The president of the New Orleans Saints says claims by officials from ASM Global and the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District regarding the team's failure to pay $11.5 million towards Superdome renovations are "absolutely disingenuous and unprofessional."
In an online question-and-answer session posted on the Saints' website, Dennis Laucha ripped LSED officials for comments they made during a Wednesday board meeting. During that meeting, officials said Superdome renovations could fall behind schedule if the Saints don't make due payments for their share of the bill. Later that day, Saints officials said they have no problem paying the bill, but they want documentation from LSED before doing so.
In that Q&A, Lauscha said documents in question have to do with the Saints' lease in the Superdome. Lauscha also said that further the team will withhold further payments until the Saints and LSED make progress on a new long-term lease agreement.
"First off, it is absolutely disingenuous and unprofessional for the LSED to make a statement that they are unaware of what we are looking for, which I believe they have since admitted," Lauscha told Doug Tatum, the Saints' vice president of digital media, during the question-and-answer session. "In December, as noted previously, the LSED was informed that material progress toward a long-term lease had to be made or payments would be stopped. In March, a meeting was held whereupon issues were discussed, and resolutions agreed to. As of late of last week, sufficient progress was not made and the Saints reached out to tell them, yet again, that payments would not be made until significant progress on the lease was accomplished. They responded that they were in agreement with approximately 85 percent to 90 percent of the most recent draft we sent them on May 9. In good faith and wanting to complete the agreement, we asked that any remaining issues be sent by close of business on Monday, May 20, which they agreed to do. We also let them know that if the 10 percent to 15 percent of disputed issues were reasonable, that 85 percent or 90 percent was agreed to, and that the request was not an erosion of current rights, we would immediately make a payment. Not only was the deadline missed but multiple calls and messages were not returned. Again, it should be noted that as of today, we have still not received the 10 percent to 15 percent of disputed items. This is particularly frustrating as we offered to make the funding payment if we could just confirm their issues. If the issues are what they have vaguely referenced, we feel we could knock out an agreement in an afternoon and make a payment the next day. We can't resolve issues they won't share with us, nor can we be expected to negotiate against ourselves."
Lauscha also balked at the idea that the Saints or the franchise's owner, Gayle Benson, were delinquent with their payments or didn't have the cash to make the payment.
"We absolutely have the money to pay," Lauscha said. "In fact, we have already paid $144.7 million of our $183 million to this renovation. For anyone at the LSED or media member to suggest otherwise is extremely offensive, unfounded, and insulting to Mrs. Benson - who gives so much to the community. To be accurate, it is not Mrs. Benson who is making payment, but the New Orleans Saints. It should be noted that, as a further sign of good faith, the Saints had previously offered to the LSED's legal counsel that the Saints would escrow their unfunded balance until enough progress had been made toward the lease agreement to pay the entire remaining amount- not just what is currently due. The LSED made no response to this offer."
To read the full Q&A, click here.
