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For more than 15 years the second largest city
in the United States, Los Angeles, has been without a NFL team.
Professional football in Los Angeles dates back to 1946 when the
Rams moved from Cleveland to the city and the Los Angeles
Coliseum. The city was home to two NFL franchises after the
Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles for the 1982 season. However,
both franchises relocated after the 1994 season, the Raiders back
to Oakland and the Rams to St. Louis. In 1995, professional
football almost returned to the city when the Seattle Seahawks
announced they planned to move to Los Angeles. The NFL blocked
this move and the Seahawks remained in Seattle. In the late 1990s
a group of investors tried to get the NFL to expand to city but
failed when the league's 32nd franchise was awarded to Houston.
Since then, numerous groups have tried to lure a NFL team to the
city and have proposed stadiums in Anaheim, Irwindale, Inglewood,
Carson, at the Rose Bowl and the Los Angeles Coliseum. None of
these efforts have succeeded.
In April 2008 developer Edward
P. Roski Jr., part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings,
announced plans to build a NFL stadium 20 miles east of Los
Angeles. This plan calls for a 75,000 seat stadium to be
constructed on a 600 acre site at the intersection of the 57 and
60 freeways. No public money would be spent for constructing the
$800 million stadium. The cost of construction is $400 million
lower than what it would normally cost because two-thirds of the
stadium would be built into a hillside, therefore it using less
steel and concrete. Construction would not begin until a team
agrees to move to Los Angeles. Environmental studies have already been
completed at the site allowing for possible construction to begin
if a team were to commit to moving. However, no discussions on any team's
relocation have been discussed. The earliest the stadium
could open is in Fall 2012. It is designed to seat 75,000 fans and
expandable to 80,000 for future Super Bowl games. The stadium would use
the latest in environmental technology, creating a new stadium for NFL
stadiums. It would feature all the modern amenities that current NFL
stadiums have including 11,000 club seats, 175 luxury suites, a team
store, restaurant and a NFL attraction. Furthermore, the stadium would
be surrounded by retail and offices. Throughout 2009 the stadium project
has overcome several hurdles. The City of Industry city council approved
environmental impact in February. However, neighboring cities of Diamond
Bar and Walnut expressed noise, traffic and environmental concerns with
the possible construction of a new stadium. Both cities have reached
monetary agreements with stadium developers in order to drop their
objects to the stadium. In October 2009, California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger signed a bill that clears the way for construction of a
stadium in the City of Industry. Developer Edward P. Roski has stated
that construction will not begin until a team commits to moving to Los
Angeles.
Throughout 2010, Roski's
former business partner, Tim Leineke, President and CEO of AEG, has
worked to develop a plan to build a football stadium in downtown Los
Angeles adjacent to the Staples Center. In December 2010, the group
revealed architectural plans from three different firms. This proposed
$1 billion stadium plan would feature a retractable roof and seat up to
75,000 fans. Privately funded, the stadium would be constructed on the
site of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Leineke is currently working
to obtain a commitment from the City of Los Angeles and the NFL to
attract a team to the city. The plan calls for construction to begin in
2012 with completion in 2016. On February 1, 2011 Farmers Insurance
Group purchased the naming rights deal for the stadium for $700 million
over 30 years. If built the stadium will be known as Farmers Field. In
July 2011 the City of Los Angeles passed an agreement between AEG and
the city to bild the $1.2 billion football stadium in downtown Los
Angeles. The
agreement states construction on the project cannot begin until an NFL
team has signed a long-term lease to play in Los Angeles. That means an
NFL team could be playing in the Coliseum or the Rose Bowl as early as
next season if AEG begins construction on the project this summer.
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