R.I.P. Los Angeles Angels sweetheart land deal, 2019–2022:
The Los Angeles Angels have announced they won’t be contesting Anaheim’s decision to scrap the Angel Stadium land sale with the City of Anaheim after council members unanimously voted to cancel the deal following revelations the negotiations were caught up in an FBI corruption probe.
That’s pretty much just accepting reality given that the Anaheim city council unanimously voted last week to deep-six disgraced former mayor Harry Sidhu’s agreement to sell $500 million worth of stadium land to Moreno for $150 million, with one councilmember saying maybe it could be revisited “in the distant future” when the current councilmembers are all out of office. Apparently the answer to the question “Is there a stadium deal so corrupt that even U.S. elected officials can’t stomach it?” is “Yes, when the FBI starts coming around with indictments,” which I guess is sort of an endorsement for what’s left of American democracy.
Anyway, there’s no hurry for Moreno, since he still gets to keep the lease extension through 2029 that Sidhu gifted him, which allows him to keep control over the stadium land and veto any attempts by the council to let anyone else develop it. Or … does he?
During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Jose Moreno said the lease reinstatement weakened the city’s position in negotiations because the stadium “was free and clear” before Sidhu brought the lease back.
“So city attorney if we find that that nefarious activity was occurring at this time, would that nullify that vote?” Moreno asked City Attorney Rob Fabela.
“Yes there’s definitely that potential. It’s a little more complicated,” Fabela responded, adding if it stems from “a product of self dealing, that could be voidable.”
Well, that’s interesting. It’s not clear whether enough of the council is interested in ripping up Arte Moreno’s lease to actually go ahead with trying it, but if so then the city would be in a much better negotiating position where it could say to the Angels owner, we’re gonna see who offers us the most for this land, and if it’s not you, be prepared to either find a new home or get used to somebody else building stuff on your parking lots. That would be an excellent way to find out what the land is truly worth on the open market, if nothing else.
And sure, it would risk the Angels moving somewhere else in Orange County, but Anaheim would almost certainly get more revenue from a 24/7 development than from an 81-days-a-year baseball stadium. (Sure, okay, 81-days-plus-playoffs, but this is the Angels we’re talking about here, even if Taylor Ward does seem to have decided he’s Mike Trout all of a sudden.) It would also be an excellent way to find out what Moreno’s other stadium options really are, and if he’s willing to take his chances finding another city willing to give him more than what he’s already getting in Anaheim.
That’s if the council tries to void the lease, of course, and if they’re successful, which is a couple of steps away yet. But it’s still kind of fun to dream on — much like Ward, Trout, and Shohei Ohtani batting atop the lineup in a World Series game is. Please do not hold your breath just yet for either.
Now that Anaheim seemingly gets a redo on this process, I still think they need to reach out to their other wealthy landowner (Disney) to see how interested they are in all that land . A potential bidding war among billionaires can only be a good thing.
I mean, Disney sold it Moreno in the first place?
Yeah, Anaheim is not going to do that, because they’ll only be opening a can of worms, If they did that. Not only would the Angels sue them for the lease, but they’ll change their minds, and go, after them on the stadium deal as well. I’m no expert, but I don’t like the cities chances in court on either case. So yeah, Nothing, but talk from a councilman who’s gone, after this year, Anywa
ys.
A question, for Neil or anyone with info: Has there ever been a situation in which a sports mogul wanted land, and the city/county/state responded by putting it up for public bid?
The A’s with the city of Oakland’s half of the Coliseum land, for one.
Was just reading a thoroughly disgraceful article about this in that rag usa today, dragging in a veteran for sympathy, not mentioning the million dollar figure in the recording, scare mongering about the Long Beach move red herring, not mentioning the huge giveaway of land value by the city etc The Angels reek of filth imo with the Los Angeles name shenanigans, opioid scandal and now this whole saga maybe they would be better off moving to Juarez or TJ.
The Angels aren’t obligated to stay in Orange County. They have more leverage than you are willing to acknowledge.
Sure, they could move to a region with no team currently. But abandoning one of the largest markets in the country for someplace like Charlotte or Portland would be idiotic.
I honestly think the land in Carson will be in play that was mapped out for the Chargers/Raiders stadium. Lots of undeveloped land there and I don’t think Carson would be against it since it’s been sitting on it forever and not really knowing what to do with a polluted pit. A stadium kind of masks all that and brings dollars to the area which remains undeveloped. Of course Neil will still bang his drum over the subsidies but he’s been doing this for two decades, it’s his thing.