Anaheim Gets Set for New Tenant

At the former Juliette Low Elementary School, where the Rams trained from 1979 until they left for St. Louis last spring, the once well-manicured practice field has become overgrown with weeds. The lone remaining goal post tilts to the right and the front gate is still welded shut.

On Saturday, Anaheim city workers showed up in the steady rain at what is still called “Rams Park,” which has been neglected for months, with orders to give the grounds a make-over in anticipation of the Seattle Seahawks moving in.

City Manager James D. Ruth confirmed Saturday that the NFL franchise will be moving into the facility sometime this week, possibly as early as Monday. The city will then enter an exclusive six-month negotiating period with the team, Ruth said, although there is no guarantee it will land permanently in Anaheim.

The Seahawks announced Friday they would leave Seattle.

Workers at Rams Park, located at 2327 W. Lincoln Avenue, said they planned to complete their work by the end of Saturday. They worked furiously throughout the day to prepare the facility for the Seahawks, who will use it for administrative offices and a training facility.

“We’re giving the place a face lift,” one worker said. “The Seahawks are coming here for a walk through on Monday.”

The presence of city workers and their trucks for the past three days increased speculation the Seahawks would move their offices to Anaheim. City officials said they were not positive until Saturday the team would be moving to the facility.

“We had made the decision to get Rams Park in shape to keep our options open,” Councilman Bob Zemel said. “We wanted to put our best foot forward. If you’re going to get ready to sell your house, you get a clean-up crew out there first.”

Workers on Saturday checked the roofs, replaced lights, removed furniture from offices and left doors to all the buildings open to let in fresh air. The workers also patched walls in one office.

A city employee at the site said it was the first time a maintenance crew had been sent to the complex since before the Rams moved from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1979.

There is no oral or written agreement between the city and the Magnolia Elementary School District, which owns the site. But Ruth said they hoped to reach a leasing agreement this week.

When the Rams used the site, the school district leased it to the city and Anaheim subleased it to the football team. The lease expired in October and the property reverted back to the school district.

School district Supt. Paul Mercier, who did not return telephone calls Saturday, said late Friday the school district was still determining what it would do with the site, which he said they might want to turn back into an elementary school because of growing enrollment. But Mercier did not rule out leasing the site to the city again.

The Rams left the facility last June for St. Louis. The school district is still in the process of closing out the team’s lease, Mercier said Friday. The issue is scheduled to be discussed Tuesday by the City Council in a closed session.

Until city officials confirmed the Seahawks’ plans Saturday evening, the work at Rams Park had been shrouded in secrecy.

“They told us to come in and shut the gate behind us,” said a city employee, who asked not to be identified. “They’re real secretive about this football stuff.”

Said another worker: “I hope they come here. I’m not a football fan, but it would be good for the city.”