Gayle Benson hasn’t paid her New Orleans stadium arena bill and that has stopped the stadium.
Things are not going well in New Orleans with the planned renovation of the city’s arena which is the home of the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans franchise. The owner of the Pelicans’ franchise, Gayle Benson, apparently has not come up with the $11.5 million payment that she owes to the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District for upgrades at the New Orleans football stadium. Benson owns the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints franchise and Benson agreed to pay some of the costs that are associated with the renovations at the stadium. The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District has decided to suspend going forward on a study of how to make the New Orleans arena better in terms of producing additional revenues.
“We talked about moving forward with that,” LSED chairman Robert Vosbein said. “But with the events transpiring with the Superdome and the financial and cash-flow issues, as a fiduciary to the state, the commissioners who are to manage and maintain these facilities, I don’t think we can go forward with the development of the master plan until these financial issues are resolved. We will be tabling that part of it.” Benson’s public relations department said Benson intends to come up with the $11.5 million but it is not Benson’s fault the payment has not been paid. Benson’s public relations arm put out a statement which said “no issue with making the current payment of $11.5 million or, for that matter, the remaining balance. We have, however, asked for certain documentation over an extended period and we have not received that documentation.” Benson has a deal with Louisiana to use the New Orleans arena through 2029 and the arena has problems with the number of lower bowl seats and the actual size of the building. The clock is ticking in New Orleans.
New Orleans Pelicans’ arena.
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