Post by TheShadow on Sept 1, 2008 7:49:51 GMT -5
www.contracostatimes.com
Jennifer McLain and Ben Baeder, Staff Writers
Developer Ed Roski Jr.'s business partner says he has "no doubt" a National Football League team will play in the Los Angeles area in 2009, most likely at the Rose Bowl.
Majestic Realty Vice President John Semcken also said he believes there is a possibility two NFL teams could wind up playing in the $800 million stadium Roski wants to build in Industry adjacent to Diamond Bar.
"We are going to have a team here next September," Semcken said last week.
"I personally believe, yes," two teams will come to L.A., he said. "Because the economics are so (good). All I want is one. All our analysis is based on one. If a second team came, it would just be a tenant. We're only going to own one."
Roski is a billionaire listed in the Forbes 500 list of the world's richest people. He is president of Industry-based Majestic Realty, developer of Citrus Plaza in Redlands. He also is part owner of the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings, and co-owner of Los Angeles' Staples Center.
In April, Roski unveiled his plan to build a state-of-the-art football stadium and entertainment complex on a 600-acre plot of land that was previously slated for commercial and retail use. The anticipated price tag of $800 million would be about $1 billion less than was spent on the new home of the New York Giants and Jets, Semcken said.
Roski wants to buy a controlling interest in an NFL team and move it to his proposed stadium near the 57 and 60 freeways. Semcken said Roski has a "handshake deal" with Rose Bowl officials to allow an NFL team to play in Pasadena for two seasons, until his new stadium is built.
Rose Bowl officials denied such a deal was in place.
Semcken also said NFL executives asked him to make sure the stadium and its training facilities could accommodate two teams.
"Every owner I have talked to is interested in coming," Semcken said. "The idea of moving here is like nirvana to them."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league has long identified the Los Angeles region as a two-team market.
The L.A. area has been home to multiple pro football teams before. The NFL's Rams and the American Football League's Chargers both played in Los Angeles in 1960. When the Rams moved to Anaheim in 1980, it opened the way for the Raiders to move to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from Oakland. They did so in 1982.
Both the Rams and Raiders played in Southern California through the 1994 season, when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.
"It doesn't mean that we will have two teams there next season, but we have looked at an option that would provide flexibility so that we could have two teams there someday," McCarthy said.
It is being claimed that seven teams have expressed interest in coming to Roski's stadium, but Semcken declined to name them. He said identifying the teams could hurt ticket sales in their current stadiums.
In April, Roski listed the New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers as teams that might move to the L.A. area and his stadium.
The Industry stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2011 season.
Semcken said an NFL team playing in the Rose Bowl would not negatively affect UCLA, which is the Rose Bowl's main tenant.
"We've had just very preliminary talks so far," said Darryl Dunn, general manager of the Rose Bowl. "We are definitely interested in anything that could bring in revenue."
Any agreement the NFL reaches would need to be approved by Rose Bowl officials, Pasadena and UCLA, Dunn said.
"The Rose Bowl Operating Company does not have a handshake deal with Majestic Realty for an NFL team," said Charles Thompson, spokesman for the Rose Bowl agency.
Bringing an NFL team to Pasadena - even temporarily - would require community and City Council support, said Pasadena spokeswoman Ann Erdman.
In 2006, Pasadena voters rejected Measure A, which would have allowed the NFL to renovate the Rose Bowl for NFL purposes.
"As it stands now, the stadium is not NFL-ready," Erdman said. "So therefore, should there sometime in the future be a major renovation to make it NFL-ready, there would be many, many processes to go through."
Norman Parker, president of the Linda Vista/Annandale Association, said the community has had a fine relationship with Rose Bowl management.
"For a couple of years, we could manage with (an NFL team) quite well, and the Rose Bowl would get some well-needed revenue," Parker said. "We look forward to working with them."
Roski's proposed stadium reportedly would seat 75,000, have 175 suites, could have up to 5 million square feet available for commercial use, and provide nearly 6,000 jobs.
Jennifer McLain and Ben Baeder, Staff Writers
Developer Ed Roski Jr.'s business partner says he has "no doubt" a National Football League team will play in the Los Angeles area in 2009, most likely at the Rose Bowl.
Majestic Realty Vice President John Semcken also said he believes there is a possibility two NFL teams could wind up playing in the $800 million stadium Roski wants to build in Industry adjacent to Diamond Bar.
"We are going to have a team here next September," Semcken said last week.
"I personally believe, yes," two teams will come to L.A., he said. "Because the economics are so (good). All I want is one. All our analysis is based on one. If a second team came, it would just be a tenant. We're only going to own one."
Roski is a billionaire listed in the Forbes 500 list of the world's richest people. He is president of Industry-based Majestic Realty, developer of Citrus Plaza in Redlands. He also is part owner of the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings, and co-owner of Los Angeles' Staples Center.
In April, Roski unveiled his plan to build a state-of-the-art football stadium and entertainment complex on a 600-acre plot of land that was previously slated for commercial and retail use. The anticipated price tag of $800 million would be about $1 billion less than was spent on the new home of the New York Giants and Jets, Semcken said.
Roski wants to buy a controlling interest in an NFL team and move it to his proposed stadium near the 57 and 60 freeways. Semcken said Roski has a "handshake deal" with Rose Bowl officials to allow an NFL team to play in Pasadena for two seasons, until his new stadium is built.
Rose Bowl officials denied such a deal was in place.
Semcken also said NFL executives asked him to make sure the stadium and its training facilities could accommodate two teams.
"Every owner I have talked to is interested in coming," Semcken said. "The idea of moving here is like nirvana to them."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league has long identified the Los Angeles region as a two-team market.
The L.A. area has been home to multiple pro football teams before. The NFL's Rams and the American Football League's Chargers both played in Los Angeles in 1960. When the Rams moved to Anaheim in 1980, it opened the way for the Raiders to move to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from Oakland. They did so in 1982.
Both the Rams and Raiders played in Southern California through the 1994 season, when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.
"It doesn't mean that we will have two teams there next season, but we have looked at an option that would provide flexibility so that we could have two teams there someday," McCarthy said.
It is being claimed that seven teams have expressed interest in coming to Roski's stadium, but Semcken declined to name them. He said identifying the teams could hurt ticket sales in their current stadiums.
In April, Roski listed the New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers as teams that might move to the L.A. area and his stadium.
The Industry stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2011 season.
Semcken said an NFL team playing in the Rose Bowl would not negatively affect UCLA, which is the Rose Bowl's main tenant.
"We've had just very preliminary talks so far," said Darryl Dunn, general manager of the Rose Bowl. "We are definitely interested in anything that could bring in revenue."
Any agreement the NFL reaches would need to be approved by Rose Bowl officials, Pasadena and UCLA, Dunn said.
"The Rose Bowl Operating Company does not have a handshake deal with Majestic Realty for an NFL team," said Charles Thompson, spokesman for the Rose Bowl agency.
Bringing an NFL team to Pasadena - even temporarily - would require community and City Council support, said Pasadena spokeswoman Ann Erdman.
In 2006, Pasadena voters rejected Measure A, which would have allowed the NFL to renovate the Rose Bowl for NFL purposes.
"As it stands now, the stadium is not NFL-ready," Erdman said. "So therefore, should there sometime in the future be a major renovation to make it NFL-ready, there would be many, many processes to go through."
Norman Parker, president of the Linda Vista/Annandale Association, said the community has had a fine relationship with Rose Bowl management.
"For a couple of years, we could manage with (an NFL team) quite well, and the Rose Bowl would get some well-needed revenue," Parker said. "We look forward to working with them."
Roski's proposed stadium reportedly would seat 75,000, have 175 suites, could have up to 5 million square feet available for commercial use, and provide nearly 6,000 jobs.