Potential Rhinos owner meets with Rochester Mayor
By: WROC-TV
Updated: March 19, 2008
The deal to buy the Rochester Rhinos moved one step closer Tuesday.
Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy met with potential owner Rob Clark at City Hall.
At 1:56, the two sides went in. They come out 45 minutes later, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Closer? Yes. Is anything signed? No.
"It's very positive, we're moving forward and hopefully we'll have great news soon."
"I can't say with any degree of finality what the outcome will be yet but i can say that everyone is on the same page... We're working very hard to make this happen."
The two sides spent their time behind closed doors laying out their concerns.
In light of the financial crisis that hit the Rhinos previous owners, the mayor wants to make sure fail-safes are built into the new agreement concerning the team's stadium paetec park.
"Should there be another problem in the future, make it very clear that the ownership as it happened this time reverts back to the city... I want to make sure we do not lose that afterward if there are financial problems down the road."
Another concern the city has is the lease. The city's saying they'll avoid a 45 year agreement like with the previous owners, because the stadium is already built, and there isn't the need to spread stadium debt out over time.
"There are sometimes there are reasons to have extended leases we're going to make sure that when it comes to the park and the lease, the city will be in the driver's seat for that."
For his part, Clark won't say what he wants publicly only why he wants the team.
"I've always been a big sports fan and I''ve been in Rochester a few times now. I like the community I like what I see and I'd like to make an investment in the community."
