Posted on 01/31/2014 7:24:47 AM PST by Uncle Chip
ST. LOUIS -- According to reports in the Los Angeles Times and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, by way of an affiliated holding company, recently purchased a 60-acre tract of land in Inglewood, Calif.
The reports indicate that the land is located between the Forum and Hollywood Park and could serve as a possible spot for development of a new NFL stadium according to the Times' sources.
Kroenke has made much of his fortune by way of land development and has long owned large amounts of land in California and elsewhere. Whether this move is simply adding to his land or being used for other means related to his football team remains to be seen.
What is known is that a clause in the Rams' lease at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis is set to kick in at the end of the 2014 season. So long as the stadium hasn't been upgraded to one of the eight best venues in the NFL before that time, the Rams' lease will then become a year-to-year proposition beginning in 2015.
Discussions about how to bring the current stadium up to that standard have been ongoing for the past couple of years but no resolution was reached.
In 2012, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission proposed a $124 million upgrade to help the Edward Jones Dome reach the "first tier" standard.
The Rams countered with a more elaborate proposal which was estimated to cost somewhere in the range of $700 million.
In February of last year, an arbitrator heard both proposals and ruled in favor of the Rams. Soon after, the commission made it clear it does not intend to follow through with the plan, meaning the lease will almost certainly expire after next season.....
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I was thinking the same thing, actually. The 1945 Cleveland Rams were NFL champions, then moved to LA the very next season!
Keeping my fingers crossed for Johnny Football to be available at #4 in the draft for the Browns.
One thing to consider is there is already a parking lot at the location, used by The Forum (seating 17,000), and the former Hollywood Park (capacity 60,000+). Not sure how much of the parking lot will be developed when Hollypark is torn down, but that could be a possibility. Personally, I think when they tear down the race track, there will be plenty of land available, without building on too much of the lot. Thanks.
I don’t think Johnny Football will be a very good NFL QB. The kid has terrible mechanics along with weak arm strength.
Like Tebow he is a great college QB, and like Tebow I don’t think his game will translate very well to the NFL. The Browns would be better off drafting a guy like AJ McCarron or the kid from Fresno St Derek Carr. Both of whom should be available when your pick comes up.
Why on earth does LA need an NFL team? We already have two great football teams—the Occidental College Tigers and the USC Trojans.
How much does 60 acres of land cost?
Did you deliberately forget the UCLA Bruins or was that just occidental???
UCLA plays in Pasadena
UCLA is in LA — hence UC LA.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.