Lew Wolff Gets Land From San Jose, Could Lead To MLS Stadium

San Jose City Council Approves Land Sale To Wolff

The San Jose City Council yesterday unanimously agreed to sell 66 acres to MLS Earthquakes Owner Lew Wolff and his business partners for a $132M "retail, office and hotel deal," which is the "first step toward building a professional soccer stadium," according to Joshua Molina of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Wolff plans to "set aside 18 acres for the 18,000-seat soccer stadium and parking." But Wolff "will only be able to build the stadium if the city later agrees to a separate deal to rezone 78 acres of commercial and industrial property" Wolff owns in Edenvale, as Wolff plans to pay for the stadium "with the profit from selling that land to housing developers." If the "soccer deal does go through, the stadium would be donated to the city and the Earthquakes would lease the land." Any stadium project would "need to undergo several rounds of environmental review and public scrutiny before approval" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 5/21).