Sports Arena

An influential group of Baltimore business and civic leaders coalesced Friday behind a proposal to build a new downtown arena that would be connected to an expanded Convention Center as part of a large redevelopment project on the Inner Harbor parcel that includes the Sheraton Hotel. The Greater Baltimore Committee said its board voted to study the plan. The project would replace the aging 1st Mariner Arena while adding convention space and renewing a dated wing of the Baltimore Convention Center on a site roughly bounded by Pratt, South Charles and Conway streets.

The four-hour conflagration between the Capitals and Rangers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series will be remembered for its thrills, for an early 3-0 New York lead and a three-goal Washington rally in the third period to force overtime. And, of course, it will stay vivid for its final image of a 4-3 win by the Caps that left them in command, three games to one, with the series headed back to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday. In this game's final split-second, with 7:24 left in the second overtime, the Capitals' Jason Chimera found himself behind the entire New York defense, in sole possession of a deflected puck off a Rangers stick, with nothing to do except flip the puck into an empty net for victory.

ELDERSBURG -- Three indoor sports arenas in Carroll County? Looks like it.Sykesville resident Mark Hughes plans to lease part of a warehouse building on Route 32 in Eldersburg opposite Liberty High School and convert it into an all-purpose indoor sports arena.Along with the established Four Seasons Sports Complex in Hampstead and Westminster resident Jim Shank's plans of an arena in Westminster, Mr. Hughes could give the county its third such facility.The proposed arena will feature indoor sports for all ages, including soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, gymnastics, field hockey and aerobics.

In recent days, The Baltimore Sun had three articles that should be read together: Proposed changes to slots law to attract a downtown casino ("Changes planned for Md. slots law"), the Greater Baltimore Committee's desire for a new sports arena and Convention Center expansion ("A sports arena at Inner Harbor?"), and the Travel Section's report on Travel + Leisure's survey showing Baltimore a poor destination, especially because of poor hotels and lack of entertainment ("Survey finds Baltimore not too charming")

Developers have signed leases with the first group of shops for the Boulevard at the Capital Centre, a "main street" style development to take the place of the old sports arena off the Capital Beltway in Landover. The retailers are Linens N' Things, Pier 1 Imports, Lane Bryant, Men's Wearhouse, Yankee Candle Co., Children's Place, Shoe Dept., Chuck E. Cheese, Oxford Street and Lucaya. The shops announced this week account for about 80,000 square feet of the 400,000 square feet slated for shops and restaurants.

Baltimore officials have abruptly called off their search for a private company to run a city-owned sports arena in Canton, but they say they are exploring ways to privatize the facility. The city had issued a request for proposals from companies interested in running the Clarence H. Du Burns Arena, with a deadline of today. But Monday, with one proposal submitted, the city withdrew its request. Officials declined to say who had submitted a proposal. "We did cancel the request for proposals at this time," said Robert Greene, marketing and media director for the Department of Recreation and Parks, which manages the arena.

A rainstorm with sudden gusts of wind Sunday evening toppled a wall at an Eldersburg sports arena during a soccer game, damaging the roof of an adjoining warehouse and causing a power outage at an elementary school. No injuries were reported. Construction crews yesterday were rebuilding the brick-and-block wall at South Carroll Sports Arena along Progress Way near Route 32. A Carroll County inspector posted an "unsafe" sign at the arena at 10 p.m. Sunday and repair crews cut off utilities yesterday until exposed wires could be replaced.

A county zoning official approved yesterday an investment group's plan for a $7 million indoor sports arena on a 59-acre site at Lake Shore Athletic Complex in Pasadena.Robert C. Wilcox, the county's administrative hearing officer, granted Lake Shore Arena Limited Partnership a special exception to build the complex, which would include an indoor soccer field and two ice skating rinks -- one the size of a National Hockey League rink and the other Olympic-size."Obviously, we're very satisfied and pleased with the decision he made," said James Renner, general partner of the Lake Shore Investment Group.

City officials have prepared plans for a new 20,000-sea sports arena in downtown Baltimore that would be the possible home to a new NBA basketball team as well as the city's minor league ice hockey team.In a feasibility study circulated among city planners and officials at the city's economic development agency, the proposed arena would be constructed north of Camden Yards, completing Baltimore's sports complex row along Interstate 395 into center city.The cost of the center is expected to be between $100 million and $200 million.

It's March and you've pretty much had your fill of winter weather and all of the snow, slush, freezing rain and frigid temperatures. It's time to ditch the parka and snow boots, get outside, have fun and be active. Sure, Baltimore has had a few unseasonably warm days lately, but don't be fooled. According to the calendar, it's still winter, people. Spring doesn't officially start for another week and a half, and summer doesn't begin for another three months, so don't pack up the sweaters just yet. So, what's a person to do with a serious case of cabin fever?

An influential group of Baltimore business and civic leaders coalesced Friday behind a proposal to build a new downtown arena that would be connected to an expanded Convention Center as part of a large redevelopment project on the Inner Harbor parcel that includes the Sheraton Hotel. The Greater Baltimore Committee said its board voted to study the plan. The project would replace the aging 1st Mariner Arena while adding convention space and renewing a dated wing of the Baltimore Convention Center on a site roughly bounded by Pratt, South Charles and Conway streets.

Howard County officials are to open a new indoor sports arena, the final piece of Meadowbrook Park, today in the southeast corner of the intersection of routes 29 and 100 in Ellicott City. The facility was to officially open at 9 a.m. with a ribbon cutting. It contains courts for volleyball and basketball, and provides flexible open space for a variety of indoor sports, including laser tag and other indoor games. The $8.5 million, 77-acre park also contains a large outdoor playground, walking paths and picnic pavilions, and is next to a park-and-ride lot for commuters.

The proposals for a new Baltimore arena envision a sporting and entertainment venue unlike any in the city: a seven-screen movie theater, a rooftop park, a 1,000-seat concert hall, hotels and, of course, an 18,500-seat sports arena in combination with some or all of the above. But what's missing is any reasonable idea of who's going to pay to build a $300 million-plus complex in this economy, and without that element, the arena proposals remain little more than grand dreams of a re-imagined civic center.

As for the nattering negativists who will surely say this is a dumb idea, that it will never work, that Baltimore will never get this and never get that - well, blah, blah, blah. We've heard it all before. Mr. Grumpy-Gills really should treat himself to the big picture sometime. I know. It's hard. You've grown accustomed to thinking weenie and being cynical. After all, that's part of our national culture, and the condition has long been acute here in Baltimore, where the only thing we've had to "celebrate" lately was the Orioles' win in the World Series - 25 years ago. But, really, the many of you who think small, and who make a hobby of ridiculing Baltimore and taking glee at the city's flaws, you who today think building a big, new arena on the site of our old, dumpy-but-still-bookin'-dates one is a foolish idea - you really need to get out more.

Thousands jammed Nationals Park in Washington yesterday for the first outdoor Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his six-day visit to the United States. Above, Sister Leticia M.C. (left) of the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, N.Y., and Sister Maria Christine of the Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville watch the activity before the service. The sports arena was redecorated into a sort of sunny cathedral for the occasion.

Many of the city's most prominent developers propose building Baltimore's new indoor sports and concert arena outside of downtown and pairing the facility with ambitious waterfront projects or struggling areas in need of a boost. Ed Hale wants the new arena in Canton, near his growing empire. Patrick Turner suggests Westport, where his $1.4 billion development is under way. Struever Bros. proposes a site north of Penn Station or keeping the current location downtown. Also possible is an 11-acre parcel south of the Orioles and Ravens stadiums, where state lawmakers are considering putting a slots casino.

Ground hasn't been broken on a $7 million indoor sports arena in Pasadena, but already people are squabbling over who will use it.Parents of young athletes rejoiced two weeks ago when the Lake Shore Arena Limited Partnership received preliminary county approval for a hockey and soccer center at the Lake Shore Athletic Complex.But their mood changed when arena officials announced that one recreation group would have first crack at all floor times."We felt that we owed it to the Lake Shore Recreation Council, since they are the ones that are being impacted by the arena," said James Renner, general partner of Lake Shore Investment Group, which will supply the money to build the center.

The 818th Maintenance Company, an Army Reserve unit based at Fort Meade, officially returns at noon today. It was deployed to Fort Hood, Texas, early last December to support Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.Commanded by Maj. Joyce L. Taylor, the 179 members of the company were responsible for the repair and maintenance of light and heavy vehicles and small arms.Col. Thomas Raleigh Mann, Fort Meade garrison commander, will greet the unit during a ceremony at Gaffney Sports Arena. The 1st U.S. Army Band will provide music.

ST. LOUIS - When they named a University of Missouri sports arena after their daughter, billionaire Wal-Mart heirs Nancy and Bill Laurie pronounced themselves "very proud parents." But this week, they found themselves stripping her name from the building on the Columbia campus - after allegations that she paid a roommate $20,000 to do most of her coursework at the University of Southern California. Elizabeth Paige Laurie, 22, graduated from USC this year. But her first-semester roommate, Elena Martinez, says the Lauries' daughter hired her to write papers, prepare oral reports and even exchange e-mail with professors in nearly every class she took for four years.

A rainstorm with sudden gusts of wind Sunday evening toppled a wall at an Eldersburg sports arena during a soccer game, damaging the roof of an adjoining warehouse and causing a power outage at an elementary school. No injuries were reported. Construction crews yesterday were rebuilding the brick-and-block wall at South Carroll Sports Arena along Progress Way near Route 32. A Carroll County inspector posted an "unsafe" sign at the arena at 10 p.m. Sunday and repair crews cut off utilities yesterday until exposed wires could be replaced.