Stadium Burden Shifts To St. Louis Mayor

The Legislature has shifted a big burden onto the shoulders of the Mayor of St. Louis by rejecting a proposal for state aid to help build a baseball stadium and a commercial redevelopment project. But, the Mayor thinks he can carry the load. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the progress on the stadium bill surprised a lot of pessimists. And, he maintains that the plan would havegotten the necessary votes in the House if the House leadership had let it come up for a vote. But that’s history. Now Slay has to deal with the Cardinals sayingthey’re listening to proposals from other places. He says failure of the legislation puts a $100-Million burden onhis city’s shoulders. But he says he’s not a quitter and he doesn’t think the Cardinals are ready to quit on downtown St. Louis. Slay says both the city and the Cardinals are disappointed by the legislative failure. But he says the relationship between the two remains strong. Slay says the job now is to develop a good Plan B.