The proposed NFL stadium in Inglewood, Calif., "faces a new challenge," after the FAA "released a preliminary report saying the venue at the former Hollywood Park site is 'presumed to be a hazard to air navigation,'" according to Nathan Fenno of the L.A. TIMES. The 27-page report issued Monday warned the proposed $1.86B stadium being developed by Rams Owner Stan Kroenke could "interfere with radar that tracks inbound aircraft" to LAX. The report "offered various possible solutions that included relocating the stadium, reducing the height by more than 100 feet, reshaping the exterior or covering some surfaces with material that absorbs radar or isn't reflective." The findings allow the developers to "resolve the issues although it could add time and expense to a plan that architects have been working on for more than a year." The highest point of the proposed covered Inglewood stadium "would be 290 feet above sea level, including a playing field that would be built 100 feet below ground in an effort to comply with FAA rules." Large portions of the stadium "would be covered in a metal skin, something the report called 'problematic' because of the potential for the material to reflect radar signals." Reducing the current height of the wave-shaped venue "would be an exceedingly unlikely prospect at this late stage" (L.A. TIMES, 11/11). In California, Scott Reid notes the report is "not final and suggests that Kroenke and the developers behind the stadium project will have the opportunity to present changes to the FAA" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/11).
UP FOR DEBATE: In St. Louis, David Hunn reports aldermen tomorrow "will begin debating the city’s potential commitment to stadium construction." St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is "backing a state-led plan to publicly finance" about $400M for the new facility, while the city "would cover about" $145M. The remaining public funds "would be from the state." Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s stadium task force "has proposed that seat licenses and owner contributions make up the rest." The task force will present its plan to three NFL owner committees today in N.Y. But planners "have not yet sold the riverfront proposal" in St. Louis. Several aldermen "complained publicly" when the Edward Jones Dome authority "successfully sued St. Louis to prevent a public vote on city financing." They also "complained when financing legislation was held up for weeks and then leaked to the media before hitting aldermanic desks." Slay’s office is "counting on the minority participation guidelines to win votes." For some aldermen, it will be the "key feature" of the stadium’s construction (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/11).
