Carson City Council has unanimously approved a privately financed stadium for the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. The decision comes barely two months after the public announcement of the proposed $1.7 billion project, reported the Los Angeles Times. The vote continued the proposal’s fast progress in the competition with a rival concept in Inglewood.
It took just 8 days to collect more than 15,000 signatures in support of the ballot initiative.
“There are two things we need in California: rain … and football,” said Carson Mayor Albert Robles. “And football is coming to Carson.”
The new stadium would accommodate the proposed return of NFL American football franchises the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders and would be located in the city of Carson, approximately 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and currently home to Major League Soccer (MLS) side L.A. Galaxy.
The plans have received support from both teams, who are currently experiencing difficulties in securing new stadiums in their home markets and have identified a relocation to a new facility in the Los Angeles area as a viable alternative.
The Carson project is the second new stadium development plan in the Los Angeles area to have been approved this year, with Inglewood City Council having unanimously voted to approve the development of a new 80,000-seat stadium; a project backed by St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke. (Kroenke has linked up with Stockbridge Capital Group – owner of the 238-acre Hollywood Park racecourse site – for the ‘City of Champions Revitalization Project’. The master plan for the city of Inglewood in southwestern Los Angeles County foresees the development of the stadium and a 6,000-seat performance venue to add to significant retail, office, hotel and residential space on the site.)
The Raiders’ Coliseum is currently the only stadium in the US that doubles up as a venue for a Major League Baseball (MLB) and NFL team, with the Oakland Athletics also calling the facility ‘home’.
Source: NFL.com and SportBusiness.com