San Diego mayor, Chargers owner meet to expedite stadium plans
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and Chargers owner Dean Spanos met on Sunday to announce they will speed up work on a stadium plan in an effort to keep the team in the city.
The pair is aiming to have a plan drawn up within three months.
Last week, it was announced that the Chargers and the Oakland Raiders were planning a joint $1.7 billion stadium project in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson if they don’t get new stadiums in their respective cities.
Faulconer created a task force last month and wants to choose a site within the city limits of San Diego, either downtown or at the current location of Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers have played since 1967.
The task force is expected to complete its study in May, giving voters plenty of time to discuss the project before it is put on the ballot in either June or November 2016.
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“Like thousands of San Diegans, I want the Chargers to stay in our city for generations to come,” Faulconer said a statement. “I explained to Mr. Spanos that we are going to work to keep the team here, but I will never support a deal that San Diego can't afford.”
The San Diego project would need a tax increase and approval from its citizens, while the L.A. project would not require taxpayer subsidies.
"We are pleased that the task force decided on Friday to accelerate its work and deliver a report within the next three months," the Chargers said in a statement. "This is good news for the process, and Dean joined the Mayor in supporting this expedited schedule.”
The Rams have also been mentioned as a possible candidate for Los Angeles relocation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has secured land for an 80,000-seat stadium, to include a 6,000-seat performance venue as well as retail, office, hotel and residential space, next to Hollywood Park in Inglewood.
St. Louis and Missouri officials have said they are moving forward with plans to secure 90 acres of land for a new stadium for the Rams, as the team and the city have failed to reach an agreement on upgrading the 20-year-old Edward Jones Dome.
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