Rams Go to School to Block the Seahawks

John Shaw, the mastermind behind the Rams’ financially successful move to St. Louis, is now effectively holding Rams Park hostage, thereby keeping the Seattle Seahawks from using the practice facility.

The dispute between Shaw and the city of Anaheim, acting on behalf of the Magnolia School District, could present serious problems for Seahawk owner Ken Behring. The Seahawks have already begun painting at the facility, have ordered new carpet and have moved six truckloads of equipment to Rams Park, formerly the Juliette Low Elementary School.

Jim Ruth, Anaheim city manager, told the Seahawks late Friday he now plans to recommend to the City Council on Tuesday night that an agreement be struck between the city and the school district, leaving the Rams out at this time.

“The Rams are being difficult again; why change now after 15 years?” Ruth said. “It’s like giving birth to a porcupine. . . . We’re at an impasse with John Shaw, but I’m prepared to make a recommendation to the City Council to help resolve this situation that will assure the Seahawks of using that property after March 1.”

At issue is money that the Rams, under terms of their lease when they left for St. Louis, were to pay for repairs to turn the facility back into a school. The school district won’t lease the property to Behring until it has an agreement with the Rams for the repairs.

Shaw says the Rams are ready to convert Rams Park into a school. If the Seahawks use the facility, however, he wants some of the money the school district will receive in rent because of the football improvements the Rams made.

The school district wants Shaw to convert the facility back into a school after the Seahawks leave, but Shaw said if the Seahawks come, the Rams will have no obligation to make such repairs.

In early February, it appeared the Seahawks were all but assured of moving to Rams Park. They had counted on being in the facility by March 1 and intended to hold training sessions there with their players March 15.

But barring an understanding between the school district and city or legal action against the Rams, the Seahawks may have to look elsewhere now for a practice site, or return to Seattle.

“I did not come away from the meeting encouraged,” said Jack White, Anaheim city attorney, after meeting with the Rams and school district officials Friday. “It is unresolved, and in my opinion we are a long way apart from having a resolution between all three parties. I don’t know if it’s resolvable or not.”

The Seahawks have an understanding with the city of Anaheim calling for one-year rent of $275,000 escalating to $287,500 and $300,000 if they elect to exercise options in the following two years. But the lease is subject to approval by the Magnolia School Board, and the board is not expected to grant such approval until its squabble with the Rams has been resolved.

“There is an understanding of what the terms of the sublease would be, but until the district gives us a lease, there’s nothing we can do,” White said.

The Rams’ lease, which allowed them to buy an early release to leave for St. Louis for $280,000, also called for them to convert the football facility back into a school. The school district estimated such repairs to be $1.3 million; the Rams figured the cost at $900,000.

Shaw said the Rams and school board agreed on $1 million before the Seahawk move was announced, but because he did not receive any paperwork until after the announcement, nothing was signed.

“I was reading in the newspapers where the Seahawks were hoping to come to Anaheim and then all of a sudden they were rushing me the agreement to sign,” Shaw said.

District Supt. Paul Mercier said there was no agreement until after the Seahawks announced their move, by which time the Rams balked.

* Times staff writer Greg Hernandez contributed to this story.