State Supreme Court Puts Challenge To Stadium Bonds On Its Docket

The state Supreme Court will hear a citizen challenge to the planned $414 million Mariners ballpark in mid-May. If the challenge is rejected, the stadium could be opened in July 1999.

Ken Johnsen, executive director of the stadium district, said Friday that the court’s decision to quickly hear the case means a final ruling could be made by the end of May.

If the court upholds a King County Superior Court decision that the county can legally issue $336 million in bonds to finance the ballpark then, Johnsen said, the project would be delayed by a few weeks at most.

An advance of $5 million the Mariners made to the project last week should keep the construction moving at full speed until early May, he said. After that, the project runs out of money until the county bond money becomes available.

The Metropolitan King County Council plans to take a final vote Wednesday on selling the $336 million in stadium bonds and putting them in escrow until the court ruling.

Mets blank Mariners

Bobby Jones pitched six scoreless innings and Todd Hundley homered Saturday night as the New York Mets blanked the Seattle Mariners 4-0 in an exhibition at Las Vegas.

Jones struck out six and allowed four hits.

With one out in the first inning, Seattle starter Bob Wolcott walked John Olerud, then struck out Bernard Gilkey before hitting Hundley. Butch Huskey’s two-out single scored Olerud.

Wolcott retired nine of the next 10 batters before Alex Ochoa singled with two outs in the fourth. Rey Ordonez’s grounder to shortstop Alex Rodriguez should have ended the inning, but Rodriguez and first baseman Paul Sorrento made consecutive throwing errors, allowing Ochoa and Ordonez to score.