clarinews@clarinet.com (02/03/90)
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (UPI) -- New proposals to keep the Minnesota North Stars from moving to California have been rejected by Stars' co-owner Gordon Gund. Late Thursday, Gund turned down a possible offer of 10 years free rent at Met Center in Bloomington and the return of $4 million tied up in a land dispute with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. The North Stars said even if they save on rent and compensation on the disputed land, it would still not be enough to meet the $15 million they claim is needed to renovate Met Center. Gund said forgiving the rent, which would amount to about $3 million over 10 years, ``was just a drop in the bucket and, as well as with the land deal, this does nothing to help us whatsoever.'' The club has said it will play next season in Oakland if it does not get $15 million by the time the commission meets Feb. 21. The commission claims it does not have the money. The land dispute between the commission and the team has left a bitter taste with the Stars. The dispute centers on access rights-of-way taken from the Met Center parking area in order to alleviate traffic problems for the planned Mall of America to be built nearby. Last year the Stars were awarded $4 million in compensation, but the commission went to court to get the money, claiming it does not belong to the Stars. The matter has been tied up ever since. Bloomington Mayor Neil Peterson said Thursday he considers the battle between the North Stars and the commission a ``landlord-tenant'' dispute and does not think the city will get involved in efforts to keep the hockey team in Minnesota. ``I'm feeling more strongly about that all the time,'' Peterson said. ``The stadium commission hasn't had a lot of opportunity to meet and deal with this request. Anybody who usurps them of that responsibility is muddying the water. All that would do is polarize it and make things worse.'' Meanwhile, officials in San Jose, Calif., said the Stars would be well received if they moved into a $100 million arena being built in time for the 1992-93 NHL season. ``They'd have no rent, they'd manage the facility and since there's no debt service paid out of arena revenue, they'd have even more money coming their way than normal,'' said Dean Munro, chief of staff to the mayor and director of the campaign to get an NHL franchise. ``The Stars would get management control, is what it comes down to, a 16,000-seat arena with 100 luxury suite boxes.'' The San Jose arena is the leading candidate to eventually get the Stars since it is the only one being built. A 20,000-seat replacement for the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena is only in the design stages.