BATON ROUGE, La. -- After presenting the State of
Louisiana's new offer to the New Orleans Saints, Gov. Mike Foster's
point man in the negotiations said the parties seem to be moving
closer toward an agreement to keep the NFL team in Louisiana.
The Saints issued an equally cautious three-paragraph statement
that shed no light on how the team viewed the offer but vowed to
"thoroughly and carefully consider the governor's proposal."
Stephen Perry, Foster's chief of staff, said the state tendered
the Saints a revised offer during a two-hour meeting in Baton Rouge
and, while there was movement, "significant issues remain to be
resolved."
Unlike past talks, the negotiations Tuesday were held in a secret location, and both parties were discreet in their comments.
Perry said the talks might extend beyond the mutually
agreed-upon deadline Friday.
"We are trying to keep a sense of urgency" about the
negotiations, Perry said. "We don't want to put an artificial
walkaway date when we feel real progress is being made."
The state's offer marks a significant chapter in the continuing negotiations, which began in February. The Saints say they cannot compete with NFL competitors in bigger and richer markets without state help, a conclusion the state's consultants have confirmed.
The biggest sticking point has been the team's insistence on a
new $450 million stadium by 2006, with the state picking up about
$350 million of the cost. The Foster administration's initial offer
was a $75 million renovation of the Superdome.
On Tuesday, the state put forth a new plan: a commitment to
build a new stadium, to be completed between 2009 and 2011, if the
Saints still insist they need one. Under the offer, the state would
have to approve a stadium by the end of 2005 or the team could pay
a penalty and leave.
The Saints said in their statement quoting owner Tom Benson,
"We would expect to have a further meeting with the governor or
his representatives within the next several days. We want to bring
these negotiations to a conclusion well before the Saints' season
begins so that our fans and our organization can focus on another
exciting season as well as the Super Bowl to be played here on Jan.
27.
"Consistent with past agreements reached with state
negotiators, the Saints will not issue a further statement at this
time."
Perry and Saints officials said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
has been apprised of the progress of the talks. "He was really
interested that neither of us set up artificial deadlines" to end
negotiations, Perry said.
"Nothing has been resolved," Perry said. "We think there has
been significant movement on both sides. There are gaps we are
trying to resolve, but we have moved closer together. We are going
to keep working."
Perry would not say where the two sides have moved closer or
where the gaps exist.
Asked whether the two sides are closer to resolving the issue of
a new stadium, Perry said, "There seems to be a general agreement
on the process" of determining the timeline for a new stadium or
another option offered by the state: a nearly complete renovation
of the Dome beyond the $75 million in short-term improvements.
Details will be left up to a special task force that will study
the issue and make recommendations by March 1, 2004, that will then
be approved or rejected by the Legislature by Dec. 31, 2005.
If a decision is not made by that date, the Saints could leave
after the 2006 season by paying a $75 million penalty.
Other financial concessions in the deal would vault the Saints
from their present ranking of fourth-lowest in net revenue among
NFL teams to the top 12.
The offer includes free Dome rent, a greater share of
advertising and concessions revenue, proceeds from a proposed tax
on tickets for events at the Dome and the nearby New Orleans Arena,
an income tax on visiting teams' players and revenue from naming
rights to the Dome.
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