Lawmaker urges prompt stadium talks

Even as renovations now approaching $200 million continue at the Louisiana Superdome, a state lawmaker has put many of his colleagues on record in support of the state talking with the Saints about a new stadium in eastern New Orleans, an area still reeling from Hurricane Katrina.

State Rep. Austin Badon won passage recently of a House resolution supporting his stance. The resolution is pending in the Senate. It is a nonbinding resolution but Badon thinks the possibility of a new stadium needs to be discussed.

He contends that his flood-ravaged, mostly residential district about seven miles east of downtown is the best place to invest upward of $700 million in a structure that would be critical to sustaining New Orleans’ tourism industry.

“This issue is going to be thrust upon us,” said Badon, D-New Orleans. “We have to be proactive before we reach the 11th hour.”

The Saints have committed to remaining in New Orleans at least until their current, incentive-rich Superdome lease runs out after the 2010 season. By then, Badon contends, the Saints may become a strong candidate to move to a larger, wealthier city, such as Los Angeles, if the state has not made substantial progress on a new stadium on par with facilities built for or by other NFL teams in recent years.

So in the second regular legislative session since Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history, Badon is urging state political leaders to keep talks about a new stadium in the forefront of recovery efforts.

There is pleny of land availabile in eastern New Orleans Interstate 10. He notes that his district is the part of New Orleans that is closest to fast growing suburban communities like Slidell on the northeastern shores of Lake Pontchartrain

“It’s closer to many north shore fans, Mississippi fans and even fans in Mobile, Ala.,” Badon said. “Many fans who come to catch a game might not want to deal with the hustle and bustle of downtown, and people who want to go downtown, it’s only 6.5 miles away.”

The resolution calls for the state to study building a stadium on the site of what was once the Lake Forest Plaza shopping mall, which had been struggling to attract business before it was swamped by Katrina’s floodwaters and has since been mostly demolished.

Badon said the site offers 80 acres of land for a stadium project that could easily include ample parking and tailgating areas, as well as surrounding retail buildings and restaurants.

Saints owner Tom Benson, who before Katrina said his team would need a new stadium to remain competitive in small-market New Orleans, has since modified his stance slightly. He still wants a new, modern building, but since Katrina has indicated more of a willingness to entertain ideas about extensive remodeling at the downtown Superdome.

Tourism officials would prefer that NFL and college football games, including the Sugar Bowl and possible future Super Bowls, remain downtown, within walking distance of numerous high-rise hotels, convention facilities and the French Quarter.

“We’ve had great successes in the past in hosting events, including major sporting events, because of our reputation for being one of America’s most walkable cities and we would much rather see sporting facilities located near our great restaurants and hotels downtown,” said Mary Beth Romig, spokeswoman for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “It made perfect sense to put the Superdome there when we first built it, and why mess with that success? Why change something that works and has been replicated by numerous other cities since?”

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Badon never formally approached the team before offering his resolution in the statehouse. The Saints are not yet voicing any preferences on where they’d prefer to see a new stadium built. However, Bensel said the team appreciated Badon’s initiative to promote the economic well-being of the city and the franchise.

Badon acknowledged that putting the stadium in his district would be of enormous political benefit to him, adding that he has a duty to push for projects that would stimulate recovery in the part of town he represents.

He disagreed that putting the stadium in flood-devastated eastern New Orleans would make it unnecessarily vulnerable to future storm damage.

“It’s a chance you take wherever you live along the Gulf Coast,” Badon said. “You had flooding all around the Superdome. It’s something that could happen virtually anywhere. There’s no guarantee.”

Badon added that he would not oppose continuing to fix up the Superdome if the Saints would be satisfied with that.