Rams owner building a stadium in LA.

[Chief Roundup]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la...ry.html#page=1

The owner of the St. Louis Rams plans to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood, which could pave the way for the league's return to Los Angeles.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who bought 60 acres adjacent to the Forum a year ago, has joined forces with the owners of the 238-acre Hollywood Park site, Stockbridge Capital Group. They plan to add an 80,000-seat NFL stadium and 6,000-seat performance venue to the already-massive development of retail, office, hotel and residential space, Stockbridge and the Kroenke Group told The Times.

The announcement is the latest in more than a dozen stadium proposals that have come and gone in the meandering, two-decade effort to bring an NFL franchise back to the nation's second-largest media market. But Kroenke's move marks the first time an existing team owner has controlled a local site large enough for a stadium and parking.
Inglewood stadium project

What's more, Kroenke, a billionaire who built his fortune in real estate, has the ability to move quickly. The Rams can choose later this month to convert their lease in St. Louis to year-to-year. The Rams declined comment on any plans to move, but it's no secret that the team is unhappy in the Edward Jones Dome, which is outdated by current NFL standards.

Kroenke's Inglewood plans ratchet up pressure on St. Louis to either strike a deal for a new stadium or watch the team return to Southern California, where it played from 1946 to 1994.

Under their current deal, the Rams can end their 30-year lease a decade early because they have not reached an agreement with St. Louis officials on improvements to the stadium. The sides remain about $575 million apart. St. Louis is expected to offer the team a new proposal by month's end.

The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are similarly unhappy in old stadiums that don't offer updated amenities. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would not be accepting relocation applications for the 2015 season. So the earliest any team could move would be 2016. Any team that moves could play in a temporary venue, such as the Coliseum or Rose Bowl, until a new stadium is constructed.

The Inglewood site Kroenke bought last year is too small for a stadium and parking, but the deal with Stockbridge, the neighboring developer, provides ample space.

"We are excited to unveil an expanded plan that will bring a world-class sports and entertainment district to Hollywood Park," Terry Fancher, founder of Stockbridge, said in a statement. "We are committed to working with [the Kroenke Group] to build a project that will put Inglewood back on the map as home of the truly great sports and entertainment venues."
NFL stadium

The developers said no tax dollars would be used for the construction project, including the stadium. The group plans to begin gathering signatures soon for an initiative that would place the entire project on the Inglewood municipal ballot in 2015.

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said he was "extremely supportive" of the ballot initiative that would add the sports and entertainment complex to the already-approved Hollywood Park development and speed construction. The stadium could be completed by 2018, the developers said.

"This will hasten the time for the citizens of Inglewood to get the project they deserve," Butts said. "This is something they have waited for for a long time."

The owners are calling the combined Kroenke and Hollywood Park projects the City of Champions Revitalization Project. Wilson Meany, a San Francisco firm, is heading development of the site. Wilson Meany is also developing Bay Meadows, a former horse racing track in San Mateo.

The developers want to restore Inglewood to prominence as a sports and entertainment hub. Before Staples Center was built in 1999, Inglewood's Forum was home to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and Kings hockey team. The Forum was recently renovated to be a pure music venue.

Since the Raiders and Rams left after the 1994 season, the threat of moving to Los Angeles has been used as leverage by NFL teams looking to get stadium deals done in their current cities. In that sense, the region has been more valuable to the league without a team than with one.

Because stadiums are so expensive, now routinely topping $1 billion — and because there is no appetite in Los Angeles for public funding — the NFL has a great deal of influence on which team or teams ultimately move into the market. The league can issue loans to help pay for a stadium and award Super Bowls, which are used as a financing mechanism. Any relocation must be approved by a three-quarters majority of team owners.

As it stands, Los Angeles has two sites with the legal, political and environmental clearances for NFL venues: the Farmers Field plan downtown and Ed Roski's proposal in City of Industry. The stadium entitlement process, which invariably involves resolving lawsuits filed by people opposed to a given project, typically requires at least a year, thousands of pages of documents, and millions of dollars in legal and consulting fees.

The developers of the proposed downtown Los Angeles stadium, entertainment giant AEG, have a few more months to find a football team under an agreement with the city. AEG has vowed to build a stadium called Farmers Field along with a new wing for the city's convention center. The center's obsolete West Hall would be demolished to make way for Farmers Field.

AEG, an international sports and music entertainment firm founded by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, owns the Los Angeles Kings and the L.A. Galaxy soccer team.

Hollywood Park, through its sheer size, offers a rare opportunity for large-scale development in an urban area, industry observers said. At neary 300 acres, it is about the size of Boston's financial district and twice as big as Vatican City.

The developers aim to create a new neighborhood in Inglewood, with curving streets and parks. The first phase of construction that began in June includes preparation of the site and demolition of the racetrack and grandstands.

Wal-Mart originally owned the 60 acres adjacent to the Forum but sold it to Kroenke after failing to get public approval for a superstore. Madison Square Garden Co., which owns the Forum, had planned to buy the lot in order to acquire more space for parking and possibly additional development, but Kroenke beat them to it.

Kroenke is a former Wal-Mart board member and husband of Ann Walton Kroenke, daughter of Wal-Mart co-founder Bud Walton. Forbes magazine estimates Kroenke's net worth at $5.8 billion — not counting his wife's $5.6 billion — making him the NFL's second-richest owner to Seattle's Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who is worth an estimated $17.1 billion.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

2 of the 3 Baltimore ownership groups got franchises. Kroenke ended up with the Rams. New England ended up with Bob Kraft. New stadiums in St. Louis, Baltimore, Tennessee, Cleveland, Houston along with many others. Other than losing the Los Angeles market - Jacksonville was sort of brilliant decision mainly because the other owners wouldn't use it as a threat to move like the would with St. Louis and Baltimore.

That may have been the plan but I recall the NFL being skewered by fans and sportwriter's alike for the Jacksonville decision.

It really hasn't worked for them. Oakland's just as bad. If Mark Davis was smart, he be all over selling 49% of his franchise so that he could put up a minimum of $750 for a new stadium.

[ChiefsCountry]

Actual helmet and the logo of the team.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That may have been the plan but I recall the NFL being skewered by fans and sportwriter's alike for the Jacksonville decision.

It really hasn't worked for them. Oakland's just as bad. If Mark Davis was smart, he be all over selling 49% of his franchise so that he could put up a minimum of $750 for a new stadium.

Remember though the NFL, Al Davis, and Hollywood Park was close to having a new stadium. NFL voted on and passed it and Al shipped back to Oakland.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

The problem with LA is that everyone who lives here came from somewhere else, feels like 90% implants. So its hard for people to get behind a team from St Louis, previously LA, but most recently the St Louis Rams. Just because they move here doesn't mean I'm going to even consider rooting for them, I'm a Die-hard Chiefs fan that just happens to live in LA.

The locals only care about the Lakers, and the ones that do follow football are all Raiders fans. Also there's so much to do in LA and its beach weather most of the year, lot's of distractions that take precedence over going to a Rams game.

My wish and suggestion is that they change the team name, logo and colors. Give us a new look to draw us in as fans so we'll support the local LA team. The LA "Stars" or the LA "Gold"...something "hollywood" to overcome the mental block I have in supporting the "St Louis Rams". If the Rams don't do this a second team could come to LA and steal the crowd by doing so. Its often suggested LA could hold two teams and there are 4 proposals currently for stadiums.

Additionally, if the Rams do move to Inglewood and keep their logo they risk a second team moving in on the proposed downtown stadium plans and stealing the hollywood/beverly hills high end-celebrity audience the Lakers enjoy bc who the hell is going to drive down to the hood when you could go down the the LA Live district downtown (similar to P&L) for a game on Sunday. A second team could steal their thunder simply by offering a better location.

California Cosmos. Use a helmet design similar to the old Frankfurt Galaxy team of the NFL Europe.

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

California Cosmos. Use a helmet design similar to the old Frankfurt Galaxy team of the NFL Europe.

Works because the Griffith observatory is a landmark and the star connection.

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That may have been the plan but I recall the NFL being skewered by fans and sportwriter's alike for the Jacksonville decision.

It really hasn't worked for them. Oakland's just as bad. If Mark Davis was smart, he be all over selling 49% of his franchise so that he could put up a minimum of $750 for a new stadium.

It was basically a last minute decision. The St. Louis ownership groups were a mess. Jack Kent Cooke, then owner of the Redskins, didn't want a team in Baltimore. Surprisingly, the owner of the Eagles voted for Baltimore twice.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The stadium wasn't built for the Rams. It was built for an expansion team that fell through. The parking lot served as a flea market for years before that twat Georgia Frontiere bolted for St. Louis.

I met that bitch (Georgia) when i was in the 4th grade. She had went to college with my teacher and she came to my class. Rams were my team growing up til that bitch flee'd L.A.

[Easy 6]

It is, was, and always will be a baseball town... cant say I feel very sorry for them.

[Gonzo]

They'll move to LA and become the latest novelty. Then they'll grow old after five losing seasons and attendance will be down. They'll be right back in the same boat they were in during the 80's and early 90's.
One thing I gotta say is I hope they revert to the old school uniforms. Either white and blue or yellow and blue. These new ones are god awful.

[Katipan]

It's so easy these days to work people up over ANYTHING over social media. Something that didn't really exist in the 80s and something Los Angeles excels at. I could puke that it's going to be the Rams but I'm happy to see a team in L.A.

[kcbubb]

You guys are missing the point. Even bad nfl teams make plenty of money with good stadiums. Good stadiums have good revenue streams bc of the corp suites and club level seats. KC has one of the best designed stadiums for the year it was built bc of the mix of corp suites and club level seats.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Jacksonville was a panic decision. The St. Louis group fell through at the last minute. I'm more than certain they regret the Jacksonville decision.

The Jaguars have signed a lease through 2030 that has a $100 million buyout. Shad Khan just last year contributed $30 million out of his own pocket for the $60 million that was spent to renovate Everbank Field. They don't seem like the actions of someone who is considering moving the team.

They also sold 7,000 new season tickets this past offseason, and they have around 45k season ticket holders. They are not the worst attended team in the league, despite what people think. They are generally around 20th, which isn't bad for not having had a winning season in 8ish years.

They aren't moving, IMO

[FloridaMan88]

Remember St. Louis-based Enterprise Rental Cars running an aggressive campaign to try to defeat the vote to build the Sprint Center?

Karma time.

[The Franchise]

Profootballtalk reports Rams owner Stan Kroenke intends to move the team to Los Angeles "with or without" league approval.

Mike Florio's report comes via a source with "knowledge of the current dynamics in Southern California." The same source tells Florio that Kroenke doesn't currently have the 24 votes required for relocation. Kroenke is apparently unmoved by this, however, and has reportedly assured the mayor of Inglewood he'll be coming regardless of the league's wishes. It's a bold, confrontational stance, one that could result in a protracted legal battle. The takeaway from the past two days is that Kroenke, a Missouri native, is dead set on heading to Hollywood.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Dicky McElephant

Profootballtalk reports Rams owner Stan Kroenke intends to move the team to Los Angeles "with or without" league approval.

Mike Florio's report comes via a source with "knowledge of the current dynamics in Southern California." The same source tells Florio that Kroenke doesn't currently have the 24 votes required for relocation. Kroenke is apparently unmoved by this, however, and has reportedly assured the mayor of Inglewood he'll be coming regardless of the league's wishes. It's a bold, confrontational stance, one that could result in a protracted legal battle. The takeaway from the past two days is that Kroenke, a Missouri native, is dead set on heading to Hollywood.

Legal battle......I think they mean coming up with a dollar figure to satisfy all sides. What is the NFL going to do? I don't see how they could keep them from playing games and such.
Did Modell have league permission when he moved the Browns to Baltimore?