News of the Arroyo
Title: | Pasadena to study hosting NFL at Rose Bowl |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2012-03-09 |
Summary: | March 9, 2012 - "The Pasadena City Council is expected to go forward next week with an environmental study for temporarily hosting an NFL team at the Rose Bowl." |
Author: | Adolfo Flores, Times Community News |
Publication: | Pasadena Sum |
Content: | The Pasadena City Council is expected to go forward next week with an environmental study for temporarily hosting an NFL team at the Rose Bowl. The study would determine the traffic and other impacts of allowing an NFL team to use the Rose Bowl as a home stadium for five years while another stadium is built elsewhere in the region. The city has said allowing a team in on a temporary basis would generated much-needed tax revenue to shore up budget deficits while also generating business in town. Opponents, including nearby homeowners, are concerned that a team drawing tens of thousands of fans to 10 or more games a year would trample the Arroyo Seco, limit access to pools and park areas near the stadium and cause headaches for Rose Bowl neighbors. The cost of the $400,000 study will be split between the city and the Rose Bowl Operating Co. officials said Thursday, though they previously said they wanted the NFL to pay for it. Temporarily hosting an NFL team would increase the number of events held at the stadium annually from 12 to 25, which would require a change in a city law. "Should the Rose Bowl Operating Co. and Council go forward, it should not be interpreted that it's predetermined that an NFL team would come to L.A.," said Councilman Victor Gordo, who is also president of the Rose Bowl Operating Co. "It's an investment, ensuring the Rose Bowl is in a position, if an NFL team chooses to relocate in the Los Angeles area, to temporarily host the NFL while a permanent stadium is being built." Gordo said stadium officials didn't want to wait for the NFL to give them the go-ahead to start the study because it's expected to take eight months to complete and they wanted to be able to compete with the only other likely rival to serve as a temporary home to a team, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Darryl Dunn, chief executive of the Rose Bowl Operating Co., said the earliest a team would play at the stadium is the fall of 2013. "From past studies we think there is enough significant economic benefit," Dunn said. "On the stadium side we do think it's very significant and on the city side I think the timing could not be more excellent in terms of short-term economic benefits." A 2004 NFL economic impact report found that if the Rose Bowl hosted a regular football season, the games would generate a total of $3.1 million in spending on tickets, concessions, hotel rooms and other purchases in Pasadena, and would deliver $140,273 in taxes to the city. A single Super Bowl game could generate spending of $4.3 million in the city, according to the seven-year-old report. The budget gap for renovating the Rose Bowl has grown to $20.3 million, and the overall project is now expected to cost $160 million. In addition Pasadena faces a $6 million deficit in its $216 million General Fund budget. A decision from an NFL team to relocate would likely occur between December 2012 to February 2013, said City Manager Michael Beck. "It's really just a calendar issue, if we wait any longer we're out for the 2013 season," Beck said. -- Adolfo Flores, Times Community News Twitter: @AdolfoFlores3 |
Url: |
