The Cardinals say they are close to a deal with the St. Louis Fire Department that will allow them to move to the next phase of construction on the new Busch Stadium. Part of the potential deal calls for the team to install valves similar to fire hydrants for the nearby highway.

The accord comes as the team continues to work to resolve issues raised by the St. Louis Fire Department, the only city agency that has not approved the final stage of construction for the new ballpark.

Fire department officials say the proximity of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) to the stadium could hinder firefighters from responding to an emergency either in the ballpark or on the highway.

The "preliminary agreement," according to Fire Marshal Charles Coyle, includes putting two standpipes - taps firefighters can draw water through - on support columns for Highway 40, near Poplar Street.

"So if we have an emergency on the highway, we'll be able to hook our fire hose up to that standpipe," he said.

The department also is seeking access to the inside of the stadium, in case of a fire on the field or in the stands. The Cardinals' new home will be located just south of the current stadium, between Broadway and Eighth Street.

The south wall of the stadium, along the first base line, abuts Highway 40 with only about 40 feet between the two structures. That's less than the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate.

Construction continues at the site as building crews excavate the area, lay a foundation and erect a structural skeleton. But approval for the most important building permit - the one that says "construct baseball stadium" - has been help up pending fire department approval.

It is the last major hurdle to building the park, where the first pitch still is expected on Opening Day 2006.

The fire department's concerns were first made public in a story by the Post-Dispatch last month. After the story was published, Cardinals President Mark Lamping met with several key city officials including Fire Chief Sherman George and Director of Public Safety Sam Simon to discuss the concerns.

After the meeting, Simon asked George for "clarification on what present public safety issues remain."

In his response, George reiterates earlier comments about the relationship between the highway and the stadium: "A major emergency incident at one will likely impact the safety and welfare of the occupants of the other," he wrote in a letter dated Nov. 30.

George also writes that fire department access to the inside of the stadium "remains an issue." That issue is complicated by the composition of the field, which has three feet of sand underneath it and could not support a full-size fire engine.

John Loyd, who is supervising stadium construction for the Cardinals, said the problem has nothing to do with baseball, but other entertainment events on the field.

"Like a concert," Loyd said. "They are fine with us for baseball, because there is nothing combustible on the field."

Loyd says that the department and the team are close to a final deal, perhaps within a week. "We have come a long way," Loyd said. The department's Coyle says he is waiting to see what the Cardinals' design team submits. Documents for the massive project - construction permit fees alone exceed $2.1 million - show that the city and the Cardinals have been negotiating over issues large and small for nearly two years. Issues range from handicap access and a sprinkler system to the need for a "family toilet" in the Scoreboard Club and a camera bay in the home dugout.

Reporter Jake Wagman
E-mail: jwagman@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-622-3580