Los Angeles Angels: Stadium Talks With Anaheim Off to Rocky Start

After the city of Anaheim awarded re-development rights to someone else, the Los Angeles Angels are not happy as stadium negotiations continue.

Negotiations between the Los Angeles Angels and the city of Anaheim on developing the land around Angel Stadium has gotten off on the wrong foot.

The team wants to turn some of the parking areas around the 50-year-old stadium and turn the land into shopping, nightlife and office space. In return, the team is ready to sign a long-term lease to keep the club where they have played since 1966.

The city planning commission voted Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times, to another developer first access to the 15-acre lot.

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Naturally, the Angels are unhappy. Dennis Kuhl, Chairman of the Angels told the Times the proposed deal “irreparably harms” the stadium. Randy Jefferson, the executive director of LT Global Investment, who preliminary won the rights from the city, hopes eventually to start a partnership with the team for future development.

Anaheim officials also balked at public money going towards Halos Owner Arte Moreno’s plan to refurbish the stadium again. Once looking at a potential new stadium site in nearby Tustin, the Angels started negotiations with the city on a new long-term lease package.

The team can opt-out of their current lease by October 2018 if they wish. If they do not, the Angels are locked into their current lease until 2029.

Of course, both sides are media posturing. Moreno, a billionaire, is taking a pounding in the press and by fans in wanting public money for a fifth makeover of Angels Stadium, the third since 1996. Despite another down year, over three million should attend Angel games at home this year. Redone after their 2002 World Series championship, the place is in decent shape.

Built on an expressway during an era when ballparks were built out of town, the area around the stadium does nothing to keep people after the game is over. Across from the Honda Center, home of the NHL Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Anaheim Stadium is not an attraction outside baseball season.

Before looking elsewhere, the city and team discussed a new 66-year lease if those redevelopment rights were part of it. With a tense relationship between the two, as Moreno changed the name from Anaheim to Los Angeles, having a key piece of whatever new agreement go elsewhere is not a good start.

Yet, as the NFL can tell you, the financing and development of a new site around Los Angeles is almost impossible. Several deals for stadium construction from downtown to Carson fell through. The chances of Moreno getting the public money and permits to build outside Anaheim are slim. If a community makes an offer, protests and lawsuits stalling what would be a billion-dollar project would make a move happen years from now.

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His best deal would be to partner with the city’s chosen developer and submit a unified plan that, in Moreno’s case, the city will throw money at in exchange for a long-term deal. When that happens remains to be seen.