Raiders Agree to Coliseum Pact, Officials Report

Two members of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission said Wednesday that the Raiders have agreed to play in the Coliseum this fall under a one-year contract that would allow time to make plans for building luxury boxes and improving Exposition Park in later years.

“I understand an agreement has been reached, and we will move forward on a state-of-the-art stadium,” said County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a longtime member of the commission.

A second commissioner, who asked not to be identified, also said an agreement has been reached.

However, the commission president, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, chairwoman of the County Board of Supervisors, said that although she is “very optimistic,” no agreement has yet been formally signed.

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan said Burke should get the credit for working out a deal to keep the Raiders; he declined further comment.

Final negotiations were under way Wednesday night, and a definitive announcement was expected as early as today.

In Oakland--which has been negotiating for a one-year return of the Raiders if earthquake repairs at the Coliseum are not finished by September--Alameda County Supervisor Don Perata said Wednesday that he had been informed that the managing general partner of the Raiders, Al Davis, would hold a news conference today to announce that the team is staying in Los Angeles.

However, Perata said he had been told that Davis would reserve the right to move on after the year is up if no progress has been made on upgrading the Coliseum and improving its surroundings.

The Raiders did not return telephone calls Wednesday.

Burke said that the offer approved by the commission Tuesday would put the Raiders’ Coliseum rent this year into a special fund to finance parking and other work on Exposition Park, as well as the luxury boxes the team has long wanted.