Pacheco, Zine Plan Motion to Bar City Subsidies for Proposed NFL Stadium

Two Los Angeles council members plan to introduce a motion today that would prohibit the city from providing public subsidies to a proposed professional football stadium.

Councilmen Nick Pacheco and Dennis Zine are asking their colleagues to adopt the restriction as part of the proposed creation of an 879-acre redevelopment project area in downtown Los Angeles.

“I have no problem with NFL football,” Zine said. “I support it, but not on the backs of the taxpayers.”

Pacheco, who heads the council’s Budget and Finance Committee, said he is concerned that a football stadium could require a substantial commitment of funds from the Community Redevelopment Agency that could deplete resources for housing and other development activities.

“This action would go against what should be the downtown redevelopment plan’s first priority, which is to bring sustained public improvements to all areas of downtown,” Pacheco said.

The Anschutz Entertainment Group recently announced that it was exploring construction of a football stadium in the downtown area. Representatives of the group could not be reached late Monday for comment.

A draft copy of the motion would have the council determine that in adopting an 879-acre redevelopment project downtown, the City Council would commit that no public funds from the city general fund or redevelopment agency would be used for any project aimed at luring an NFL team to locate in the City Center Redevelopment Project.

It would prohibit public funds for direct or indirect costs of developing and constructing a football stadium within the project area, including the assemblage of land for a stadium.

The only use of public funds allowed by the motion would be to review and audit any stadium proposal.