State to Pay Coliseum Cost After U.S. Government Does : Repairs: An official says short-term financing is a likely option for its 10% share of expenses in fixing the quake-damaged sports stadium.

Gov. Pete Wilson is personally committed to seeing that the state pays its 10% share of earthquake repairs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but only after the federal government pays its 90% share, according to Wilson’s chief disaster aide.

“It’s been common practice in other disasters that the state portion is the last to come in,” said Richard Andrews, director of the state Office of Emergency Services.

Andrews said that despite voters’ rejection last month of an earthquake bond issue that would have paid the state share of the Coliseum repairs and many other public quake repair projects, the Administration has already initiated an alternative way to generate the money.

“The state director of finance is pursuing short-term financing, and we do not anticipate that there will be any slow-up of any project as a result of needing our legally mandated 10%,” he said.

At the Coliseum, where repairs will reach $50 million, compared to the initial estimate of $35 million, officials said they have won solid assurances from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that there will be sufficient funds to see the facility through its projected reopening Sept. 3.

Although the Coliseum will be ready for football and as many as 68,000 spectators then, project consultant Gerard J. Quinn said, substantial work will continue for months thereafter to finish the repairs. Only after the reopening will the 90% federal share be exhausted and state funds required, he said.

Conducting a tour of the repair work Wednesday, Coliseum project director Don C. Webb said he wanted to emphasize that the costs have risen “not because they are out of control, but because we’re doing more than we ever anticipated doing” when work was started.

“We are substantially strengthening and reinforcing the structure from a seismic point of view,” Webb said. “This protects the work we are doing against possible future damage from another earthquake, and at the same time should convey a sense of confidence to the public that the facility is safe.”

Webb said drilling of piles for seismic reinforcing should be finished Saturday. Major reconstruction of the upper-level concourse and the peristyle, as well as the sealing of cracks in the superstructure and replacement of damaged seating, is on schedule, he said.

The only remaining big decision is what to do with the severely damaged press box. Webb said he favors demolishing it, providing temporary press seating for this season and building a new press box in the future.