Mayor Bart Peterson says he expects to strike a deal before the end of the year to keep the Colts in Indianapolis, though he continues to withhold details of any potential agreement.
The announcement of an agreement, which could come as early as next week, would include a funding proposal for a new stadium, details for an expanded Convention Center and -- if everything goes right for the city -- a chance to host a Super Bowl.
"I'm more confident than ever that will happen," Peterson said when asked recently whether an announcement would come before Jan. 1. "We're on the same page."
Colts owner Jim Irsay said this week that his organization's goal is to "get something done" and have a proposal for the next session of the Indiana General Assembly, which begins Jan. 4.
Irsay echoed Peterson's optimism, noting "tremendous progress" between the Colts and the city on lease negotiations.
The deal would be the culmination of two years of quiet negotiations, rumors that the team might leave for Los Angeles, a mayoral race in which the Colts' future became a prominent issue and, more recently, discussions over how much a new contract might cost taxpayers.
Peterson still will not acknowledge directly that a football stadium is part of the package, even though the city's Capital Improvement Board -- which will oversee any construction -- solicited designs and hired a construction contractor.
"I won't go any further than I've already gone because we don't have a deal done," Peterson said. "I'm not going to make the announcement ahead of time."
Timing the announcement is key, said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a sports consulting firm in Chicago.
Taxpayers throughout the country, while still largely opposed to public funding of stadiums, appear to have begun to accept tax dollars are a part "of being in the (National Football League)."
Ganis said a winning team is crucial to the selling of a publicly financed stadium deal -- and Indianapolis has that now with the Colts. The Colts are 9-3 going into Sunday's game against Houston.
"In a small market it makes a difference; it wouldn't matter as much in New York," he said. "The team is so much more important in a smaller town, (where) there is less to do."
The plan to pay for the stadium and Convention Center expansion almost certainly will have to be approved by the Indiana General Assembly.
To help cover the estimated $750 million cost of both projects, Peterson is expected to seek legislative approval next year for raising auto rental, hotel, restaurant and stadium admissions taxes.
Gov.-elect Mitch Daniels recently said "the Colts are going to stay," and that the state ought to help ensure that happens.
Negotiations are being driven by the current contract, signed in 1998, which requires the city to pay the team the difference between its own revenue and the median revenue of all teams in the NFL.
For the 2003 season, that payment would have amounted to $12.6 million, the league reported last month. The first payment could come due in 2006.
"We've got this looming payment in 2006 that's unfunded, and this is the last legislative session before that payment's due," said Fred Glass, the city's lead negotiator and president of the Capital Improvement Board. "Sometimes it takes a deadline to get it done."
Under the current deal, if those payments aren't made, the Colts can leave town -- though, if they did, they would have to pay the city $11 million a year through the 2013 season.
Indianapolis construction worker Randy Collins, president of the Blue Crew, a Colts fan club with 525 members, plans to help the mayor sell the benefits of a new stadium.
"Kids have grown up rooting for the Colts," he said. "Fans are just everywhere today. You can't go anywhere without seeing us. It's neat."
As for those worried about the cost of professional sports teams, Collins turns philosophical.
"You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, so anytime you can enjoy yourself, you should take advantage of the opportunity," he said. "And I'll enjoy myself a lot more in a new stadium."
indystar.com
The announcement of an agreement, which could come as early as next week, would include a funding proposal for a new stadium, details for an expanded Convention Center and -- if everything goes right for the city -- a chance to host a Super Bowl.
"I'm more confident than ever that will happen," Peterson said when asked recently whether an announcement would come before Jan. 1. "We're on the same page."
Colts owner Jim Irsay said this week that his organization's goal is to "get something done" and have a proposal for the next session of the Indiana General Assembly, which begins Jan. 4.
Irsay echoed Peterson's optimism, noting "tremendous progress" between the Colts and the city on lease negotiations.
The deal would be the culmination of two years of quiet negotiations, rumors that the team might leave for Los Angeles, a mayoral race in which the Colts' future became a prominent issue and, more recently, discussions over how much a new contract might cost taxpayers.
Peterson still will not acknowledge directly that a football stadium is part of the package, even though the city's Capital Improvement Board -- which will oversee any construction -- solicited designs and hired a construction contractor.
"I won't go any further than I've already gone because we don't have a deal done," Peterson said. "I'm not going to make the announcement ahead of time."
Timing the announcement is key, said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a sports consulting firm in Chicago.
Taxpayers throughout the country, while still largely opposed to public funding of stadiums, appear to have begun to accept tax dollars are a part "of being in the (National Football League)."
Ganis said a winning team is crucial to the selling of a publicly financed stadium deal -- and Indianapolis has that now with the Colts. The Colts are 9-3 going into Sunday's game against Houston.
"In a small market it makes a difference; it wouldn't matter as much in New York," he said. "The team is so much more important in a smaller town, (where) there is less to do."
The plan to pay for the stadium and Convention Center expansion almost certainly will have to be approved by the Indiana General Assembly.
To help cover the estimated $750 million cost of both projects, Peterson is expected to seek legislative approval next year for raising auto rental, hotel, restaurant and stadium admissions taxes.
Gov.-elect Mitch Daniels recently said "the Colts are going to stay," and that the state ought to help ensure that happens.
Negotiations are being driven by the current contract, signed in 1998, which requires the city to pay the team the difference between its own revenue and the median revenue of all teams in the NFL.
For the 2003 season, that payment would have amounted to $12.6 million, the league reported last month. The first payment could come due in 2006.
"We've got this looming payment in 2006 that's unfunded, and this is the last legislative session before that payment's due," said Fred Glass, the city's lead negotiator and president of the Capital Improvement Board. "Sometimes it takes a deadline to get it done."
Under the current deal, if those payments aren't made, the Colts can leave town -- though, if they did, they would have to pay the city $11 million a year through the 2013 season.
Indianapolis construction worker Randy Collins, president of the Blue Crew, a Colts fan club with 525 members, plans to help the mayor sell the benefits of a new stadium.
"Kids have grown up rooting for the Colts," he said. "Fans are just everywhere today. You can't go anywhere without seeing us. It's neat."
As for those worried about the cost of professional sports teams, Collins turns philosophical.
"You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, so anytime you can enjoy yourself, you should take advantage of the opportunity," he said. "And I'll enjoy myself a lot more in a new stadium."
indystar.com
