Chargers To Hold Town Hall In Carson After Waving Off Efforts To Keep Team In San Diego
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Chargers a little bit closer Thursday to leaving San Diego and moving north to Carson.
City officials sounded a note of optimism after Chargers management appeared to wave off efforts by San Diego to build a new stadium and persuade the team to stay in town after deciding the city wouldn't be able to get a local stadium ballot measure in front of voters before the end of 2015.
Earlier this month, San Diego laid out plans for a $1.1 billion stadium that would have required $121 million in contributions from both county and city taxpayers.
But in a statement released by the San Diego Mayor's office, it's starting to sound like the city is almost ready to admit defeat.
"It appears the Chargers have pulled the plug on San Diego even though the city and county have gone out of their way to try and accommodate the team," a spokesman said, via the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Instead of working collaboratively on a solution, the Chargers have thrown up one road block after another in San Diego while working aggressively on stadium plans in Carson. It's disappointing, especially for fans."
Now, with team officials set to hold a town hall forum next week, Carson Mayor Albert Robles told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO he and other city leaders are hoping the Chargers' interest in talking to the public could bode well for the city.
"We're becoming more and more hopeful that this dream is going to become a reality and a return of NFL football is coming to Southern California, its new home in the great city of Carson," said Robles.
The town hall meeting will be held June 22 at the Carson Community Center at 801 E. Carson St. off the 405 Freeway.
