An $80,000, six-month study finds converting the Amelia Streetarena to a 200,000-sf Downtown convention center site isn'tfeasible because demand for such a property is lacking. Cityofficials had considered assisting with but not paying for theconstruction of a new sports center if the old facility could beconverted and used as a revenue-generating location.

Now the ball is in the team owner's court. The new study,commissioned by DeVos, seeks to determine if plush sky boxes andother luxury amenities could be sold to corporate supporters whowould generate the new revenue. The study will be completed inFebruary. If the report is negative, DeVos could either build hisown arena in the suburbs or move the team to another city where theproperty would be profitable.

The negative news on the arena conversion plans, however, isn'tdelaying a planned $1 billion Downtown redevelopment schedule inthe economically-depressed Parramore district. Expected to breakground in early 2001, are a $23 million, 150,000-sf headquartersbuilding for publicly-traded Hughes Supply Co.; 235 apartmentunits; 75,000 sf of retail; and the $30 million, 120,000-sf FloridaA&M Law School.