Halo

Study recommends renovations to the Dome, not a new stadium.

http://nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/...4044233590.xml

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Kathleen Blanco, facing a deficit of $7 million in Louisiana's obligation to the New Orleans Saints, said Tuesday discussions with Saints owner Tom Benson were continuing, with another meeting scheduled for this week.

"We're in conversation right now," Blanco said. "We're taking the long-term approach rather than the short-term."

The state is obligated to the Saints under a 10-year, $186 million incentive package that the Foster administration signed three years ago. The package is designed to keep the Saints from moving.

Benson has talked about a new stadium, though Blanco said she had discussed renovating the Superdome with him.

A new study recommends a $150 million renovation of the Superdome rather than spending $450 million for a new stadium with the Saints.

Benson told her the stadium would require "extensive" work; Blanco doesn't want such work to shut down the stadium and cut off revenue from the stadium the state needs.

"We're trying to do it in a way that will allow the Dome to continue to fucntion, and generate a revenue stream," Blanco said.