Rose Bowl Is Making Plans

The same architects who designed Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Arrowhead Pond will help draw up plans for a completely renovated, NFL-ready Rose Bowl -- even though there’s no guarantee the Pasadena project will happen.

Rose Bowl General Manager Darryl Dunn confirmed Thursday that the architectural firm HOK is one of several entities retained to help Pasadena in its drive to land an NFL team. Investment banker John Moag, who is heading the project, has put together a team that also includes Pasadena-based Parsons, which will work on traffic issues, and sports-marketing expert Max Muhleman.

Assuming an existing NFL franchise would move to Los Angeles, the biggest hurdle the Pasadena group faces is funding a massive Rose Bowl renovation, which could cost about $400 million. Presumably, the league would help with a loan of up to $150 million, and multiple Super Bowls also could be used as a financing tool.

“John and his team need to continue to work to determine the analysis of how much things would cost,” Dunn said. “At this point, they have not put pencil to paper.”

Last week, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the league would consider awarding a Super Bowl to a significantly renovated Rose Bowl, whether or not Los Angeles had an NFL team. Of course, there would be no rebuilding of the Rose Bowl if a pro football term weren’t on the way. Still, the possibility of an L.A. Super Bowl is news, considering the league has never awarded the game to a city without a team.

“I’m very encouraged, and a bit impressed that the league is making that step,” said Muhleman, president of Charlotte, N.C.-based IMG/Muhleman Marketing. “For three years, it seemed to be a contest between the league and Los Angeles as to who needed the other more. I think this is a testimony to the fact the league isn’t worried about who goes first in making a compromise.”

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