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Majestic Realty Not Talking To Teams About
Relocation Until City Of Industry Stadium Plans Set |
Majestic Realty VP John Semcken, whose company is looking to build an NFL stadium in City of Industry, California, in a Q&A with the L.A. TIMES' Sam Farmer said Majestic is "not talking with any teams for relocation to the building until after we've completed the process." Semcken said Majestic is "partially through" the environmental impact report (EIR) process, and "that process will continue probably through the end of the year until the EIR is certified." Semcken said Majestic Realty Chair & CEO Ed Roski Jr. has "already paid for the design of the project, and so it's actually out to bid with four contractors right now. So by the end of this year we'll have a completely entitled, environmentally approved, priced and schematically designed enough (proposal) to price the building. We'll be able to show the league: Here you go, it's all wrapped up with a bow and you can go." Semcken added, "At that point, if we were to buy a team ... then we'd be able to say to a team, 'We're done. You can move here. Here's the building. You can start construction.'" Semcken said Majestic is meeting with the NFL "on and off constantly," and Majestic has "had meetings with individual owners with respect to members of the L.A. and stadium committees." Semcken noted, "Very shortly, we will have met with all of the owners on the stadium and the Los Angeles committees." But Semcken said Majestic wants to postpone negotiations with teams "until we actually have a deal that says, 'This is certain. If you allow us to buy the team, or you allow us to buy a part of the team, this is a real estate deal that will be a done deal.'" Semcken, when asked if Roski has tried "to buy an option to purchase a team or a share of a team," said, "We haven't done anything and won't do anything until we have a certain stadium deal" (
L.A. TIMES, 9/27).
NOT SO FAST? Semcken, who was quoted last month by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune as saying he has “no doubt” an NFL team will be playing in L.A. by next season, said that he was "not quoted accurately in the story." San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group Senior Editor Frank Pine said, "We stand by our story." The L.A. TIMES' Farmer wrote, "I’ll be the first to say that I’m not sold on [Roski’s] plan to build an NFL stadium in Industry." It is a "cool-looking plan, and I don’t think the location is a huge inconvenience because, unlike an arena that has events every night, a stadium would be in use only about 25 times a year. It’s that, according to my sources, ... this deal isn’t getting the kind of traction it needs to get for something to really happen with it" (LATIMES.com, 9/26).
DEFENSIVE STANCE: In California, Bethania Palma Markus reported the Walnut (CA) City Council voted 4-0 to "oppose a proposed NFL stadium" developed by Ed Roski Jr. in the neighboring city of Industry. At a Wednesday town meeting, many residents "cited concerns the project would lead to increased crime and traffic and decreased property values." Walnut resident Shiuh-Ming Ellis: "If this stadium is not stopped our quality of life will be completely destroyed" (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, 9/26).
