Irvine Raises Stakes in Luring Pro Football

The centerpiece of Irvine’s bid for a professional football team is that the stadium would be built without taxpayer money.

But as its longshot effort enters a critical period, the city agreed this week to spend $275,000 to promote the idea of a stadium at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. So far, Irvine has paid $136,102 to consultants and for staff work on the stadium plan.

Mayor Christina L. Shea said the money will eventually be reimbursed if the sports investment group the city is working with can put together $500 million in private financing to build the stadium. But a reimbursement to the city is not guaranteed if the Los Angeles-based Professional Sports Advisory Group does not reach an agreement.

“The money is recouped when they put the deal together. I don’t see these as overwhelming expenses,” Shea added.

Meanwhile, Anaheim hasn’t spent any out-of-pocket money toward a competing plan to bring an NFL team back to the city in a proposed stadium that would be built on city-owned land adjacent to Edison International Field.

Irvine and Anaheim are pursuing plans amid discussions by National Football League team owners of creating a 32nd team franchise somewhere in the country. A meeting last month of the owners, to which neither Irvine nor Anaheim was invited, zeroed in on proposals for the Los Angeles Coliseum and the cities of Carson and Houston.