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LATimes
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-0105-nfl-la-stadium-20150105-story.html#page=1
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in late December that no team would relocate to Los Angeles for the 2015 season. But that doesn't mean the speculation will stop anytime soon.
And perhaps for good reason this time.
The Los Angeles Times reported early Monday morning that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has struck a deal with an investment firm and plans to build a stadium in an L.A. suburb and open the door for his franchise's return to Southern California.
According to The Times' report, Kroenke, the 67-year-old billionaire whose company holds controlling of interest of the Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Rapids of MLS, will team with Stockbridge Capital Group to add an 80,000-seat NFL stadium and 6,000-seat performance venue to a planned retail / commercial / hotel development in Inglewood. Kroenke bought 60 acres of land near the Forum in Inglewood, former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings, early last year. But now, by adding the 238-acre Hollywood Park site owned by Stockbridge, Kroenke has enough land to build a possible future home for the Rams.
Rumors and reports of a possible franchise relocation to L.A. is nothing new, but this is the first time the owner of an existing franchise has secured the land in the nation's second-largest TV market on which to build a stadium.
"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, told The Times 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."
According to the report, the project will be called the City of Champions Revitalization Project, with San Francisco firm Wilson Meany heading development.
The NFL has been absent from L.A. since both the Rams and Raiders (Oakland) left the city after the 1994 season.
The Rams have the ability to opt out of their stadium lease with the city of St. Louis now that the 2014 season is over. According to multiple reports, while the two sides work on a deal to renovate Edward Jones Dome — the Rams' home since 1997 — they remain hundreds of millions of dollars apart, and area officials aren't exactly confident the team is staying for the long haul.
Last month, FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported the Rams are the clear front-runner to be the team that ultimately ends back up in L.A.
The Raiders, it was reported in the middle of last month, are expected to extend their lease with Oakland to continue playing in the O.co Coliseum through the 2015 season.
A third team often rumored to be a candidate to move to L.A. is the San Diego Chargers. But in December of last year, the club announced it would not exercise its lease-termination clause for next season, ensuring the Chargers would play at least one more season in Qualcomm Stadium while the team and the city continue to negotiate a new publicly funded stadium.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-0105-nfl-la-stadium-20150105-story.html#page=1
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in late December that no team would relocate to Los Angeles for the 2015 season. But that doesn't mean the speculation will stop anytime soon.
And perhaps for good reason this time.
The Los Angeles Times reported early Monday morning that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has struck a deal with an investment firm and plans to build a stadium in an L.A. suburb and open the door for his franchise's return to Southern California.
According to The Times' report, Kroenke, the 67-year-old billionaire whose company holds controlling of interest of the Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Rapids of MLS, will team with Stockbridge Capital Group to add an 80,000-seat NFL stadium and 6,000-seat performance venue to a planned retail / commercial / hotel development in Inglewood. Kroenke bought 60 acres of land near the Forum in Inglewood, former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings, early last year. But now, by adding the 238-acre Hollywood Park site owned by Stockbridge, Kroenke has enough land to build a possible future home for the Rams.
Rumors and reports of a possible franchise relocation to L.A. is nothing new, but this is the first time the owner of an existing franchise has secured the land in the nation's second-largest TV market on which to build a stadium.
"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, told The Times 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."
According to the report, the project will be called the City of Champions Revitalization Project, with San Francisco firm Wilson Meany heading development.
The NFL has been absent from L.A. since both the Rams and Raiders (Oakland) left the city after the 1994 season.
The Rams have the ability to opt out of their stadium lease with the city of St. Louis now that the 2014 season is over. According to multiple reports, while the two sides work on a deal to renovate Edward Jones Dome — the Rams' home since 1997 — they remain hundreds of millions of dollars apart, and area officials aren't exactly confident the team is staying for the long haul.
Last month, FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported the Rams are the clear front-runner to be the team that ultimately ends back up in L.A.
The Raiders, it was reported in the middle of last month, are expected to extend their lease with Oakland to continue playing in the O.co Coliseum through the 2015 season.
A third team often rumored to be a candidate to move to L.A. is the San Diego Chargers. But in December of last year, the club announced it would not exercise its lease-termination clause for next season, ensuring the Chargers would play at least one more season in Qualcomm Stadium while the team and the city continue to negotiate a new publicly funded stadium.
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