Anaheim Floats New Grand Plan to Keep Rams

Spurred by the threat of losing the Los Angeles Rams, city officials confirmed Tuesday that they are working on plans to create a sports and entertainment mecca around the Anaheim Stadium area, possibly linked to Disneyland and the Convention Center by monorail.

The plans are meant to entice the Rams to stay or lessen the blow to the city’s economy by revitalizing the area should they leave, city officials said.

The package under consideration would create a “sports complex atmosphere,” capitalizing on the value of the city’s other professional sports franchises and tourist attractions, Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly said.

Another concept being explored, city officials said, is building a large retail center near the stadium and along the Santa Ana River trail, much like CityWalk in Universal City.

City Manager James D. Ruth declined to discuss details of the plan, but said city officials want to examine the economic potential of the stadium area, whether the Rams stay or leave.

While the “focal point” of the effort is to keep the team, he said, the city would go ahead with the plans even without it.

“It makes sense to look at the potential around the stadium,” Ruth said. The idea is to “revitalize the area and bring together all the economic benefits.”

Ram officials have told the city they are investigating the possibility of moving the team somewhere with greater financial opportunities. They said they plan to exercise a 15-month escape clause in their stadium lease.

The National Football League team has been courted by ownership groups in other cities, including Baltimore, St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn.

Concern about a Rams departure has forced city officials to re-examine the financial and social benefits of the team and its stadium. They have come to the conclusion that while they may not be able to prevent the Rams from leaving, they might be able to increase the profitability of the stadium area.

High-rise offices have been scheduled for development around the stadium, but because of the glut of office space in Orange County, city officials are examining other potential land uses such as retail.

A large retail district near the stadium, for example, could be used to lure sports fans to shop and dine before and after events at the stadium and arena. One possible model would be MCA’s CityWalk, which is open to the public but thrives on business from people going to Universal Studios.

Daly said the city is considering using the stadium and arena as the foundation for a sports complex, much like a proposed development project in Florida announced by H. Wayne Huizenga, the multimillionaire sports mogul and Blockbuster Video president.

Huizenga, who owns the baseball Florida Marlins, football Miami Dolphins and hockey Florida Panthers professional franchises, plans to build a large sports and entertainment complex in south Florida, complete with major league stadiums, a movie studio, an amusement park and golf courses.

“We should be taking steps to improve and enhance the area and make it a major sports and entertainment destination,” Daly said. “Over the past 25 years the city has made substantial investments in the area, first with the stadium and then with the arena. Now it is time to move forward and capture all the potential benefits from these very valuable assets.”

Daly added that Anaheim already has a head start on Huizenga with Disneyland, the Convention Center, an arena and a stadium.

“We need to look at how to bring all this together,” he said.

John Nicoletti, spokesman for the Anaheim Arena, has not been approached by the city about any of the concepts, but he said they “seem to make a lot of sense for the area.”

Ruth said the package being discussed is preliminary and probably would require support from other businesses, county government and private entrepreneurs. It may be months or longer before city staff can draft a master plan, he said.

A crucial question about the proposal that remains unanswered is funding.

One option being explored is designating the stadium area as a redevelopment district to take advantage of a funding process that allows a certain portion of property tax revenue from that area to be funneled back into it. Although the area is not blighted, it might be able to qualify as a redevelopment area because of damage caused by the Northridge earthquake in January.

The Rams, who already hold development rights to a portion of the Anaheim Stadium parking lot, would profit from, and would be asked to participate in, several of the proposed projects.

Rams officials, however, have not yet been approached by the city with these ideas.

Daly has a meeting scheduled with Rams Executive Vice President John Shaw on Thursday to discuss issues regarding the stadium, the team’s departure and a dispute over renewing the lease on the team’s practice facility.

At the City Council meeting Tuesday, the Rams were given a one-week reprieve from the Friday eviction threat issued by the owners of the practice site.

The Magnolia School District, which owns the former school where the football team practices, agreed to give the Rams have until March 18 to agree to a new lease for the facility, City Atty. Jack L. White said Tuesday.

The city rents the school from the district and sublets it to the team.

White said the obstacle to a new agreement continues to be the Rams’ refusal to restore the school to its original condition if they move out of the city after the upcoming season. Rams officials were unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Times correspondent Terry Spencer contributed to this report.