Los Angeles officials clear way for possible vote on NFL stadium
Los Angeles County election officials have cleared the way for residents to vote on building an 80,000-seat stadium in hopes of luring an NFL team to town, reports the Associated Press.
That vote could take place as early as mid-June. The county officials said they have received more than 22,000 petition signatures, well above the 8,500 required to put the measure on the ballot.
The plans, led by St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, also include a 6,000-seat performance venue as well as retail, office, hotel and residential space to the Hollywood Park site in Inglewood, 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
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"Ultimately, this project will only go forward if the voters of Inglewood approve," Christopher Meany, a senior executive with the Hollywood Park Land Co., has said.
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Meany said the stadium would be built with no public or taxpayer dollars.
Inglewood's City Council is expected to consider the proposed election later this month.
Los Angeles is the nation's second largest city and has not had an NFL team since the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season.
The NFL has said no team has applied for relocation and the earliest a team could be put in place is 2016. An affirmative vote of three-fourths of NFL teams is required for a franchise to relocate.
Los Angeles' current biggest stadiums are the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Rose Bowl and Angel Stadium, where the Rams played for 15 seasons before moving to St. Louis.
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