SmashMouth

In Louisiana, we're accustomed to following our hearts, not our heads.
So I was pleasantly surprised to see the informed, rational reaction to last week's news that the Superdome is inching toward another major renovation.
Most people seem to know the 41-year-old Superdome could use another upgrade to modernize its infrastructure and help the New Orleans Saints compete in today's NFL, where rival cities are building new stadiums all around them.
They also know the cash-strapped state is in no position to pay for it.
The situation is challenging and requires a creative, complex solution.
That's why state and Saints officials have been working diligently behind the scenes for months to try to address it.
It's important to understand a few things about any potential renovation.



1. The plan is to use few public dollars.
Officials from both the Saints and Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District (LSED) believe they can pay for most of the renovation without having to tap the cash-strapped state for support. In the spirit of modern public-private partnerships, the costs would be shared by the LSED, Saints and state.
Officials have used money from the LSED's capital reserve fund to pay for the architectural studies so far. Any contribution from the state is at least a year away and would require legislative approval.

2. The Saints plan to pitch in.
Team officials have indicated the club is willing to contribute to the cause, and that's important. Relatively speaking, the team has contributed little to past construction and renovation costs at the Superdome. With the state struggling financially, it's time for the team to step up. And from all accounts they are willing.
When the Saints needed financial support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the state was a good corporate partner. The long-term lease it signed with the team in 2010 was extremely generous and essentially guaranteed the Saints would remain competitive with its larger, richer peers despite playing in one of the NFL's smallest, poorest markets.
Since signing the deal in 2010, the Saints' revenue and operating income have increased by 61 and 160 percent, according to Forbes. There are other reasons for the windfall, mainly a new team-friendly Collective Bargaining Agreement and the NFL's lucrative media rights deals, but the Saints' lease agreement certainly has accomplished what it set out to do.
It's time for the Saints to return the favor, especially when you consider the Vikings' $551 million contribution to the $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium project in Minneapolis and the Falcons' $850 million funding toward the $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.


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