Battle Lines Drawn Over 49ers Plan To Take Over Youth Soccer Fields Next To Levi's Stadium
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- Youth soccer advocates in Santa Clara are expected to pack a meeting on a proposal by the San Francisco 49ers to take over soccer fields next to Levi's Stadium for $15 million, an offer opponents have called "insulting."
The 49ers want to use the soccer park for VIP parking and the rights to develop the 11-acre site. Aside from the $15 million, the team is offering a $3 million payment to renovate existing soccer fields and a cut of the stadium parking fees.
But the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League said the 49ers offer is a fraction of the current value of the land and the team has made no provision to replace the existing facility, which is used by some 2,000 kids most of the year for practice and games.
"The 49er's CEO Jed York broke his 2012 commitment to the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League to underwrite several regulation-sized soccer fields to provide soccer players an alternative place to play when the 49ers had games at Levis Stadium," said the SCYSL in a statement. "York promised not to touch the Soccer Park but is now driving a bad deal through Mayor Jamie Matthews."
Officials with the youth league feel double-crossed by the proposal.
"Jed York came, promised us he wouldn't touch the soccer park, so we do feel like the rug has been taken out from us," Gabe Foo of Santa Clara Youth Soccer told KPIX 5.
Opponents to the plan called for a rally Tuesday afternoon before a 5:00 p.m. public hearing at Santa Clara City Hall, followed by a closed session of the City Council.