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August 22, 2006
State unveils casino investors
Franco Harris, Bettis' parents among those with piece of action
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- The ownership stakes of investors in the three groups competing for Pittsburgh's lone casino license were released yesterday, and some well-known names are in the mix.
Former Steelers running back Franco Harris has a 4 percent stake in Station Square Gaming, the group headed by Forest City Enterprises that wants to put a casino at Station Square.
NoLandGrab: This isn't the first time that Forest City has leveraged a celebrity to help close a deal. In NYC, the Bruce Ratner-led ownership group includes Jay-Z as a less-than-two-percent minority investor.
Two years ago, Bruce Ratner tapped local b-ball hero Bernard King to help pitch his Brooklyn arena plan, until the former NY Knicks star was arrested for beating his wife. Most recently, Ratner has hired Darryl Dawkins, a former player who committed most of his fouls ON THE COURT (and lots of them).
NLG wonders if Dawkins, who was notorious in the NBA for his backboard-shattering dunks, is advising FCRC on the wisdom of locating its all-glass "Urban Room" so close to major thoroughfares.
Posted by lumi at August 22, 2006 7:58 AM