The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
The City Council might have voted against holding a special election in 2017, but SoccerCity isn’t dead.
Instead of outright approving the proposal to redevelop the Qualcomm Stadium site, the City Council chose this week to put the plan on the 2018 November ballot.
FS Investors, the private investment group behind the initiative, aggressively pushed for a November 2017 special election, saying it was the only sure way San Diego could be awarded a Major League Soccer expansion team. But now that the proposal is set to go in front of voters in 2018, many wonder whether MLS will be willing to wait another year after all.
The MLS timeline isn’t the only thing standing in SoccerCity’s way; supporters of the plan will also have to overcome opposition from labor unions, San Diego State University and other big local developers who’ve joined forces to oppose it.
On this week’s podcast, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts discuss all the hurdles standing in SoccerCity’s way.
Also on the podcast, our weeklong series on the South Bay’s hidden homelessness crisis continues with a special episode by Gabriel Ellison-Scowcroft, who reports on the role schools play helping students and their families who struggle with homelessness.
Deborah Morris, coordinator of integrated services for the Sweetwater Union High School District, says students see school as much more than just a place to learn.
“It’s more of a relief than it is a place of learning,” she said. “I think they see the value in school, but there’s so much more going on at home that school is the escape from the stress of their daily lives. It’s awful.”
Hero of the Week
This week’s hat tip goes to South Bay educators and employees like Mirinda Quillopo, Veronica Medina, Molly Ravenscroft and Pamela Reichert-Montiel who helped with our investigation and who are also stepping up to the plate to help students and their families.
Goat of the Week
A big ol’ goat goes to San Diego Padres fans who demanded retaliation after Cubs player Anthony Rizzo roughly collided with Padres catcher Austin Hedges at last Monday night’s game. Tradition or not, violence is never the answer, folks.