Anaheim is trying to secure a stadium deal with the NFL before its land offer is out of date.
by Michael Lev and Sarah Tully
The Orange County Register - Thursday, March 30, 2006
Anaheim wants to get a deal done with the NFL before the current asking price becomes obsolete.
The city has offered to sell the plot near Angel Stadium for $53 million, Mayor Curt Pringle said Wednesday. The NFL would develop about 35 acres, including a stadium and an entertainment plaza. Another 15.5 acres, which the NFL also would own, are tied up for existing uses, including Angels and office parking.
The price is based on a year-old appraisal, which found the usable land is worth about $1.5 million an acre - close to the going rate. But real-estate values increase over time, so city officials don't want to wait indefinitely for the NFL to choose between Anaheim and the Coliseum.
Anaheim officials said they would pursue other options for the land if NFL owners don't pick a site at their meeting in Denver in late May.
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said team executives had a "positive reaction" to the stadium proposals at the league meeting that ended Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.
Eleven owners will view presentations from the two sites "in the neighborhood of early May," Tagliabue said.
League officials have said private funds would be used to pay for either stadium. The estimated cost is $800million - up from $500million in May 2003, when the NFL first set out to fill the L.A. market.
Tagliabue said that the rising cost could become a deterrent at some point.
"Escalating costs (affect) anything in life," he said. "The escalating costs of a pair of shoes are a deterrent to having two or three pairs."
The ancillary development in Anaheim would help pay off the debt. The Coliseum lacks development opportunities but offers a downtown L.A. location.
Anaheim-area land is going for $1.5 million to $2million an acre for office, industrial and retail uses. The land isn't zoned for housing, which could fetch $4.2 million per acre.
Councilman Harry Sidhu said the city should put the land up for bid or an NFL deal should be put on the ballot.
"It's absolutely a disaster for the city to accept that price," Sidhu said.
Councilwoman Lorri Galloway and Pringle said the offer reflects the market rate.
"Our whole thing is that we want to get the maximum amount of money, and we don't want to discount to the NFL," Galloway said.
The NFL hopes to begin construction in 2008 and have a team in place by 2010. Candidates include the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers. Tagliabue did not rule out the possibility of expansion.
RULES CHANGES
Bad news for former Santa Monica College standouts Chad Johnson and Steve Smith: The NFL is cracking down on prolonged or excessive touchdown celebrations.
Teams voted Wednesday to penalize players if they engage in celebrations on the ground or use the ball or any other extraneous object as a prop. Other rule changes passed as the league's annual meeting ended included:
Tweaks to the instant-replay system. The referee will have 60 seconds to review plays, down from 90, and teams will have the ability to challenge plays ruled "down by contact." Previously the whistle precluded a review of such plays, even if the ballcarrier appeared to fumble. The recovering team would not be able to advance the ball.
Penalties to pass rushers for low hits on the quarterback if they have a chance to avoid him. The referee will not call a penalty if a block or foul directs the rusher into the quarterback.
An expanded definition of the so-called "horse-collar tackle." Last year the NFL voted to penalize defenders if they grabbed the inside collar of a ballcarrier's shoulder pads and yanked him down. The rule change prohibits players from doing the same thing with the collar of a player's jersey.
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Michael Lev reported from Orlando, FL. Sarah Tully reported from Anaheim, CA.