New Orleans CityBusiness is out with an editorial today called “Saints-state deal holds promise.”  Highlights:

It’s been years in the making, but the fruit may well be worth the toiling.

On Thursday, Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson signed a tentative agreement that will keep the team in the city through 2025, upgrade the Superdome and put a long-vacant block of prime downtown property back in business.

It comes as good news at a time when the stagnating economy has delayed significant projects throughout the city, if not killed them entirely. But despite this, New Orleans has still retained its post-Katrina momentum with commercial activity in the downtown area….

On paper, this is the best proposal yet to address the long-term needs of all parties involved. The city gets a very significant chunk of dormant commercial property put back into commerce, the state would save $281 million based on subsidies they owe the Saints and the franchise gets the stadium upgrades and long-term lease it’s seeking.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune weighed in with an editorial called “Seal the deal.”  Here’s how it starts:

The new agreement between the Saints and the state accomplishes essentially everything it needed to do.

Not only will the deal keep the team here until at least 2025, but it shifts the financial burden from taxpayers to the Saints, makes vital improvements to the Superdome and jump-starts the renewal of several nearby blocks that have been blighted since Hurricane Katrina.

In the process, the state's cash liability will be dramatically reduced, the Saints will be in a position to better compete with larger markets, and the city will be poised to contend for marquee events like the 2013 Super Bowl.

As for fans, this deal should banish any worries that their beloved Saints are at risk of moving. And, when Dome renovations are complete and a planned sports entertainment complex opens next-door, game day will be even more festive than it is now.

This is a win-win-win-win situation.

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Saints owner Tom Benson deserve tremendous credit for working out a long-term agreement that benefits the team, state taxpayers, fans and this community.

"This is a great deal not only for New Orleans, but for the state Louisiana," Gov. Jindal said Thursday. "This is a terrific investment for the state."

It is a good investment, and the Legislature ought to approve it.

Read the full editorials at the links provided.