say it ain't so :( ...
The San Francisco 49ers will abandon their namesake city and look to build a new stadium in the city of Santa Clara, the team announced in a statement today, citing the difficult project approval process in San Francisco and a desire to provide the "optimal" fan experience.
In a statement posted on the team's Web site, the 49ers say that Candlestick Point cannot support a "new state-of-the-art NFL stadium and adjacent major mixed use project." The decision to look at Santa Clara -- the team's headquarters and the site of their training facility -- came after "careful deliberation," and a year of study, the statements says.
"The team came to the conclusion that the project would not have offered the optimal game day experience it is seeking to create for fans, and has therefore decided not to move forward with the public approval process at Candlestick Point," the statement says, adding that the complexity of the approval process could have jeopardized the team's goal of opening the stadium by 2012.
The 49ers have been attempting to build a new ballpark at Candlestick Point for nearly 10 years, and said in the statement that they would look elsewhere in the Bay Area if the Santa Clara site does not pan out. The team's name will not change, York noted in today's team statement.
Team owner John York told San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and several supervisors about the plans Wednesday in a series of phone calls.
The team's major issue with the San Francisco site was the "incompatible land requirements," according to today's statement, which notes the geographic boundaries of Candlestick Point area and the complex land deals that would need to be completed.
The team also says that the need for more mass transit and new infrastructure -- including "one of the largest parking structures in the world" -- pose huge challenges, and that the proposed development would "take up much of the space fans currently use for parking and tailgating."
Sources said York is also peeved at the city's insistence that any stadium deal be approved at the ballot box. A campaign to win voters would cost around $6 million, York complained. In the statement, the team also noted that the stadium's price tag could ballon past $800 million when all the infrastructure improvements are taken into account.
York's decision followed a meeting Wednesday with representatives of the Lennar Corp., the would-be developers of the housing and retail stores that were to accompany the proposed 80,500-seat stadium. York gave his decision during the meeting and began contacting city officials.
"We hired the best experts and advisors in the business and worked tirelessly with the City and Lennar to move forward with this project at Candlestick Point," York said in the statement today. "I want to commend Mayor Newsom and his staff and Lennar for their support and determination over the past year in this enormous undertaking. This decision is not a reflection of their efforts, but rather the geographic challenges of this site."
The proposed Santa Clara project site is near the Great America Amusement Park and the Santa Clara Convention Center, the team said, noting that there are numerous roads in the area that can accommodate heavy traffic and "many" forms of public transportation nearby.
Newsom spokesman Peter Ragone said Wednesday that the call came in early evening, stunning and perplexing officials who had been meeting weekly with team representatives.
City Hall sources did not rule out the possibility that York's sudden announcement could be an attempt to cut a better deal for the football team.
But in his calls to the mayor and to supervisors, York repeatedly said that his decision was final. The team could not stay in San Francisco, he said, because the stadium deal "didn't pencil out" and because provisions for transportation and parking at the proposed site at Candlestick Point were inadequate.
The announcement also apparently ends a possible bid by San Francisco to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, which would have been tied to the construction of a new stadium in San Francisco.
The timing of the 49ers' news means that even should some reconciliation between the city and the football team be reached, it might be too late to help the Olympic bid. San Francisco 2016 must submit its bid document, some 250-300 pages, by Jan. 22. The certainty of a bid's plans is one criterion the USOC will use in assessing it.
York told Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin that "Santa Clara has become the team's first priority'' as a new location and that the team was "not playing one city off the other,'' Peskin said Wednesday.
York apparently reached his decision on his own, without consulting advisers or partners.
"We're disappointed, but we're not planning on mortgaging the future for a deal,'' Ragone said.
Previous plans for a new stadium have called for a $600 million to $800 million complex to be built southeast of the current stadium.
In 1997, voters approved a controversial ballot proposition authorizing $100 million for a stadium, but that plan never got off the ground.
York said Wednesday that his next move is to begin talks with Santa Clara officials.
"We're proud to have the San Francisco 49ers as part of our community," said Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan. "We have been looking to expand our entertainment options in the Great America/Convention Center area for years, and this stadium can be a great addition ... we are ready to give this project our full attention."
In a statement posted on the team's Web site, the 49ers say that Candlestick Point cannot support a "new state-of-the-art NFL stadium and adjacent major mixed use project." The decision to look at Santa Clara -- the team's headquarters and the site of their training facility -- came after "careful deliberation," and a year of study, the statements says.
"The team came to the conclusion that the project would not have offered the optimal game day experience it is seeking to create for fans, and has therefore decided not to move forward with the public approval process at Candlestick Point," the statement says, adding that the complexity of the approval process could have jeopardized the team's goal of opening the stadium by 2012.
The 49ers have been attempting to build a new ballpark at Candlestick Point for nearly 10 years, and said in the statement that they would look elsewhere in the Bay Area if the Santa Clara site does not pan out. The team's name will not change, York noted in today's team statement.
Team owner John York told San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and several supervisors about the plans Wednesday in a series of phone calls.
The team's major issue with the San Francisco site was the "incompatible land requirements," according to today's statement, which notes the geographic boundaries of Candlestick Point area and the complex land deals that would need to be completed.
The team also says that the need for more mass transit and new infrastructure -- including "one of the largest parking structures in the world" -- pose huge challenges, and that the proposed development would "take up much of the space fans currently use for parking and tailgating."
Sources said York is also peeved at the city's insistence that any stadium deal be approved at the ballot box. A campaign to win voters would cost around $6 million, York complained. In the statement, the team also noted that the stadium's price tag could ballon past $800 million when all the infrastructure improvements are taken into account.
York's decision followed a meeting Wednesday with representatives of the Lennar Corp., the would-be developers of the housing and retail stores that were to accompany the proposed 80,500-seat stadium. York gave his decision during the meeting and began contacting city officials.
"We hired the best experts and advisors in the business and worked tirelessly with the City and Lennar to move forward with this project at Candlestick Point," York said in the statement today. "I want to commend Mayor Newsom and his staff and Lennar for their support and determination over the past year in this enormous undertaking. This decision is not a reflection of their efforts, but rather the geographic challenges of this site."
The proposed Santa Clara project site is near the Great America Amusement Park and the Santa Clara Convention Center, the team said, noting that there are numerous roads in the area that can accommodate heavy traffic and "many" forms of public transportation nearby.
Newsom spokesman Peter Ragone said Wednesday that the call came in early evening, stunning and perplexing officials who had been meeting weekly with team representatives.
City Hall sources did not rule out the possibility that York's sudden announcement could be an attempt to cut a better deal for the football team.
But in his calls to the mayor and to supervisors, York repeatedly said that his decision was final. The team could not stay in San Francisco, he said, because the stadium deal "didn't pencil out" and because provisions for transportation and parking at the proposed site at Candlestick Point were inadequate.
The announcement also apparently ends a possible bid by San Francisco to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, which would have been tied to the construction of a new stadium in San Francisco.
The timing of the 49ers' news means that even should some reconciliation between the city and the football team be reached, it might be too late to help the Olympic bid. San Francisco 2016 must submit its bid document, some 250-300 pages, by Jan. 22. The certainty of a bid's plans is one criterion the USOC will use in assessing it.
York told Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin that "Santa Clara has become the team's first priority'' as a new location and that the team was "not playing one city off the other,'' Peskin said Wednesday.
York apparently reached his decision on his own, without consulting advisers or partners.
"We're disappointed, but we're not planning on mortgaging the future for a deal,'' Ragone said.
Previous plans for a new stadium have called for a $600 million to $800 million complex to be built southeast of the current stadium.
In 1997, voters approved a controversial ballot proposition authorizing $100 million for a stadium, but that plan never got off the ground.
York said Wednesday that his next move is to begin talks with Santa Clara officials.
"We're proud to have the San Francisco 49ers as part of our community," said Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan. "We have been looking to expand our entertainment options in the Great America/Convention Center area for years, and this stadium can be a great addition ... we are ready to give this project our full attention."
posted by SwiTch at 10:15 AM
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