With Ed Roski ready to break ground on a new “if they come, we will build it” stadium in City of Industry, California, a rival project in downtown Los Angeles could be gaining some steam.
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reports that AEG’s Tim Leiweke plans to seek an environmental exemption, like the one that Roski’s people obtained in order to short-circuit lawsuits that threatened the process. It’s tangible proof that the project is moving forward.
Leiweke also said that a privately-financed, $1 billion facility would be a candidate to host the 2016 Super Bowl, which will be the 50th edition of sports’ marquee event. (The league would have to approve a waiver of the requirement that a facility be in existence for at least one year before hosting the championship game.)
It sounds as if, at least for now, the NFL is on board with the project. “Roger Goodell is aware of what we’re doing,” Leiweke said. “We follow the lead of Roger and the league as to what we can and cannot say, and what we can and cannot do, and what we can and cannot expect.”
Our pal Brooks, who has his finger on the pulse of the situation in Southern Californina, is skeptical that the stadium would be privately-financed, or that it would cost only $1 billion.
Either way, it looks like there soon will be two viable stadium projects, which means that the NFL will be able to leverage one against the other in the hopes of securing the best possible deal.