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Subject: Cooke, D.C. Reopen Talks On Stadium;Both Sides Report Progress Being Made<By
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 10:44:02 EST
Message-ID: <27.1992Nov26.104402@AmeriCast.com>
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Cooke, D.C. Reopen Talks On Stadium;Both Sides Report Progress
Being Made<By James Ragland=Washington Post Staff Writer=

Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke formally renewed nego-
tiations with the District yesterday to build a new stadium in
the nation's capital, four months after vowing to move his team
to Alexandria.

Cooke met for more than an hour in his Northwest Washington home
with Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly's chief stadium negotiator, Clif-
ford L. Alexander Jr., and D.C. Council Chairman John A. Wilson
(D), whom Cooke invited to the meeting.

"We had a very constructive meeting, and a great deal of progress
was made," Alexander said. "Jack Kent Cooke expressed his feeling
that significant progress was made and his desire to be here in
the District."

Cooke described the talks as "favorable" but, like Alexander, de-
clined to discuss details. "Favorable meeting. And we see pro-
gress. And that's it," he said.

One high-ranking administration source said Cooke and the city
could reach a deal as early as next month, although no deadline
had been set.

Neither Cooke nor Alexander would say when they hope to close a
deal, but Alexander said, "We all have the same sense of urgency
to accomplish this."

Cooke refused to say whether he had ruled out the possibility of
building in Virginia or Maryland, but said emphatically that he
was not interested in a proposal advanced by D.C. Council member
Harold Brazil (D-Ward 6) to renovate Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Stadium.

Wilson was unavailable for comment after the meeting. His press
secretary, Lea Adams, said he was out of town for Thanksgiving.

Although city officials - including Kelly, Alexander and Wilson -
have met with Cooke at one time or another in recent weeks, Alex-
ander said yesterday's meeting marked a turning point because
they began delving into "very significant details."

"We've talked about substantive issues. We're getting into very
significant details now, and that's good," Alexander said. He
said the new level of talks demonstrates that "our hopefulness
(of a new stadium in the District) is well-founded."

Cooke, who began negotiating with the city five years ago to
build a proposed 78,600-seat stadium near RFK, abruptly canceled
talks with the District in April, citing "reasons completely
beyond our control."

In July, he announced a pact with Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder
to build a new stadium at Potomac Yard in Alexandria. Opposition
from Alexandria residents and Northern Virginia legislators
forced Cooke and Wilder to call off the deal in October.

Kelly, who had responded to Cooke's departure from the bargaining
table by refusing to give him a more profitable short-term lease
at RFK, reacted angrily to the Virginia pact, calling Cooke a
"billionaire bully" and promising not to get into a "bidding war"
to keep the football team in the District.

But during the last three months, both Kelly and Cooke have taken
some political heat for the failed negotiations. Wilson and oth-
ers questioned the mayor's strategy.  And several suburban offi-
cials sent Cooke a letter last month saying the team should stay
in the District.

Since neither Alexander nor Cooke would discuss details of their
talks, it remains unclear how the parties will address the issue
of parking.

The U.S. Department of Interior has made other arrangements for
the long-term use of federal land earlier targeted for parking
space. Interior Department spokesman Steve Goldstein - who said
recently that the stadium deal is "still doable, but at a higher
cost" - was out of town yesterday. Another spokesman, Bob Walker,
said, "We have proceeded pretty far down the pike with these oth-
er projects, so it really depends on what they're going to do and
when they're going to do it."

One administration official said the city and Cooke are discuss-
ing the possibility of building a new stadium beside RFK and
later demolishing RFK - more than likely after the city has
played host to its share of the 1994 World Cup Soccer games - to
create more parking space.

Under the previous deal the city negotiated, Cooke was expected
to pay about $150 million for the new stadium. Kelly also had
demanded that 51 percent of the jobs at the stadium go to D.C.
residents and that 35 percent of the stadium construction con-
tracts go to minority businesses in the District.

The District agreed to spend $60 million for infrastructure im-
provements, such as parking and landscaping, and offered Cooke
escalating annual tax waivers starting at $3.5 million the first
year.

In addition, the District offered $1.7 million in sales tax
credits to Cooke "to pay toward the District's annual $6 million
debt service payment" for the infrastructure improvements, and a
"guaranteed stadium rental payment of $4.3 million" to pay off
the balance.

Brazil, whose ward includes RFK and the previously proposed sta-
dium site, said, "I'm pleased that some level of negotiations has
started again. But I am disappointed that they're not at least
considering the proposal" to renovate RFK.  "But whichever way,"
he said, "I would work to keep the Redskins here."<02:21 11-
26C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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