THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604180013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
When Scope was built, it was obvious that a 9,000- to 10,000-seat arena was too small for the Hampton Roads area even at that time. But all we were sold on was the great architecture that went into the building and the fact that it was done by some Italian architect who could do no wrong. Size seemed to be of little importance.
As President Reagan would say, ``Now here we go again.''
For the proposed coliseum, 20,000 seats is too small. It must have at least 25,000 seats to accommodate the NBA in the not too distant future as well as to accommodate the growing population for other events.
All this talk about hiring consultants is for the birds. Look what we paid for Scope consultants, and look where it got us. Back to ground zero.
Why not recruit the same firm that did the Greensboro, N.C., coliseum and tell those builders what we want? They built a fine arena in Greensboro, and I'm sure that, with some direction, they could build us an even better one.
Scope is obsolete. The new coliseum could be built on the same grounds. I offer this as an option but not necessarily the place where the new arena should be built. The founding fathers who voted on building Scope would consider it an error in judgment.
Let's do it right or not do it at all. And if we are going to do it, let's get started.
DOUG NEAL
Virginia Beach, April 11, 1996 by CNB