The Rams officially found out this month that they wouldn’t get the $700 million they wanted from the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission to renovate the Edward Jones Dome into the top 25 percent of stadiums in the NFL, which means they have the right to exit their lease after the 2014 season.
There’s been no word from the team about what they plan to do next and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon would like that to change. Tim Logan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that there has been speculation that Nixon would engage in direct talks with Rams owner Stan Kroenke about the stadium issue, but Nixon says that the Rams owner needs to propose something for them to talk about.
“The ball’s in their court to say what they need for long-term stability,” Nixon said. “We look forward to hearing from them.”
Nixon said that refinancing Edward Jones Dome bonds could free up money to put toward a new stadium, but cautioned that " I don’t think anybody’s talking about the state or anyone else ponying up and building a brand new stadium.” The city has been working with Goldman Sachs on possible ways to finance the stadium, but, according to Nixon, the Rams will have to show their cards before talks will pick up again.