Just Heard on KFNS

[ElviswasaBluesFan]

Jay Jr. asked Claiborne if he knew if anything was imminent. He said he saw Laurie, Sauer and Pleau last night and nothing is final. But he indicated that things were progressing and they should have an offer, an acceptance and approval from the league by Oct 15th.

He didn't get into specifics about who the new owners would be, but said that they were particularly interested because of the building. Nothing has been worked out about the city taxes yet.

Take it for what it's worth.

[BringBackZezel]

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...

[007]

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG can only buy the building...shared agreement?

Or perhaps the Hayes group stepped it up....

[BringBackZezel]

QUOTE(*007* @ Sep 21 2005, 01:20 PM) Quoted post

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG can only buy the building...shared agreement?

Or perhaps the Hayes group stepped it up....
[/b][/quote]

which one is that?

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[007]

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:21 PM) Quoted post

QUOTE(*007* @ Sep 21 2005, 01:20 PM) Quoted post

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG can only buy the building...shared agreement?

Or perhaps the Hayes group stepped it up....
[/b][/quote]

which one is that?
[/b][/quote]
Shaun Hayes of National City Bank has a group out there in the bidding for the franchise...perhaps they and AEG are in it together?

"Can't buy what I want because it's free...
Can't buy what I want because it's free..."

-- Pearl Jam, from the single Corduroy

[007]

This Shaun Hayes....

QUOTE

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS
From the August 19, 2005 print edition
Hayes, Novelly, Sansone groups interested in buying Blues; AEG negotiating for Savvis
Rick Desloge and Christopher Tritto
Groups being assembled by Shaun Hayes, Tony Sansone Jr., and Tony Novelly and his son, P.A. Novelly II, have emerged as potential buyers of the St. Louis Blues, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Hayes is regional president of National City Bank. Tony Novelly is chairman of Apex Oil Co., while his son is an executive with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Sansone is a principal in his family's commercial real estate firm, The Sansone Group.

Those local investors are checking out the Blues and the lease on the Savvis Center along with another father-son team, Michael Shanahan Sr. and Michael Shanahan Jr., those sources said.

In addition to those local interests, Los Angeles-headquartered Anschutz Entertainment Group, better known as AEG, is exploring an option to buy the long-term lease on the Savvis Center. AEG owns and operates entertainment venues and sports teams around the country.

Interest in the National Hockey League franchise comes about two months after Bill and Nancy Laurie announced they were putting the team up for sale, and a month after the NHL reached an agreement with its players, ending a lockout that canceled last year's season.

Mark Sauer, president of the Blues, said the sale process was still in its early stages. A group of people have looked over the building and facilities in the last week, he said. Sauer declined to identify any of the potential bidders for the team.

Neither of the Novellys nor Sansone returned telephone messages left at their offices. The Shanahans did not return telephone and e-mail messages, and Hayes said he could not comment. All of those parties either have the financial means to buy a multimillion-dollar franchise, or the ability to build a group of investors.

Michael Shanahan Sr., chairman emeritus of Engineered Support Systems Inc., helped build the St. Louis Blues franchise in the 1990s until he was forced out by Civic Progress leaders. His son, Shanahan Jr., owns the Huntleigh/McGehee Inc. insurance agency and an area minor league hockey team, the Missouri River Otters. That team plays in the St. Charles Family Arena. When the Lauries announced they were selling the Blues, Shanahan Jr. was among the first to express an interest in buying the club.

Sansone is part of an investment group that owns a minor league hockey franchise in Texarkana, Texas. One of his partners in that group is Kelly Chase, a former Blues player and current sportscaster for the Blues radio broadcasts. Chase said he was not aware Sansone was interested in buying the Blues.

Hayes was chairman of Allegiant Bank until it was acquired by National City Corp. of Cleveland last year. He was among Allegiant's largest shareholders at the time of the deal, with shares worth about $15.1 million.

Tony Novelly's Apex Oil Co. is one of the largest private companies in the St. Louis area, with annual revenue estimated at $2.8 billion. The elder Novelly sits on corporate boards ranging from Bear, Stearns & Co. of New York to Intrawest Corp., a Canadian corporation that operates ski resorts, golf resorts and other properties across North America. His son, P.A. Novelly II, formerly worked for Bear Stearns, where he reportedly handled investments for his father. The younger Novelly moved to Stifel in March.

The sale of the Blues could take months to complete, but AEG was said to be pushing for a quick purchase of the arena. A sale of the building to AEG would split the building ownership and team ownership. That could make the purchase of the Blues more affordable for a local buyer, since the new team owners would not have to foot the bill on the remaining $62.4 million in bonds on the arena.

"I do think it presents an opportunity perhaps people didn't realize existed," said Bob Caporale, chairman of Boston-based Game Plan LLC.

Game Plan is managing the sale of the team and the arena for the Blues. Caporale said it's too early to tell whether the team and the Savvis Center are more likely to be sold together to a single buyer or as separate entities.

AEG, the apparent frontrunner among those interested in the arena alone, would be prohibited from buying the Blues because the company already owns the Los Angeles Kings hockey team.

But arena ownership is familiar territory for AEG. The company already owns other professional sports facilities that host teams not owned by AEG. The company owns both the Staples Center and the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, for example, but has no ownership interest in the Los Angeles Clippers and only a minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, though both NBA teams play home games in those arenas.

A partnership with an independent facility owner could be "an option that is available to someone who may want to own the Blues but may see some merit or financial value in teaming up with AEG to arrange a partnership," Caporale said.

AEG is a sports and entertainment powerhouse owned by The Anschutz Corp., a holding company led by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz. The company claims to own more sports teams and events than any other company in the world.

Other facility ownership groups besides AEG also have contacted Game Plan to discuss a purchase of Savvis Center, Caporale said. He declined to name those groups, but there are only a small number of companies in that business. Global Spectrum and SMG, both based in Philadelphia, are the most likely candidates.

[email protected] • [email protected]

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories...tml?t=printable

[/b][/quote]

[BringBackZezel]

thanks.

[007]

Kiel Opera House Deal Signed

QUOTE

Curtain's up: Breckenridge signs Kiel deal
Christopher Tritto
Developer Don Breckenridge got the green light to move forward on his $45 million redevelopment of Kiel Opera House and an adjacent garage.

The go-ahead appears to indicate a local buyer is in the wings for the St. Louis Blues.

Mark Sauer, president of the Savvis Center and the Blues, agreed to lease the Kiel Opera House to Breckenridge and assured Breckenridge that he could proceed with his planned parking garage next door, Breckenridge said.

The Kiel Opera House, which includes a 3,500-seat main auditorium and four adjoining smaller theaters, was closed in 1991 when construction of Savvis Center began. Breckenridge's renovations will include constructing a sound-proof wall between Kiel and the Savvis Center and expanding loading docks.

Breckenridge has been trying for three years to redevelop Kiel as a venue for Broadway shows. The Savvis Center and the Opera House are physically connected, and Savvis Center holds the long-term lease on the building.

Sauer's move indicates team and building owners Bill and Nancy Laurie are confident they will find a new owner who will keep the Blues in St. Louis.

When the Lauries put the Blues and Savvis Center up for sale June 17, parking became an issue for Breckenridge, who plans to convert the former L. Douglas Abrams Federal Building at 15th and Market streets into an 800-space garage to serve Kiel.

"There's no need for two parking garages," he said. "It depended on whether the team would stay and use their garage or not. If it would, we'd build another parking garage (in the Abrams building). (The Lauries and Sauer) certainly have to know where they are going for them to give us the go-ahead."

Sauer and the Blues declined to comment for this story.

Breckenridge said several local parties remain interested in buying the Blues. The Business Journal reported Aug. 19 that local groups being assembled by Michael Shanahan Sr. and his son Michael Shanahan Jr., Shaun Hayes, Tony Sansone Jr., and Tony Novelly and his son P.A. Novelly II have emerged as potential buyers of the Blues.

Michael Shanahan Sr., chairman emeritus of Engineered Support Systems Inc., helped build the St. Louis Blues franchise in the 1990s until he was forced out by Civic Progress leaders. His son, Shanahan Jr., owns the Huntleigh/McGehee Inc. insurance agency and an area minor league hockey team, the Missouri River Otters. That team plays in the St. Charles Family Arena. When the Lauries announced they were selling the Blues, Shanahan Jr. was among the first to express an interest in buying the club.

Hayes is regional president of National City Bank. Tony Novelly is chairman of Apex Oil Co., while his son is an executive with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Sansone is a principal in his family's commercial real estate firm, The Sansone Group.

Breckenridge also said Los Angeles-based AEG remains interested in buying the long-term lease on the arena. AEG owns and operates entertainment venues and sports teams around the country but would be prohibited from buying the Blues, because the company already owns the Los Angeles Kings hockey team.

Boston-based Game Plan LLC is managing the sale on behalf of the Lauries. Bob Caporale, Game Plan's chairman, said AEG is one of a few venue owner-operators that have expressed interest in the Savvis Center.

"We don't comment on any deals that are in negotiations," said AEG spokesman Michael Roth. "I can't even give you a gauge of our interest. But we own and operate venues as part of our core business."

Breckenridge said his architects were scheduled to arrive from Washington, D.C., and visit the building Sept. 1 to complete final measurements of the space and designate the formal division between Savvis Center and Kiel. "Once we do that, we can execute our leases with Central Parking and Clear Channel."

San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel Communications Inc. agreed in 2003 to sign a 20-year lease for an undisclosed amount to manage Kiel and bring Broadway shows and other cultural events to the historic building. Central Parking Corp., based in Nashville, Tenn., signed a letter of intent in 2003 to lease Breckenridge's planned parking garage for more than $1 million over 10 years, Breckenridge said.

[email protected]
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories...tml?t=printable

[/b][/quote]

[007]

Mike Shanahan just made a nice deal today...

QUOTE

Engineered Support Systems will be acquired by DRS Technologies
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/22/2005

Engineered Support Systems Inc. of Cool Valley today said it would be acquired by DRS Technologies of Parsippany, N.J., for $1.97 billion.

Mark S. Newman, chairman, president and chief executive of DRS Technologies, said the deal would make the firm a leading provider of defense electronics products. Engineered Support would become the third operating group of DRS, focused on support and services.

Gerald A. Potthoff, vice chairman and chief executive of Engineered Support, said the deal will "bolster the combined company's ability to accomplish its mission to support the military's near-term force modernization and emerging transformation initiatives."

Under terms of the acquisition, each share of Engineered Support common stock will be converted into $30.10 in cash and a portion of a share of DRS common stock valued at $12.90. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the DRS fiscal year.[/b][/quote]

[jhanke]

very cool about the Keil thing! Does the second mean Shanny is buying the team?

[steveInebriated]

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG is a really shitty building management company.

Look for a bunch of really shitty AEG concerts to be dropped in all the time, with really shitty marketing, and really shitty event management.

[007]

QUOTE(steveInebriated @ Sep 22 2005, 11:53 AM) Quoted post

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG is a really shitty building management company.

Look for a bunch of really shitty AEG concerts to be dropped in all the time, with really shitty marketing, and really shitty event management.
[/b][/quote]
They may need a local marketing guru w/ recent concert promoting experience...[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

"Can't buy what I want because it's free...
Can't buy what I want because it's free..."

-- Pearl Jam, from the single Corduroy

[steveInebriated]

Clear Channel Communications Inc. agreed in 2003 to sign a 20-year lease for an undisclosed amount to manage Kiel and bring Broadway shows and other cultural events to the historic building.
That's really shitty for union musicians in the St. Louis area.

Clear Channel will bring in their own non-union, self-contained "virtual" (sequencers, synthesizers, etc) orchestras and put hard working, honest, "live" musicians like myself out of work.

The only good thing is that this competition for the Fox Theatre. Ultimately, the Saint Louis patron will win.

[steveInebriated]

QUOTE(*007* @ Sep 22 2005, 11:54 AM) Quoted post

QUOTE(steveInebriated @ Sep 22 2005, 11:53 AM) Quoted post

QUOTE(BringBackZezel @ Sep 21 2005, 01:19 PM) Quoted post

That's not good news.

I'm told the big hangup for the Novelly/Sansone/Clinton/Shanahan group WAS the building...and who will own it.


Sounds like the AEG group might be in on this one...
[/b][/quote]
AEG is a really shitty building management company.

Look for a bunch of really shitty AEG concerts to be dropped in all the time, with really shitty marketing, and really shitty event management.
[/b][/quote]
They may need a local marketing guru w/ recent concert promoting experience...[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Well, if that's the case, sign my ass up. I'll work for a shitty company.

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[Donuts_For_Koharski]

I know it's a pipedream, but my first request (after firing Sauer and Leery) of the new owners would be to go get Woodcock back from Maritz and make him president.