Chargers fans voice support for new stadium in San Diego
Hundreds of San Diego Chargers fans expressed their concern on Monday about wanting a new stadium and keeping the team in town.
About 400 people filed into a club suite at Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, with nearly 1,700 more watching on the stadium’s Jumbotron during the three-hour meeting held by an advisory group appointed by San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer.
Faulconer and team chairman Dean Spanos said last month the advisory group will help ramp up the process of a stadium plan. They plan to reveal a new stadium plan within three months.
The Chargers and Oakland Raiders recently announced plans to build a $1.7 billion stadium in Carson, a Los Angeles suburb, if they can’t get the funding to get new facilities built in their respective cities.
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A ballot initiative has been completed in Carson, and more than 8,000 signatures are needed to get the stadium plan on the ballot for a public or city council vote.
According to a report in the Sports Business Journal, Goldman Sachs, who is an investment partner of the Chargers, says they plan on covering any operating losses that the team has in the first few years should they relocate to the Los Angeles area. Goldman Sachs also said it would cover any renovation costs to a stadium in a temporary location.
St. Louis officials are trying to keep the team in town by proposing a new riverfront stadium, while Rams owner Stan Kroenke has already bought property next to Hollywood Park in Inglewood in attempts to possibly move the team as soon as next season.
The NFL created a six-owner Los Angeles committee to study the issue of relocation, and it is scheduled to meet next month during meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.
- Scooby Axson
