Senate OKs Bill Requiring Approval to Alter Coliseum

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation that would require state approval before the Los Angeles Coliseum could be torn down or altered as part of a plan to keep the Raiders football team from leaving town.

The bill, which passed 21 to 13, would require any alterations to the Coliseum to be approved by the state Office of Historic Preservation, using federal guidelines governing the alteration of historic buildings.

“Our hope is to maintain the Coliseum because it is a national and state historical landmark,” said Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles), the sponsor of the legislation. “It’s an important issue--not just preserving the Coliseum but the environment around it as well.” The legislation comes in the wake of a plan being considered by the Coliseum Commission to entice the Raiders to stay in Los Angeles by substantially renovating the inside of the Coliseum. An earlier plan to demolish the stadium, except for the peristyle section with its columns and display of the Olympic torch, has been abandoned.

As originally introduced, Torres’ bill would have called for the approval of a majority of voters in a countywide election before the Coliseum could be altered. But the senator amended the legislation to give final approval to the state--in order, he said, to spare the county the expense of holding a special election.

Torres’ bill is supported by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the American Institute of Architects and other preservation groups that believe the Coliseum has special historical importance as the site of both the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games.

Spectacor Management Group, the private firm that runs the Coliseum, opposed the legislation. Representatives of the company could not be reached for comment Thursday.