After months of delays and inactivity, the Philadelphia city government is finally getting down to business on the issue of funding new sports stadiums. Yesterday, City Council opened hearings intended to result in financing plans for a pair of new South Philadelphia stadiums for the Phillies and Eagles. The hearings, which are expected to run through the weekend and possibly into next week, will feature presentations by city officials, team representatives and neighborhood residents. Mayor John Street was the featured presenter at yesterday morning's City Hall hearing. Street urged the Council to accept his funding plan, which would have the city contributing about $394 million to the estimated $1 billion cost of building both stadiums. The mayor also told the Council members to have faith that his administration will be able to find suitable funding to fill a $54 million gap in the current stadium financing plans. "The nature of this proposal is such that it's possible to nitpick it to death," Street said, adding that he would succeed in finding the additional funds. He added that the missing $54 million would ultimately not come from taxpayers. If no stadium deal is finalized by December 14, the city will be contractually obligated to buy the Eagles' new South Philadelphia sports complex -- at a cost of $23 million -- and provide $80 million in necessary renovations to the dilapidated Veterans Stadium. Stadium plans had been held up for most of this year as the mayor directed his attention toward the threatened teachers' strike.
-- Jonathan Margulies
