Roller-Coaster Ride Continues For Raiders Fans
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Less than 24 hours after local officials approved a new $1.3 billion Oakland Raiders stadium plan, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters covering the NFL owners meeting that there were "some real strength" with Las Vegas becoming home to an NFL franchise.
The owners heard an independent analysis of the strengths of the Vegas market where Raiders owner Mark Davis would like to relocate his franchise.
"I think there are some real strengths to the Las Vegas market," Goodell said "It's clear the the Las Vegas market has become a more diversified market, more broadly than entertainment. They've hosted big events and there is real growth to the market."
Goodell told reporters that a decision to move rests solely with Davis and his partners.
"If they decide that they can't make it work in Oakland and they decide they want to file for relocation, the window is open to so it after their regular and post-season is over. They have until Feb. 15th."
Goodell said the league and the owners of the Raiders and the San Diego Chargers have worked hard to get new stadiums in their existing cities, but no workable proposal has been presented.
"There is not a stadium proposal on the table that we think addresses the long term issues of the clubs and communities," he said.
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Nevada officials have approved raising $750 million in hotel taxes to build the $1.9 billion stadium in Las Vegas.
With billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson pledging another $650 million toward the stadium, with the NFL and Raiders contributing the rest.
Although Goodell was not asked about it, it appeared the league has yet to hear of a stadium proposal approved by Oakland and Alameda County officials that is spearheaded by NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.
The approvals Tuesday give an investment team anchored by Lott and former quarterback Rodney Peete the right to negotiate a formal agreement for a $1.3 billion stadium that includes $350 million in public money.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted earlier Tuesday, with the Oakland City Council voting later in the night.
Seven city council members voted to enter negotiations with Lott. One council member abstained. Earlier in the day, three of five county supervisors voted yes after more than three hours of discussion and testimony in a room sparkling with sports celebrities.
Lott said after the county vote that the work is just beginning.
"We still have a long ways to go. We still have to convince the NFL. We still have to convince (Raiders owner) Mark Davis. We've got a long ways to go but today is a great day and a great moment for Raider Nation," he said.
Earlier this year, Mark Davis said he was committed to moving the Raiders to Las Vegas, where a $1.9 billion stadium project has been approved. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf vowed to continue working on a counter-proposal for the Raiders to stay at the Oakland Coliseum.
A move to Nevada is not certain, although a vote by the NFL on whether to allow the move is possible as soon as January. Nevada will raise $750 million from a hotel tax to fund the stadium with billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson contributing $650 million and the Raiders and NFL kicking in $500 million.
The Raiders must get approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners to move. NFL owners will receive an update on the stadium situation when they meet in the Dallas area Wednesday.
The Raiders also have the option of moving to the Los Angeles area, where they can share a facility with the recently relocated Rams.
A spokesman for the Raiders did not return requests for comment.
Former Los Angeles Raiders great Marcus Allen made an emotional pitch to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and later to the Oakland City Council, saying that losing the team would be devastating for Oakland.
"It would be an emptiness that I don't think the city could recover from," he said.
Other speakers urged caution even as they pledged support. They said officials should negotiate jobs and affordable housing for residents in east Oakland where the Coliseum is located, given the soaring cost of housing throughout the city.
A sticking point was that Alameda County and Oakland still need to retire nearly $100 million in debt incurred for remodeling the current stadium to woo the team back from Los Angeles in 1995.
The parties have identified $1.25 billion in potential financing for a project that may cost upward of $1.3 billion for a 55,000-seat stadium that could include mixed-use retail in the future.
Lott's team, which includes the Fortress Investment Group, would contribute $400 million, with the NFL and the Raiders contributing $500 million.
The city of Oakland would contribute $200 million for infrastructure such as storm drains and roadway parking. The money would be generated from bonds paid back from revenue created from the stadium and its surrounding commercial development.
The city and county would also contribute at least 100 acres of land, valued at $150 million. One of the issues to be determined is whether the land would be sold or leased.
Supervisor Keith Carson grilled a representative of Fortress for details on payment and revenue. He voted no.
Supervisor Wilma Chan abstained. She said at the hearing that while fans have remained loyal, she's not sure that the Raiders want to stay.
Board President Scott Haggerty joined supervisors Richard Valle and Nate Miley in moving forward, despite the many unknowns.
"What it comes down for me is trust and my mother would trust Ronnie Lott," he said. "I trust this man and he's somebody I want to do business with, and I hope he's somebody Mark Davis wants to do business with."