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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Tuesday, August 18, 1998 Alamodome officials ponder life after Spurs SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Alamodome won't be the same if the San Antonio Spurs leave for a new arena, but dome officials insist the downtown stadium will remain viable. "I can tell you without hesitation that the Alamodome would not be better off without the Spurs," said dome director Mike Abington. The National Basketball Association franchise launched a campaign last week to convince City Council members and San Antonio residents that the team needs a new $150 million arena. A proposed 18,500-seat arena would be built in an abandoned rock quarry in northeast San Antonio and could be open by 2001 for basketball games and other events, according to representatives of the Spurs and developer Bitterblue Inc. "There will be an impact on the Alamodome if the Spurs play in another location and compete with the city for events," Abington told the San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs' Alamodome rent is $5,000 a game, or about $225,000 per year. The franchise also pays about $15,000 per game to cover overhead and administrative expenses. But the Alamodome gets a much larger boost from its 40-percent cut of the food and beverage concessions sold during Spurs games. The Spurs have never much liked playing in the $193 million Alamodome, which opened in 1993. Team owners say it's difficult to sell luxury suites in the cavernous facility designed for football. The Alamodome does have income independent of the Spurs after developing a reputation as a venue for major events. San Antonio is in the running for the 2000 Republican National Convention, which would be held in the Alamodome. The dome was the site of the NCAA Final Four men's basketball championship earlier this year, and the dome has its own college bowl game, the Alamo Bowl. "Everybody that's been here (at the Alamodome) has left singing its praises," said Bob Genarelli, assistant executive director of the San Antonio Bowl Association, which organizes the Alamo Bowl. But hosting a major NCAA college event every year or two and even rarer Olympic events, such as the 1993 Olympic Festival and the Pan American Games, will not pay all the bills. The Spurs promise to help. Team executive vice president Russ Bookbinder said the franchise will diversify its operations to include promoting events from concerts to preseason NFL football in an arena and in the dome. "There are different facilities for different events," Bookbinder said. "We think it's part of our civic duty to consider the impact on the dome."   Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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