Anaheim Residents To Weigh In On Future Of Angel Stadium
ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — Will the Angels leave the city of Anaheim?
Residents will get their first chance to weigh in on a proposed lease agreement that would allow Angels owner Arte Moreno to move forward with a $150 million development plan for land around Angel Stadium in exchange for keeping the team in town for years to come.
Back in September, the Anaheim City Council approved two resolutions to extend the opt-out period of the current non-binding lease agreement with the Angels organization and to set a general framework for negotiations with team on a new lease agreement, according to officials.
The Sept. 3, 2013, vote amended the agreement to push back the team's opt-out date from October 2016 to October 2019, which would give the Angels organization until 2019 to notify the city about any decision to leave Anaheim.
The deal also set the table for negotiations over a new lease agreement that could include a "discussion of future stadium improvements and development opportunities for the property immediately surrounding the stadium," according to the City Council's website.
While the city currently owns the land immediately surrounding Angel Stadium, one of the proposals outlined in the framework agreement would be to reportedly allow Moreno to develop land around the stadium for about $1 per year for 66 years.
But Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, who remains opposed to the proposal, told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO it would be a mistake on the part of the Angels organization to leave the city.
"They essentially don't pay much rent at all; it's nominal rent," Tait said. "I suppose they could leave, but the deal they have right now is, I think, probably the best deal in baseball."
The Angels generated an estimated $120.8 million in direct spending in Anaheim during the 2012 season, according to an Economic Impact Study (PDF) released by the city last year.
The community workshops are scheduled for Tuesday and Jan. 30 starting at 6 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.