RSL Stadium?.......Will it happen?

[i-215]

TEAM MAY MOVE TO LINDON

KSL 1160 is reporting ....... http://real.ksl.com/video/slc/1/167/16737.mp3

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by i-215

TEAM MAY MOVE TO LINDON

KSL 1160 is reporting ....... http://real.ksl.com/video/slc/1/167/16737.mp3

I can't listen to that at work.. what does it say? how likely is it? thanks..

[Urbano]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Firstly, I don't hate RSL because they chose Sandy over Salt Lake. I hate RSL for the way things went about. I feel they completely screwed Salt Lake City over for personal reasons and I have a problem with that. Secondly, yeah I do think the stadium would be better downtown and not out in the suburbs. Sandy cheated its way to the stadium, cozying up with the Utah legislature, who then turned around and made it impossible for SLC to build the stadium. Call me crazy, but I can't help but smile at it all blowing up in their faces.

Amen! It is amazing how this thing has been turned around to try and make Peter Carroon and Salt Lake County the bad guys. Dave Checkets, Greg Curtis, Tom Dolan, and many others are still playing the political game that they have been playing all along. SL County residents didn't want to pay for the stadium, and the fact that the speaker of the house Greg Curtis was just about beat by a democrat in conservative Sandy is proof that people didn't like how this whole ordeal had been handled.

We now see how loyal Dave Checkets and Real Salt Lake really are to Utah and Salt Lake and not how loyal they said they were when they thought they could get some money. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this though…

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by Urbano

SL County residents didn't want to pay for the stadium…

I just want to know how you know this..

[Urbano]

Originally Posted by wrendog

I just want to know how you know this..

There are obviously some on this site that would be ok with public money going to the stadium, but you are in the minority. Here is an old article, I have newer stuff but don't have time to find it and post is right now. If you want current reaction to the stadium check out KSL's first story they posted yesterday on this subject. I would say the majority of people that posted something were relieved that SL County won't be funding the stadium. Anyway, here is the article, it includes more than SL County but I'll post more later if you are interested...

Utahns are against paying for stadium, but want it in SLC


By Heather May
©2005, The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune

The public is strongly opposed to using taxpayer money to help build a Major League Soccer stadium for Real Salt Lake. But if one is built, nearly a majority want it in Salt Lake City, according to a poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson found a popular spot when he suggested placing the stadium at the Utah State fairgrounds - 31.5 percent of people polled in Davis, Salt Lake, Summit and Utah counties favor that site. And another 17 percent suggest it go downtown.
Sandy, a newcomer to the stadium sweepstakes, was picked by 17.8 percent. And Murray - which once led the chase, according to an RSL poll conducted last December - dropped to last place. But its 13.8 percent showing - within the poll's margin of error - puts it in a statistical tie with Sandy.
A large chunk of respondents - 20 percent - said they didn't know where to put the 25,000-seat venue.
Neither does RSL.
Team CEO Dean Howes is evaluating the Fairpark, 155 N. and 1000 West, and the Sandy site, near the South Towne Expo Center, to see if they're suitable and what economic-development impact they could have on their surroundings. He said he already has studied Murray's potential. And placing a stadium in downtown Salt Lake City is a long shot because of the high cost of land. Still, RSL prefers downtown and continues to look for land there.
"We need to put it in the right place for both our fan base and for the success of the team," Howes said.
No matter what site it chooses, RSL expects the public to pay for the land and half the stadium's construction costs. It will pay the other half - about $30 million.
Valley Research polled 400 people June 8-10. The margin of error was plus or minus 5 percent.
The pollsters found that 68.3 percent oppose using taxpayer money to help build the stadium, while almost 24 percent said there should be a subsidy. The residents most likely to have to help pay for a stadium - those in Salt Lake County - are most adamantly opposed to a subsidy.
"There should be enough money made [at the stadium] to pay for it," said Kearns resident Dorothy Behunin, who participated in the poll and was interviewed Saturday.
Keith Hayes, from West Jordan, is in the minority. He supports a subsidy. "It's gonna bring in a lot of business to the area of town they're going to bring it in. If you're going to have a community that's going to continue to grow and become a major market, you've got to have those types of things."
The politicians who want to land the stadium - Anderson, Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan and Murray Mayor Dan Snarr - also support using taxpayer funds, as does Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
"If we want Major League Soccer, we need to be prepared to provide some public support for the stadium just as we did with the Delta Center and Franklin Covey [Field]," said Anderson.
Most sports teams across the country seek and receive public subsidies.
In Salt Lake City, Fairpark land would be free because it's already owned by the state, but sales taxes could jump to help build the stadium. Sandy wants Salt Lake County to buy land. The suburban city would divert to the stadium some sales taxes now going to the state.
And Murray envisions paying to clean up contaminated property and convincing the landowner to sell it cheap to the team. There isn't yet a plan to cover construction costs.
"If it meant raising their taxes to pay for a stadium, anyone would object to that," said Dolan. "The question is how you are able to do it without raising taxes."
Howes complained pollsters didn't point out the potential economic benefits of a stadium and that the team would pay half the construction costs.
And he noted the use of public subsidies is a common business practice, pointing out the company that prints and distributes the Tribune and Deseret Morning News - the Newspaper Agency Corp. - is taking taxpayer money to move its plant from downtown to West Valley City. That city's Redevelopment Agency is donating 37 acres worth about $3.5 million, another $6 million in tax incentives, and will waive development fees, according to past Tribune reports.
"We need to have a public-private joint venture. We need it for the model to work," Howes said. "People need to understand the benefits to the community."
The Sandy site leads among people living in Summit and Utah counties. "I would prefer Sandy just because it's closer," said Jay Basinger, from Provo.
In Salt Lake County, residents polled favor the Fairpark while Murray came in a strong second. Murray's proposal, at 4500 South near the TRAX station, has stalled of late, but Mayor Snarr said he's working on reviving it.
"I'm not going to quit selling until the door's shut." And he's trying to get back in the game by emphasizing its location.
That sold Riverton resident Lana Averett. "It's in the middle of the valley. That seemed to make more sense [than] either having it south or north."
Davis County dwellers who have a preference picked the site closest to them: the Fairpark. Spencer Tibbets, Clearfield, singled out the fairgrounds. "It's near downtown. That's where I go when I go to Salt Lake."
[email protected]

[SmilingBob]

Originally Posted by Urbano

Amen! It is amazing how this thing has been turned around to try and make Peter Carroon and Salt Lake County the bad guys. Dave Checkets, Greg Curtis, Tom Dolan, and many others are still playing the political game that they have been playing all along. SL County residents didn't want to pay for the stadium, and the fact that the speaker of the house Greg Curtis was just about beat by a democrat in conservative Sandy is proof that people didn't like how this whole ordeal had been handled.

We now see how loyal Dave Checkets and Real Salt Lake really are to Utah and Salt Lake and not how loyal they said they were when they thought they could get some money. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this though…

If this isn't political then why didn't "Carroon, the buffoon" at least discuss other options when Checkets offered to fund the $7 million difference?

This was completely a political decision and it looks like the legislature will treat this prid quo pro.

RSL Owner Offered to Cover $7M Funding Gap

(KCPW News) According to Real Salt Lake team owner Dave Checketts, a funding gap of $7 million was all that prevented Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon from agreeing to use $30 million in hotel tax dollars for a major league soccer stadium in Sandy. Checketts said that he offered to cover the gap personally in a conversation with the mayor yesterday morning, but he was rebuffed:
"And his response was, ‘I have already made my decision, it's too late, I can't discuss it.' And I said, ‘if you can't discuss it, who can discuss it.' Then he said, ‘it's my call and I say no.'"
During a telephone press conference with media late yesterday, Checketts said he plans to step back and review all of his options, which may include selling the team. Checketts blamed the failure of what he thought was a done deal on Corroon's political ambitions:

"It's clear that he thought by steamrolling this along and then standing in its way that that would get him the political approval ratings that he is seeking."
Through a spokesman, Mayor Corroon declined to comment last night.

Listen the it at: http://www.kcpw.org/article/2803

[Urbano]

Here's a more recent poll.

Corroon says Real funding must be people's will
Deseret News (Salt Lake City),
Jun 20, 2006
by Leigh Dethman Deseret Morning News
Not so fast, Sandy.
Although city leaders there say they have found a way to give Real Salt Lake public money for a stadium while keeping county leaders happy, Mayor Peter Corroon says he isn't taking the bait.
"One of our greatest pieces of information has been hearing from the public, the overwhelming majority of whom have expressed opposition to any public funding towards the stadium," Corroon wrote in a letter to Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan. "My focus remains, as it always has, with serving the public and only considering actions that will benefit all citizens."
The mayors are at odds over how much public funding the county is willing to put in, according to letters swapped between the two last week.
Corroon said he will listen to any funding plan but will only approve it if that is the people's will. And if recent polls are any indication, Salt Lake County residents are against public funding for a soccer stadium.
A May Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll of 450 county residents found 59 percent oppose giving Real $35 million in hotel tax funds to build a new stadium. Dan Jones & Associates quizzed Salt Lake County residents the week Corroon decided to deny the team's initial funding plan.

[Urbano]

Originally Posted by SmilingBob

If this isn't political then why didn't "Carroon, the buffoon" at least discuss other options when Checkets offered to fund the $7 million difference?

This was completely a political decision and it looks like the legislature will treat this prid quo pro.

RSL Owner Offered to Cover $7M Funding Gap

(KCPW News) According to Real Salt Lake team owner Dave Checketts, a funding gap of $7 million was all that prevented Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon from agreeing to use $30 million in hotel tax dollars for a major league soccer stadium in Sandy. Checketts said that he offered to cover the gap personally in a conversation with the mayor yesterday morning, but he was rebuffed:
"And his response was, ‘I have already made my decision, it's too late, I can't discuss it.' And I said, ‘if you can't discuss it, who can discuss it.' Then he said, ‘it's my call and I say no.'"
During a telephone press conference with media late yesterday, Checketts said he plans to step back and review all of his options, which may include selling the team. Checketts blamed the failure of what he thought was a done deal on Corroon's political ambitions:

"It's clear that he thought by steamrolling this along and then standing in its way that that would get him the political approval ratings that he is seeking."
Through a spokesman, Mayor Corroon declined to comment last night.

Listen the it at: http://www.kcpw.org/article/2803

And Checketts isn't being purely political when he says things like that? I'm not saying Carroon has no political motivations, but I am saying some have played the game more than others. The reason it has turned into a Sandy stadium is because two of the most powerfull politicians in Utah live in Sandy. It wasn't that Sandy was the best fit in general, but that Sandy was the best fit politically.

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by Urbano

Here's a more recent poll.

Corroon says Real funding must be people's will
Deseret News (Salt Lake City),
Jun 20, 2006
by Leigh Dethman Deseret Morning News
Not so fast, Sandy.
Although city leaders there say they have found a way to give Real Salt Lake public money for a stadium while keeping county leaders happy, Mayor Peter Corroon says he isn't taking the bait.
"One of our greatest pieces of information has been hearing from the public, the overwhelming majority of whom have expressed opposition to any public funding towards the stadium," Corroon wrote in a letter to Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan. "My focus remains, as it always has, with serving the public and only considering actions that will benefit all citizens."
The mayors are at odds over how much public funding the county is willing to put in, according to letters swapped between the two last week.
Corroon said he will listen to any funding plan but will only approve it if that is the people's will. And if recent polls are any indication, Salt Lake County residents are against public funding for a soccer stadium.
A May Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll of 450 county residents found 59 percent oppose giving Real $35 million in hotel tax funds to build a new stadium. Dan Jones & Associates quizzed Salt Lake County residents the week Corroon decided to deny the team's initial funding plan.

thanks.. I wasn't sure if there were any informal polls done..

[Urbano]

Fairpark RSL stadium picking up momentum?
By Heather May
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/30/2007 01:39:14 PM MST

Posted: 1:39 PM- The Salt Lake City Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday to discuss building a Major League Soccer stadium at the Utah State Fairpark.
City Councilwoman Jill Remington Love reported Tuesday that council members have been circulating a letter to send to Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts that would say the council wants to work with him to find a solution at the fairpark, 10 blocks west of downtown.
"In principle, probably most of the council would be supportive of somehow coming to Real Salt Lake to see if there's a solution in Salt Lake City at the fairpark," she said.
Word of the meeting, set Wednesday for 12:15 p.m. at City Hall, comes a day after Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon rejected spending $30 million in hotel taxes on a stadium in Sandy.
Checketts has said he may sell the team and added that he doesn't have the energy to pursue a Sandy stadium anymore.
Accusing the county of being "dysfunctional," Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has been lobbying Checketts and state leaders on the fairpark.
Checketts rejected that location and others in 2005 in favor of Sandy. But Anderson described the team owner as showing renewed interest. "He would be very willing to consider that if we could get the support from the governor and others at the state level to help make it possible," Anderson said Monday.
The state owns the fairpark and would have to agree to leasing it to the team.
It is unclear how funding for a fairpark stadium would work.
Anderson said Checketts would have to give up his dream of a massive mixed-use development surrounding a fairpark stadium, as was planned in Sandy.

[wrendog]

well, here is another opportunity to see if this deal was about soccer in SLC or a real estate development baby for checketts.. if he denies the fairgrounds again, we have our answer..

[Makid]

I really hope that it is about soccer. He could always put a Hotel across the street from the fair park on the empty field or better yet, downtown. He might even get some help from the Cities RDA fund.

Come on Rocky, Gov Huntsman, John Valentine and Greg Curtis...let's get this baby to sleep so that we can all wake up with the sound of construction work on a SLC stadium.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Makid

I really hope that it is about soccer. He could always put a Hotel across the street from the fair park on the empty field or better yet, downtown. He might even get some help from the Cities RDA fund.

Come on Rocky, Gov Huntsman, John Valentine and Greg Curtis...let's get this baby to sleep so that we can all wake up with the sound of construction work on a SLC stadium.

Well said. Let's get it built and keep the team here in utah.

[SmilingBob]

Originally Posted by Urbano

And Checketts isn't being purely political when he says things like that? I'm not saying Carroon has no political motivations, but I am saying some have played the game more than others. The reason it has turned into a Sandy stadium is because two of the most powerfull politicians in Utah live in Sandy. It wasn't that Sandy was the best fit in general, but that Sandy was the best fit politically.

Of course Checketts was being political. It's how it's done. You go the city/county/state and see if together you guys can get a deal done. That's politics. Getting political means you are playing the game and when someone ticks you off you take your toys and go home.

This wasn't about whether the deal could be done in Sandy. It was about negotiating and trying to make the deal work. Carroon-the buffoon decided not to keep working on a deal and to blame it on the fundamentals not making sense. Even if he didn't like the risk/reward ratio, he can keep working on a deal.

[SmilingBob]

Originally Posted by wrendog

well, here is another opportunity to see if this deal was about soccer in SLC or a real estate development baby for checketts.. if he denies the fairgrounds again, we have our answer..

This I agree with. Checketts needs to put up at this point. He's milked every level of the government. Sit down and work things out with SLC or move on and let Andersen-Geneva take it over.

[delts145]

Amen Brother

I still feel Govenor Huntsman is the man to pull this thing through. The Fairgrounds would be great with me and will be a big plus for that area.

[jedikermit]

Anyone know anything about the Fairgrounds site? Would it be ON the Fairgrounds, or in the current parking lot, or across North Temple from the Fairgrounds?

I still have my doubts about the draw of soccer to this area. But I'd support a Fairgrounds-area stadium a hell of a lot faster than Sandy.

[delts145]

Investors make new pitch to keep Real Salt Lake in Utah
Last Update: 1/30/2007 7:39:27 PM

VINEYARD, Utah - A retired Utah judge likes soccer so much he is willing to give Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts 10-million-dollars worth of land if he will build his new soccer stadium on top of the old Geneva Steel plant in Utah County. "Salt Lake County's losses are perhaps our gain," said Michael Hutchings, a partner with Anderson Development in Sandy.

Hutchings and his investment partners like professional soccer and want a high visibility anchor that will attract attention to the multi-million dollar development they plans to build on top of this now vacant land once known as the Geneva steel plant. "We just like the idea of this soccer franchise being located on our property down at Geneva steel," Hutchings said.

Hutchings and his investment partners bought the Geneva property out of bankruptsy and have removed all the buildings and cleaned up most of the hazzarsous waste. If Salt Lake Real owner Dave Checketts will go along, Anderson Development will give him 30 acres of land, worth about 10-million dollars, to build a permanent home for soccer in Utah County. "The team right now is homeless and we're trying to provide a home for this team," Hutchings said.

Anderson development owns 17-hundred acres of land on the east shore of Utah Lake. A map given to ABC 4 News shows the soccer stadium on the north end of the property near the 800 North I-15 off ramp. The railroad lines already go through the Geneva property so Hutchings says that will make it easy for soccer fans to get to the new stadium. "It would be very easy for soccer moms in Bountiful and in Ogden to jump on the commuter rail with their children, take the team train and come right down."

Hutchings retired as a Third District Court Judge 9 years ago. He plans to meet with Checketts later this week and look at the property. If Checketts doesn't like the free land deal, Hutchings says he will make him another offer. "Our preference is that Dave would come down with the team to this site and we would joint venture partner with him. But if need be we're willing to step-up and buy the team," Hutchings said.

Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts declined to comment on the free land offer when contacted by ABC 4 News on Tuesday. But Hutchings said he hopes to start building the stadium within the next six months, either as a neighbor or as the owner of the Utah Real soccer team.

[delts145]

But 30 free acres in Vineyard on sidelines

By Doug Smeath and Sara Israelsen
Deseret Morning News
With Salt Lake County funding for a Sandy soccer stadium off the table, Salt Lake City officials are hoping they can reawaken interest in Real Salt Lake making its home in the capital city.


Mike Terry, Deseret Morning News, KSL-TV Chopper 5
The Salt Lake City Council will discuss today the Utah State Fairpark as an alternate site for the Real soccer stadium after the county snubbed Sandy plan.

But they may have competition in Utah County.
The City Council plans an emergency work-session meeting this afternoon to "discuss the option of soccer in the Fairpark area."
Real owner Dave Checketts previously has passed over the idea of building the stadium at the Utah State Fairpark, on North Temple and 1000 West, in favor of a Sandy stadium, but Mayor Rocky Anderson and the City Council have been persistent.
"We think soccer's a good thing for Utah," Council Chairman Van Turner said. "We think it's a better thing for Salt Lake City."
Meanwhile, Anderson Geneva Inc., in Vineyard, Utah County, has re-offered 30 acres of former steel-plant land for a giant stadium, with promises to build without asking for money from Utah County taxpayers.
"We realize that Real Salt Lake is homeless," said Michael Hutchings, co-owner of Anderson Development. "We would try to build them a really nice home on the Geneva property in Utah County."
Real Salt Lake officials declined to comment Tuesday.
The Salt Lake City Council is not considering any specific funding proposals — none has been officially put forth — but will instead brainstorm ideas today.
The fairgrounds are owned by the state, so the using the site for a soccer stadium would need legislative approval. Speaking to KSL-Newsradio on Monday, Anderson called on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to push for lawmakers to lease the land to the team.
Huntsman spokesman Mike Mower said Tuesday that the governor has spoken with Checketts, but Mower would not say what they discussed. Mower said Huntsman has also met with other political leaders, whom he did not name, and "options were discussed, but there are no final proposals."
Neither Anderson nor his spokesman could be reached for comment Tuesday.
In June 2006, Anderson promoted the Fairpark idea by suggesting a number of incentives, including a share of the city's property taxes, some of the city's portion of hotel taxes from Salt Lake County and a ready fan base within walking distance of the site.
Turner said a Fairpark stadium could be tied in with the fair, and the amenities already at the park would complement the stadium.
Since the Fairpark idea was last offered to the team, county leaders have named a light-rail line on North Temple as a top priority, boosting Turner's conviction that a stadium there "would make good business sense."
Salt Lake City business leaders also like the idea. Salt Lake Chamber spokeswoman Natalie Gochnour said Chamber president Lane Beattie is "actively working to try to keep this alive. There's a recognition here that a Major League Soccer franchise and the benefit it brings to our residents is something we ought not let slip away."
She said the Chamber would support a Utah County site if it proved to be more viable — whatever it takes to keep the team in the area.
The Salt Lake City Council's work session is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. today in Room 326 of the City-County Building, 451 S. State Street. The discussion is listed as a tentative agenda item, open to the public, with a closed executive session to follow.
In Vineyard, Hutchings still sees the Utah County site as the most viable option.
"This truly is one of those win-win scenarios," he said. "We're talking about giving the land to the team — for free. I don't see a downside here."
The gift would be 30 acres of cleaned-up Geneva land at 800 North near the railroad tracks.
Sitting just west of Orem and east of Utah Lake, Vineyard is often overlooked in the Utah County landscape. Once home to Geneva Steel and multi-generational family farms, the demise of the plant has brought with it the possibility for new growth — and now a potential stadium.
Hutchings and Anderson Development Inc. co-owner Gerald Anderson will be talking with Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts sometime next week to firm up the details, which might also include a change of ownership in the team.
No matter where the home, Real Salt Lake is going to need a place to play come early Spring 2008, as their lease with Rice-Eccles Stadium ends in October, after the 2007 season.
Hutchings said if talks with Checketts go as planned, and the necessary approval and zoning changes can be worked out with Vineyard, they would hope to break ground in six months and have the project finished by summer 2008.

[delts145]

While I would want REAL to move to the Genveva site vs. no Utah site at all, "I would definately prefer the Fairgrounds site." The Fairgrounds needs a big shot in the arm like this. We sure could sure use the increased seating for some great concert act's during the State Fair season. A lot of win-win possibilities here for the Wasatch. I hope Checketts will be willing to eat a little humble pie.