BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Two New Orleans lawmakers questioned a proposal for the state to lease office space from Saints owner Tom Benson as part of a deal to keep the NFL team in New Orleans.
Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Karen Carter Peterson say the state should be trying to find the fairest deal for replacing state office space in downtown New Orleans lost to Hurricane Katrina. And they say they aren’t sure that’s the priority in the Saints negotiations.
Those comments Friday came after a state senator said Benson intends to buy an office tower next to the Louisiana Superdome and the state will lease much of the building back from him.
The state and Saints are in negotiations aimed at extending the club’s lease of the Superdome until 2025. Both the team and the state’s chief negotiator have refused to comment on intentions involving the office tower.
 
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