Cottondome takes a step toward reality

By JAIME ARON
Associated Press

DALLAS - As much as Dallas considers itself a major player on the pro sports scene, it's really out of the loop. The Cowboys play in Irving, the Rangers in Arlington and the Mavericks and Stars may be suburb-bound.

When the Cotton Bowl was left out of the rotation to host the college football national championship game last year, several local businessmen decided it was time for Dallas to do something big.
They knew all about the stadiums going up around the country and figured their city needed one, too. Considering the $200 million to $300 million price tag, the group came up with a cheaper idea: Why not put a dome on the Cotton Bowl?

The idea finally took off Wednesday with the announcement that Coca-Cola has donated $500,000 to figure out whether it can be done.

"It's both ambitious and feasible," said Dallas businessman Darrell Jordan, the group's president. "We took a giant step forward toward the perception of feasibility today."

The money isn't a down payment for the roof, but rather seed money to help lure other investors - specifically, corporations willing to help pick up most of the $120 million to $150 million tab. The private, nonprofit Cotton Bowl Dome Foundation vows not to ask for any public money.

"This (donation) gets us to a point where we can let the market decide if this is a good project or not," Jordan said. "My utter belief is that the market will say yes."

The campaign to swing the public behind them is based on the notion that if they build it, big things will come: the Big 12 football championship, the Final Four and maybe even the Super Bowl.

A marketing firm has been chosen to begin promoting the cash call, which would include the sale of personal seat licenses, and architectural firm HKS already has come up with some plans, including a model.
The goal is an 84,000-seat stadium with about 1,500 club seats and plenty of luxury suites. Jordan said they estimated 60, but have enough interest for 80 and are considering more.

Everything in, on and around the stadium - from the name to pouring rights - also would be for sale.
The Dallas City Council must give the group permission to do it all, but that won't be a problem considering the overwhelming backing they have from city leaders, most of whom attended Wednesday's news conference.
A best-case scenario has construction beginning early next year with enough work done to begin hosting some special events by 1998. Overall work should take 20-22 months, Jordan said.

"Dallas deserves this type of facility," said Guy Thomas, the vice president and general manager for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of North Texas. "It's the right plan for the right reasons benefiting the right people."
Jordan said the group never considered building from scratch because despite its age, the Cotton Bowl is sound enough to support the proposed additions. Jordan estimates that gave them a $150 million head start.

"The upper decks end exactly where you'd put the supports for the roof," Jordan said. "I don't know how you could ever find a location anywhere that's more suited for this kind of project we're talking about."

As for tenants, Jordan said the group already has discussed a possible rotation of Big 12 football games, a real possibility considering Texas and Oklahoma have met in the Cotton Bowl every year since 1929.

Other Cotton Bowl users would include the college football bowl game, Southern Methodist football (which returned to the Cotton Bowl last year) and the new Dallas Burn pro soccer team.
Jordan said he'd also like to host a rodeo, track meets and concerts.

One potential drawback is that no matter how much the Cotton Bowl changes, it will still be in Fair Park and the rough neighborhood that surrounds it.

City leaders, though, hope renovating the stadium would lead to revitalizing of all South Dallas.

"This is one project we can all sink our teeth into," said longtime Dallas city councilman Al Lipscomb, in whose honor an annual college football game at the stadium is named. "This is one thing we can all agree on, so let's do it."