Galaxy’s Stadium Gets Go-Ahead
The Galaxy is getting a new home.
The California State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday morning to allow Philip Anschutz to build a $112-million sports complex on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson.
The centerpiece of the project will be a $34-million, 20,000-seat stadium for Major League Soccer’s Galaxy, which has called the Rose Bowl home since 1996.
Construction of the sports complex, which also will feature a $15-million, 8,000-seat tennis stadium as well as additional facilities for soccer, tennis, track and field, cycling, baseball, softball and volleyball, is expected to take 15 months.
“Obviously, everyone is elated,” said Bill Peterson, senior vice president for soccer operations for the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which operates the Galaxy.
“It’s a great project. It’s visionary. It’s a great example of a partnership that will benefit the community, the university and sports in general.”
Trustees listened to a staff report that recommended acceptance of the proposal, noted that there had been significant debate in the community over the project’s merits, and then approved it without any argument.
In the words of one trustee, Harold Goldwhite, “the benefits do outweigh the concerns.”
There were no “nay” votes, although Laurence K. Gould Jr., the board chairman, abstained, having earlier declared that he might have a perceived conflict of interest.
The vote’s outcome was a significant boost for MLS, which has only one ground--Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio--that is its own. The league’s other 11 teams play in rented stadiums.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said he was “very excited” about Monday’s development, adding that “continued construction of soccer-specific stadiums is an integral part of [the league’s] long-term strategic plan.”
Garber said Los Angeles would be a prime candidate to stage the 2002 MLS championship game.
The Anschutz group also is considering building stadiums for its three other MLS teams: the Rapids in Denver, the Fire in Chicago and D.C. United in Washington. Those talks, as well as similar discussions in New York and New Jersey, still are in the preliminary stage.
The Galaxy’s new home--which also could become the new home for all U.S. national teams when U.S. Soccer votes June 12 on where to locate its national training center--tops the agenda, however.
“To be at a point where we can begin construction and put all these plans into motion, it’s a great day for us,” Peterson said.
The plans won’t go into motion immediately.
For one thing, there is a 30-day waiting period built into the timeline to allow for the Ts to be crossed and the I’s to be dotted on the contracts and for appeals to be heard.
There also is the possibility that a lawsuit might be filed that could stop or at least delay the project.
“It’s not over yet,” one project opponent said after the vote had been taken, hinting that a possible court battle looms. Opponents have voiced concerns over environmental issues and the project’s impact on neighboring property values.
Before leaving for Sweden over the weekend, AEG President Tim Leiweke said he believed some Carson residents opposed the sports complex because they feared AEG was going to use the stadium for frequent rock concerts.
“It’s not about concerts, it’s not about any of that,” he said. “What it’s about is [creating] the premier place for a sport [soccer] that is going to go through a growth spurt here [in the U.S.]. People say, ‘Oh, they’ve been saying that for 20 years.’ And I say, ‘Yes, but we’ve never had [U.S. national teams] as competitive as they are today.’
“To me, the key to soccer is like any other sport. If we can dominate on the world stage and we can create stars from within, I think soccer will grow in this country.
“As much as it [the sports complex] is a legacy for Phil [Anschutz], I think it’s also a pretty good bet for us.
“Yes, we’re ahead of the curve here, but if we build the finest soccer facility in the country, the demand will follow.”
