A public vote on a new downtown Chargers stadium might not happen in 2012, a team official said Tuesday.
Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani said in an email that changes to the state’s redevelopment program, once considered a key component of stadium financing, and the time lost during the NFL’s four-month labor strife has put a planned November 2012 ballot measure at risk.
We still hope to be on the ballot in November 2012, although we realize that major events beyond the city’s control, and our control — the continuing economic and budget crisis, the end of redevelopment as we know it, and the months lost to the NFL lockout — may cause us difficulty in meeting the 2012 deadline.
In February, Fabiani had said that the city of San Diego and the team would need to begin drafting a financing plan for the $800 million stadium this summer to reach the ballot by next November. That hasn’t happened.
Last month, the state gutted redevelopment, likely leaving the city’s downtown agency without money to contribute to the project, particularly in the short term. The NFL labor deal signed this week allows for league financing similar to the NFL’s previous plan.
If a stadium vote doesn’t happen next November, the issue likely would fall to the city’s next mayor. Current Mayor Jerry Sanders’ term ends in 2012 and he’s worked in fits and starts on the downtown stadium project for almost two years. At one point, the team had hoped to get a stadium plan on the ballot way back in 2006.
Fabiani has praised the current cooperation between the team and the city. Former downtown redevelopment agency head Fred Maas, who’s advising Sanders on Chargers’ issues, said the same in an interview with me today.
The U-T’s Matt Hall has interesting stuff on the proposed deal between the Los Angeles and developer AEG on its downtown project. The most interesting: The city projects the NFL to charge an existing team as much as $500 million to move to Los Angeles.
Liam Dillon is a news reporter for voiceofsandiego.org. He covers San Diego City Hall and big buildings. What should he write about next?
Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.