A new fan group is working to build community support for fixing the Blue Jackets' financial troubles, which officials have said could endanger the team's future in the Arena District.

Forward Together has set up an online petition for central Ohioans to express support for a solution. "Any solution!" the group says in a news release.

"The Arena District is one of the shining success stories we have for economic development and an economic engine in the city," said John W. Bentine, a Columbus lawyer helping lead the group. "My hope is that this group will show there is a diverse base of support for the public and private entities that can get together and solve this problem."

The group is getting an assist from the team's majority owner, which has hired Hinson Ltd. Public Relations for 60 days to help it organize and set up its Web site, www.forwardtogethercolumbus.org.

More than 2,300 visitors had signed an online petition of support by mid-yesterday. That petition is purposely vague, said another group leader, Jan Wilson, a South-Western City Schools principal.

"Our purpose is not to come up with a solution. There are experts," Wilson said. "Ours is to just say, 'Do it. Get it done.' This is a community issue that is important to us."

A study commissioned by the Columbus Chamber estimated that the Blue Jackets are losing an estimated $12 million per year because of an unfavorable lease with Nationwide Arena. The city of Columbus and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority hired lawyer John Rosenberger to find a fix, but his contract is nearing its end.

"Mr. Rosenberger is making progress on this," Mayor Michael B. Coleman said through spokesman Dan Williamson. "And he's had a lot of productive conversations. However, this is an issue that is extraordinarily complicated."

Mike Priest, president of the Blue Jackets, said they're trying to be "patient and respectful" of the process. But the situation, he said, "is urgent."

The group grew out of phone calls from worried fans, Priest said. "As you might expect, over the past year or so, we've been inundated with people asking how they could help or what they might do."

JMAC, the private family holding company of Worthington Industries CEO John P. McConnell, owns about 80 percent of the team. A subsidiary of Dispatch publisher The Dispatch Printing Company is one of the minority owners.

bcarmen@dispatch.com