Los Angeles Angels stadium deal killed by city council
By David Hill
The Los Angeles Angels thought they had their future locked in. They had agreed to purchase the area around Angel Stadium for $150 million, receiving a discount in order to build a seven acre park and 466 units of affordable housing. This appeared to be the perfect way to keep the Angels in town for the foreseeable future.
However, that deal was not particularly popular. There were concerns that the land was being sold for far less than its value and that the $170 million discount was unnecessary. The FBI opened a corruption investigation into the agreement which has led to the mayor resigning despite his protestations that he has done nothing wrong.
Los Angeles Angels likely heading to legal battle over stadium deal
Meanwhile, the future of the Angels in Anaheim is now in doubt. The city council voted unanimously to kill the sale of the Angel Stadium to Arte Moreno despite his attempts to push for the deal to go through despite the corruption probe. Chances are, this will lead to a protracted legal battle.
In the interim, the Angels will be at Angel Stadium through 2029 when their lease is over. The question is what happens afterward. It is possible that they will be on the move again unless another deal can be reached or the Angels win any legal challenge to canceling the sale.
It is not a surprise that there is speculation that the Angels would move for the 2030 season. A proposed stadium in Long Beach is estimated to cost more than $1.1 billion, although it is not certain how much of the tab the city would be expected to pick up. At the very least, the Angels would be playing in Los Angeles instead of approximately 30 miles away.
At this point, nothing is certain. Investigations are still ongoing and the stadium deal is likely going to become even more of a mess. However, the Angels may find themselves added to the A’s and Rays as teams looking for a new ballpark and potentially moving, although it would just be an hour away.
Next. Canning suffers setback. dark
The Los Angeles Angels stadium deal is dead for now. However, legal issues and a potential lawsuit will keep it in the news.