Carson Council Approves Construction of 70,000-Seat NFL Stadium Without Public Vote
CARSON (CBSLA.com) — The dream of bringing the NFL back to Los Angeles just took a large step forward.
Councilmembers in Carson voted Tuesday to approve the construction of an NFL stadium.
By the approval, the council will not put the stadium's construction up to a public vote, as had been speculated previously.
The stadium would be meant intended for use by two teams, which many expect may be the current San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.
A financial analysis report released on Monday suggested that any stadium built in Los Angeles would need to host to two teams to be profitable.
On April 14, it was reported that the NFL had warned the Chargers organization that time was "running short" on the prospect of a new stadium being built in San Diego.
The vote was unanimous to approve the stadium, putting the project on the fast-track to being built.
Carson Mayor Albert Robles made the official announcement at the council meeting.
"(The issue is) football, and today, hopefully we took care of that, because football is coming to Carson," Robles said.
Fans of both teams were present at the meeting, and gave forth a loud cheer upon the vote's announcement.
A similar measure had been passed in Inglewood in March, and residents in Carson know there will be much competition ahead between the two cities for the stadium.
The stadium would be part of a massive complex, which would include a 350-room hotel, and at least 10,000 parking spaces. About 850,000 square feet would ultimately be used for commercial space.
"We don't have time to wait to put it in front of the people," one speaker said. "Inglewood is right on our back, and we have to be bold today, and we have to say 'yes' to this measure. I ask you respectfully to be bold today."
The stadium would sit at least 70,000 fans, and would be placed directly adjacent to the 405 freeway, on top of a former landfill that has been environmentally re-mediated.
A number of speakers took the podium on Tuesday evening, voicing near-unanimous support for accelerating the speed of the stadium's construction.
One speaker, however, shared far less excitement, and suggested the construction could have a negative impact on his home.
"You're talking about taking away my home for a damn stadium," that speaker said.
San Diego Chargers General Counsel Mark Fabiani, who has worked closely with both the Chargers and Raiders on the prospect of either or both teams returning to LA, released a statement on behalf of the organizations on Monday night:
"We appreciate all of the Carson residents, organized labor representatives, and Los Angeles football fans who came out tonight to support the project. We are grateful for the careful consideration and positive vote of the Carson City Council and mayor, and we look forward to continuing our work with the community."
Mayor Robles says that the only thing that can stop the project from happening would be if the teams were to reach agreements for new stadiums in their current respective cities.
"If a deal is made in San Diego or Oakland, that's going to be an obstacle to overcome here in Carson," Robles said.
