CA Governor Jerry Brown signs bill to boost LA football stadium

[Auggie]

AP / 9-27-11

LOS ANGELES -- The developer behind a $1.2 billion plan to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles got a boost Tuesday with a law that will help it avoid lengthy court fights.

:wtf:

Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill at a Los Angeles Convention Center ceremony with executives from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which is proposing to build a 72,000-seat stadium next to the convention center.

SNIP

The bill would expedite resolution of any legal challenges to AEG's project, sending lawsuits over its environmental impact directly to the California Court of Appeal and bypassing the Superior Court. The appeals court would have to make a ruling within 175 days.

MORE: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nfl/story/_/id/7027090/governor-signs-bill-expedite-la-nfl-stadium

As part of "the deal" AEG, which owns Staples Center and L.A. Live entertainment complex next to the convention center, pledged to build a "green stadium" and make it "public-transit friendly." In L.A.? Yeah, right...

Developers... just dangle the "jobs" carrot and environment / open space issues take a back seat.

So, who's the lucky city that'll be losing it's football team?

[KamaAina]

1. L.A. has actually made strides in transit in recent years

there's a subway and light rail system now. The Blue Line has a stop fairly close to the site.

As for the team, I'd say Jacksonville for sure, except that they're in the AFC, which would leave SoCal with two AFC teams. Nice setup for a rivalry, though.

edit: Why exactly are our Dem governor and Dem-dominated legislature being so friendly to notorious right-winger Anschutz, especially when there was a competing plan for a stadium east of L.A. proper?

[Auggie]

2. Yeah, you're right. Probably why this gets the nod

over City of Industry.

From the link (which I missed):

"The team most commonly linked to moving to Los Angeles is the San Diego Chargers, who began as the Los Angeles Chargers playing at the Coliseum in 1960. They have tried unsuccessfully for nearly a decade to get a new venue to replace 45-year-old Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers can announce their intentions to leave San Diego between Feb. 1 and May 1 of each year through 2020 if they pay off bonds tied to the expansion of Qualcomm Stadium in 1997, which would be about $24 million.

The Chargers are one of five teams, along with the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings, with whom (AEG president and CEO Tim) Leiweke has had conversations about relocating to Los Angeles."

The Raiders might make the most sense; two-team market. I'd hate to lose them.

[KamaAina]

3. The Raiders?!

It's like deja vu all over again! :eyes: