THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9602010012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
After reading the front-page headlines noting that Norfolk and Virginia Beach officials say no to the Pirates, I turned to the sports headlines to see that the officials of these two cities agree to cooperate in attempts to land a major sports franchise.
Their memory must be short. Have they so quickly forgotten the Virginia Squires and the Old Dominion basketball teams? Are the two cities' officials aware that to attract a major franchise team in the NBA and NHL, they will need a facility seating more than 18,000 fans and costing around $100 million?
Where the CFL Pirates made their big mistake was in asking for only $400,000 toward improvements to Foreman Field. Had the Pirates asked for $25 million for a new facility, they would have had a better chance of getting it.
Norfolk and Virginia Beach officials think only in big amounts of money as for Waterside, Nauticus and the projected MacArthur Center.
It is great that now I live in Chesapeake where I have to concern myself only with terrible-tasting water and government corruption on a smaller scale.
I wish Norfolk and Virginia Beach taxpayers good luck.
WILLIAM S. STEIN
Chesapeake, Jan. 17, 1996 by CNB