadium in mid-season would be too difficult, making a spring 1995 completion date urgent.

Above the $50,000 design fee, city council also approved another $175,000 to Kinsey, Shane for architectural and engineering work on the stadium if it gets approved, which appears likely. The referendum will be worded so that if residents say yes to the ballpark, it can cost no more than $5 million and cannot require a tax increase.

Nine architectural firms submitted qualification statements to a committee appointed by city council to design the stadium, according to a report given to council members Monday. The committee interviewed four and then negotiated costs with its first choice, Kinsey, Shane.

by CNB