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December 19, 2013

Alfond offers bill addressing civic center, Pirates dispute

Maine Senate President Justin Alfond said Wednesday he’s submitted a bill that would allow the Portland Pirates hockey team to share revenue from alcohol sales at the Cumberland County Civic Center, which stands to resolve the issue that derailed a tentative lease agreement reached in April.

The Portland Press Herald reported the bill will be submitted to the Legislature for consideration in January. It would allow athletic centers with a seating capacity of 3,000 or more to share revenue from alcohol sales with professional sports teams.

In the tentative agreement reached in April, the team would have received 57.5% of all concession revenue, but state law prevented the team from sharing in alcohol sales because it is not on the arena’s alcohol license.

The team has filed a lawsuit arguing the terms of that unsigned agreement are enforceable. The civic center has argued that more negotiations are needed for a final agreement. That conflict led to the team deciding to play its entire season at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.

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