THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240372
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
State Delegate Jerrauld C. Jones said it wasn't quite a kick in the pants he administered Monday to prod Hampton Roads to build an arena.
``It was more like a 2-by-4 up against the side of the head,'' the Democrat from Norfolk said Tuesday.
Jones submitted a bill to the General Assembly to create a regional stadium authority that would use taxpayer dollars to build a 24,000-seat arena - presumably to house a National Basketball Association or National Hockey League team.
Local political and civic leaders said they were caught off-guard by the bill and were scrambling Tuesday to find out how the stadium authority would work. Employees in Jones' Richmond office were busy much of the afternoon faxing copies of the bill back to Hampton Roads.
Several Hampton Roads leaders agreed that while Jones' intentions were good, his legislation will need some work.
``Gerrauld wants to help and I applaud him for that,'' said Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim, who didn't hear about the legislation until late Monday. ``The bill may be subject to all types of amendments.''
Jones acknowledged he submitted the bill without consulting area political leaders. Two of those leaders - Fraim and Virginia Beach mayor Meyera Oberndorf - announced last week that they planned to help fund a study to determine if the region can sell enough corporate luxury boxes to make an arena successful.
But Jones said it's time to quit studying and start building.
``I think we've studied the question enough,'' he said. ``We've had enough consultants come in and tell us what we need to do. Let's just get on with the business of doing it so we can bring to Hampton Roads the sports our people want.''
Jones' bill was sparked in part by the demise of the Canadian Football League Pirates, whose two-month run in Hampton Roads was nixed by the Norfolk and Virginia Beach city councils last week. Leaders from the two cities said they wanted to attract an NBA or NHL team.
Jones agreed.
``I have talked to a lot of people and I think most feel generally OK about the Pirates'' being turned away, he said. ``But they do not feel OK about the area missing out on having top-flight sports. To have those sports, we've got to have an arena.''
The bill would require that a professional team be committed to Hampton Roads before an arena is constructed. However, most consultants agree that Hampton Roads - with its relatively low median income - would have to build an arena before landing a team.
Jones' bill, modeled after a proposal by a Northern Virginia group seeking a stadium for a major league baseball team, calls for the arena to be funded by bonds issued by the new stadium authority. The bonds would be paid for by tax revenues generated from the arena.
But according to Morton V. Whitlow, chairman of the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads, an arena would not generate enough revenue to pay off bonds.
``Our consultants have told us that you'd need an additional source of revenue,'' he said.
Whitlow said a report done for the sports authority by HOK Sports of Kansas City indicated the area's seven largest cities and Isle of Wight County could pay for a $140 million arena in just six years by raising the area sales tax by 1/4 cent on the dollar - a 1 cent tax on every $4 in sales. The tax increase would need to be approved by the state and all eight jurisdictions.
The region already has a funding vehicle in the sports authority, which has representatives from the region's eight largest localities. All that would be required for the sports authority to fund an arena is the passage of a one-page bill by the General Assembly allowing area localities to back the authority's bonds.
Art Collins, administrator of the sports authority, hinted that Jones' bill might have fractured the uneasy peace between area cities, who have cooperated through the sports authority to fund two arena studies.
``His pronouncement has at a minimum caused some confusion and perhaps will require some explanations to keep everyone on board,'' Collins said.
``I credit Del. Jones for his initiative. I hope that as the legislation moves through the process, there will be a chance for consultation with groups who share his interest in moving this agenda forward.''
Jones said he stressed that point to Fraim in a short conversation Monday.
``We need to build a consensus on this in the region,'' Jones said. ``I will be happy to sit down and talk to anyone, to entertain any amendments.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Del. Jerrauld Jones says he wants to spur stadium action.
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