Louisiana District pauses Superdome upgrades as Saints delay $11,500,000 payments to state: Report
The New Orleans Saints have been hit with a massive bill amounting to $11.5 million and this is not only going to affect the NFL team but also the NBA team, the New Orleans Pelicans.
Last year, renovation plans for the Caesars Superdome were revealed. After the fire of '22, Saints owner Gayle Benson was supposed to put up $41 million of the total $58 million cost.
However, the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District officials have not received the outstanding payment of $11.5 million since December and are putting their foot down. The Superdome is managed by another private entity, ASM Global and their GM, Evan Holmes, told The New Orleans Times:
“The Saints have not paid their share of Caesars Superdome upgrades since December.”
The LSED chairman, Robert Vosbein, has taken a drastic measure to get the dues cleared. Since both the Saints and the Pelicans are owned by Gayle Benson, the LSED is pausing their plans for further renovations of both teams’ stadiums, the Superdome and the Smoothie King Center.
“We talked about moving forward with that. 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," Chairman Vosbein said.
“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.”
This action was voted on by the members of LSED on Tuesday and will majorly hamper the reputation of the Saints while impeding the plans of renovation for the Pelicans.
Saints shift the blame to State
The Saints have responded to this extreme step taken by the state and have shifted the blame on the state. The Saints told The New Orleans Times:
“(We have) 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.”
Amongst this back and forth, the Saints have made headlines for all the wrong reasons before the start of the 2024 season.