San Diego officials are hopeful. In the meantime, the Rams could be playing in a new stadium in L.A. The Chargers and the NFL look at that offer and say it’s not enough. But any franchise would play in the Alamodome, which is now undergoing major upgrades, while talk of a new stadium is underway. “In the end any funding plan is going to be dragged down into the quicksand of the City’s legally inadequate environmental review process – a process that will be bogged down in court for years before it is eventually declared illegal”.
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But it did not say the plan would cost taxpayers less than what we’re losing. The city will use the feedback to update and further refine the report. The demolition of Qualcomm Stadium is also analyzed in the draft report. The Los Angeles area has not had an NFL team since 1995, when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.
“Our inspiration comes from celebrating San Diego as a city of villages”, said Jon Knight, senior principal at Populous.
The financing proposal differs from one issued in May by a mayoral task force in that it does not rely on income from other development on the site, like shops and office buildings – something that will be dealt with separately and later. If it is accepted and implemented, it will cost taxpayers more.
“We will not have an election in January unless we have a final deal that has been agreed to”, Faulconer said.
“It would be robbery to lose our team”, said Johnny Abundez, a member of Save Our Bolts, a Chargers fan group.
The figure does not include any potential amenity upgrades such as improved audio/visual equipment, bathroom and kitchen overhauls, suite upgrades, or other improvements to enhance the public experience during events. This make it more likely that owners will approve the Chargers as one of the teams to move. Weddle began growing a beard during the 2013 season, promising not to shave it until the Chargers win the Super Bowl.
The Chargers and the Raiders have also united to develop a football stadium on 170 acres of space in Carson. The Rams will then make a presentation on the Inglewood project and Carmen Policy is expected to present on behalf of the Carson project. On a hunch I asked Fabiani if the Chargers would classify the city’s announcements today as public posturing.
One of many sticking points is the idea of using $350 million from the General Fund (split between the city and county). “It’s no secret that our current financial agreement with Qualcomm Stadium leaves much to be desired”.
This is a bit like starting a Kickstarter for an NFL stadium.
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Importantly, though, it would cap the public contribution so there wouldn’t be any unexpected hits to the budget in the future.
