Lemieux 'very disappointed' over arena talks

Penguins owner Mario Lemieux waves to fans as he is honored with other greats of the game before the Eastern Conference practice for the NHL All-Star Game at the American Airlines Center, in Dallas.


By Andrew Conte and Rob Rossi
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 23, 2007


Pittsburgh's arena deal can't get much sweeter for the Penguins, two Allegheny County lawmakers said Monday.
"It seems like (team owners) keep waiting for it to get sweeter and sweeter," said state Sen. Wayne Fontana, a member of the Sports & Exhibition Authority. "Is this just a negotiating ploy to get more? If the deal in Kansas City or someplace else was better, they would have walked already."

Gov. Ed Rendell has "a little wiggle room" to change the offer but does not have a lot more to give, said Fontana, a Brookline Democrat.

"I don't think it's giving and taking and offering more," said Democratic state Sen. Sean Logan, of Monroeville, who also sits on the SEA board. "It's just finalizing the details and what the Pens will accept."

The remarks came as team co-owner Mario Lemieux said public officials have two to three weeks remaining to make a deal.

"The sooner the better," Lemieux said. "A few weeks ago, I said 30 days, and we're getting very close to that. Sooner or later, we're just going to make a decision and go with it. Whatever happens, happens."

A top National Hockey League official agreed.

"Obviously, from what I understand, they had a tough meeting last week, and we've talked about a short horizon and we need to get a resolution soon," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "Hopefully, that creates emergency and they'll make some progress toward getting resolution."

Penguins co-owner Ronald Burkle met for almost two hours Thursday night with Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Detroit businessman Don Barden, who plans to open a North Shore slots parlor in March 2008. Barden's company won state approval to build the casino over Isle of Capri, which promised a new arena for its partner, the Penguins, if it won.

Lemieux said the meeting "wasn't very good."

"Our people were offended and very disappointed," Lemieux said.

Part of Thursday's talks focused on who would be allowed to develop the Mellon Arena site if the Penguins get a new facility. The SEA owns the land and had planned to give the development rights to the winner of Pittsburgh's slots license -- as long as the casino company helped pay for the new arena, Logan and Fontana said.

Barden has agreed to pay $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the arena. The state would kick in another $7 million a year from a development fund backed with gambling money.

Under Rendell's original proposal, called Plan B, the team would have paid $8.5 million up front and $2.9 million a year, while forgoing $1.16 million in naming rights.

Team officials have been concerned about how much money they might lose by staying at Mellon Arena the next two seasons rather than moving to Kansas City, Fontana said.

Barden's presence at the meeting was unexpected. He took an active role in the talks, and when Burkle decided to end the negotiations for the night, Barden followed him out into the hallway for a private conversation.

"We're just trying to be helpful and do whatever we can to help this process along," said Barden's spokesman, Bob Oltmanns.

The Penguins' lease at Mellon Arena expires in June.

Daly said that league rules allow the NHL to legally prevent the team from relocating. However, Daly said the NHL would not keep the team from leaving Pittsburgh if a "viable arena plan" is not in place soon.

Penguins officials could visit Houston this week while attending the All-Star Game in Dallas.

Janis Schmees, executive director of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, said Houston officials are discussing a possible visit by the Penguins. She declined to provide details, and team officials offered no comment.

Les Alexander, owner of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, twice attempted to lure an NHL franchise to the city, said Oliver Luck, president and general manager of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo franchise.

"I'd say that the NHL was definitely on the back burner, but always on the radar for Houston," Luck said.

The Rockets are the only major-league tenant for the Toyota Center, which opened in 2003 and seats 17,800 for the American Hockey League's Aeros, a minor-league affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

Burkle and Lemieux visited Kansas City earlier this month. No new visits are planned. Officials there offered free rent and a share of revenues if the team moves into Sprint Center, scheduled to open in fall.


Andrew Conte and Rob Rossi can be reached at aconte@tribweb.com or (412) 765-2312.