Chance for lucrative defined-term NFL tenant should not be dismissed without knowing terms and financial benefits to Rose Bowl, City of Pasadena and local businesses
Pasadena, CA – At its December meeting, the Board of Directors of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce voted to formally take a position in support of the Rose Bowl exploring the opportunity to host an interim professional National Football League (NFL) team for as many as four years.
“Without a deal on the table and without knowing what the financial, environmental and neighborhood impacts may be, the Chamber Board overwhelmingly supported the idea of looking at the Rose Bowl hosting an NFL team on a short-term basis, should that opportunity arise,” said Chamber CEO Paul Little. “The Board felt very strongly that it would be a huge lost opportunity to dismiss the interim NFL team before even hearing what any deal terms may be and without understanding what impacts may result.”
To date, there has not been an NFL team announced for the Los Angeles area. Two proposals are currently competing for the rights to bring a team to Los Angeles, one that would be located in the City of Industry and the other intended to be housed at a stadium to be built in downtown Los Angeles. Neither entity has been able to secure an agreement to re-located an NFL team to Los Angeles. If and when that happens, it is very likely that the Los Angeles NFL team would need a temporary stadium in which to play its home games for as many as four years as their permanent home is being built.
“Right now there is no indication that an NFL team will relocate to Los Angeles anytime in the near future, though we all recognize that an announcement could come in the next few weeks or five years from now,” said Mr. Little. “The Chamber Board simply wants our Rose Bowl stadium to be able to entertain the idea of hosting an interim NFL team. The Board encourages the Rose Bowl to, at the very least, look into the opportunity and determine if it is in the best interest of the stadium, the community and our local economy to play host to professional football for a defined period of time. If, at some point, there is a deal to be considered, the Chamber Board will likely look at the deal points and decide if the economic benefits outweigh any impacts to our community or the Arroyo Seco.”
The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association is a professional business organization. Since the earliest days of Pasadena, the Chamber has played a major role in the development of this internationally renowned city. Since 1888, when the organization was founded as the Board of Trade, the Chamber's primary purpose has been the enhancement of both the business climate and the quality of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce serves 1500 members.
No comments:
Post a Comment