The Chargers' plan for replacing Qualcomm Stadium "increasingly points to a countywide ballot measure" in November '16 for the team's roughly $1B stadium proposal, according to Mark Walker of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Funding would "combine money from the Spanos family that owns the team, development partner Colony Capital, LLC, and some form of taxpayer contribution." The Spanos family and investment partners would "put up" roughly $400M, and seek a $200M loan from the NFL. But the "rub comes in how" the remaining $400M would be financed. Early talks with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s top aides are "ongoing with no firm proposal expected for months." But a variety of factors have "re-energized the more than decade-old quest for a higher revenue-generating stadium the Chargers say they need to compete with other franchises." The key factor in the talks resuming is a "renewed sense of political stability" at City Hall. Other major factors that "bring the stadium issue back to the political forefront include the improved economy, an increase" from $80M to $200M in loan money, and "fears of a team relocating or the league granting an expansion team" to L.A. Orange County "accounts for roughly a third of the Chargers’ ticket base," and the team says that it is "open to ideas and not locked into any site." Chargers Special Counsel to the President Mark Fabiani said that the team is not "drawing any line" and will not "issue any ultimatums as talks go on." Walker noted the "desire for a countywide vote is based on the likelihood of regional support for a new stadium trumping opposition from within the city from those [opposed] to any use of city assets or revenues" (UTSANDIEGO.com, 4/19).
