THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996               TAG: 9604200480
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                            LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

HARVIE JOINS BIDDING FOR ADMIRALS TAKEOVER FORMER RENEGADES OWNER IS THIRD IN LINE WITH AN OFFER TO BUY THE ECHL TEAM.

Former Richmond Renegades owner Allen B. Harvie Jr. said he has submitted a written bid to purchase the Hampton Roads Admirals hockey team.

He presented the bid to Admirals owner Blake Cullen Wednesday during a short meeting at Scope. Harvie declined to reveal his bidding price.

Harvie's offer was the third Cullen has received. Groups headed by Norfolk Tides president Ken Young and local businessmen Mark Garcea and Page Johnson, who jointly own the Hampton Roads Mariners soccer team, both submitted bids late last week.

Sources say Cullen, who purchased the team as an expansion franchise seven years ago, is seeking $2.8 million.

Harvie said Cullen didn't look at the offer while he was there and has no idea how it will be received.

``I'm not even sure Blake wants to sell,'' Harvie said. ``But he has my offer. I'll wait for him to look at the offer and get back to me.''

Harvie, a native of Alberton on Prince Edward Island in Canada, has been in Virginia since 1977, when he came to Virginia Beach to manage a hotel. His wife, Donna, is a Virginia Beach native.

He has since begun real estate, restaurant and ice-skating rink ventures, all under the ADANAC Group moniker. ADANAC is Canada spelled backwards.

He has begun construction on a rink in York County, has a temporary rink on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and has announced plans to build two permanent rinks and an entertainment center in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake.

Harvie says his organization soon will announce plans to build two rinks and an entertainment center in Virginia Beach and that ADANAC will set up headquarters in Chesapeake once the Greenbrier rinks are completed. Harvie splits time between residences in Richmond and Virginia Beach.

``Owning the Admirals would be a natural marriage with the rest of our business interests in the area,'' he said.

``The Admirals, in my eyes, have always been the class of the ECHL. . . . They have great fans and an excellent coach. (Buying the team) just makes good business sense.'' by CNB