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January 29, 2007

Real Salt Lake stadium really most sincerely dead

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon announced this morning that he was rejecting plans for a Real Salt Lake soccer stadium, putting the final nail in the coffin of the $110 million project. Last week, you'll recall, a county committee recommended turning down the deal, saying its finances were too shaky; Corroon apparently agreed, calling the project an "unsafe investment" and "gambling with taxpayer dollars."

RSL owner Dave Checketts immediately went on a local radio station and announced that he would sell the team, possibly as soon as this Friday. (He didn't say whether it would be to someone who would move the team out of town, but that's certainly the implication.) It's still possible that the state legislature will take up the idea of funding a soccer stadium, but house speaker Greg Curtis didn't sound real optimistic, telling the Deseret News: "I kinda feel like the lone legislator. I'm one out of 104 — I've got to get 53 people to say, 'Hey, that's a good idea,' and I haven't even tried yet."

COMMENTS

I know tracking so many stories in your spare time makes it hard to get the facts straight. Checketts did not go on the radio saying he would sell the team. I don't think you linked to a source saying that. Checketts flippantly told Coroon in a private meeting that he COULD sell the team as soon as Friday if he wanted to. Not that he would.

Posted by anon on January 30, 2007 11:43 AM

Seems that SLC is going back to the table to talk with RSL about the "Fairbanks" area for a stadium....

Posted by Bertell Ollman on January 30, 2007 05:48 PM

why would they put it in alaska?

Posted by anon on January 31, 2007 01:59 PM

quotes found on google:

"Checketts, who used to run the New York Knicks, said he would have a buyer for Real Salt Lake City by Friday."
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/SPORTS/70130028/1007

"As a result, owner Dave Checketts will try to sell Real but keep the team in Utah for the 2007 Major League Soccer season, KSL Radio reported."...
"Corroon said he spoke to Checketts before a news conference, and the Real owner said he could sell the team by Friday if he wanted to."
http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/62779

"Checketts said he hasn't decided whether he will sell the team."
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6422768


i think it all depends on which source you read.

Posted by none on January 31, 2007 02:28 PM

excuse me....... the SLC "Fairgrounds"....

Posted by Bertell Ollman on January 31, 2007 10:23 PM

I agree that sports parks are too lavish and expensive; but at least these soccer stadiums, with around 20,000 seats, are somewhat usefull. The one in Colorado will be used for High School soccer and lacross playoffs, and youth tournaments can use the complexes. Also rugby. And concerts are more feasible than at the huge football stadiums.

Posted by Tom on February 1, 2007 01:09 PM

Tom,

That is probably the reason why Goldman Sachs was going to invest in the RSL stadium, by as much as 50% of the private equity.

But don't tell Neil that, stadium subsidies are always baaaaaad. It isn't like RSL owns most of the land where the stadium would be, as well as paying for the stadium and development itself.

Good luck Salt Lake in finding someone to invest in your community.

Posted by Mike on February 2, 2007 12:16 AM

Stadium subsidies aren't baaaaad if the public gets as much for its investment as the sports team does. What's worth $45 million that Salt Lake would have gotten out of this deal?

Posted by Neil deMause on February 2, 2007 06:56 AM

Infrastructure. And a $130 million private investment.

Posted by Mike on February 2, 2007 03:46 PM

That's what RSL gets out of it, but what's the public benefit?

Posted by Neil deMause on February 2, 2007 04:25 PM

The public gets a venue for events, obviously. Is it worth the money? That is for the people of Utah to decide, I'm just saying this size of stadium is more useful than the NFL stadiums.

Posted by Tom on February 6, 2007 11:08 AM

Oh, sure. That's a pretty low bar to set, though.

Also, just getting around to responding to the very first commenter: Checketts had indeed told KSL Radio's "Doug Wright Show" that he "would" sell the team, at least according to the Salt Lake Tribune. (The link to the SL Trib story was wrong in the initial item; I just fixed it.) Not that it matters much, as obviously the threat did its job either way.

Posted by Neil deMause on February 6, 2007 11:19 AM

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