BILLBOARDS ON THE STADIUM

In St. Louis a group of residents is complaining about the placement of billboard advertising on the outside of the new Trans World Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams football team.

The contention is that enough billboards already clutter the St. Louis skyline. More aren't needed, particularly on a large covering for a football field. It isn't clear what is so appealing about the concrete and steel the billboards cover. But, if anything, more advertising space ought to be made available on the Trans World Dome.

Anything that helps offset the obscene price tag for the building should be applauded. The price tag now has passed $300 million thanks to $8 million in construction adjustments approved recently by the regional agency that built the facility.

Of the total, $202 million was used to build the 65,000-seat stadium and exhibition hall. Another $99 million went to buy land, demolish the old Sheraton-St. Louis, pay lawyers and architects, and other costs.

As the officials with the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority first began planning the building, they talked about a $250 million stadium with 70,000 seats. Last summer, the cost was estimated at $280 million. The most recent increases were blamed on the rush to open the stadium in October for the Rams.

St. Louis has its football stadium and its professional football team. With Missouri taxpayers footing much of the tab for the high-priced facility, selling billboard space on the dome is the least stadium officials can do to recoup some of the costs.