NFL Bid to Ride on Pasadena Vote

No one can say for sure when, where or even if the NFL will return to the Los Angeles area. But the Rose Bowl’s future as a potential pro football stadium could be decided right away.

The Pasadena City Council is expected to vote today whether the city should continue pursuing an NFL deal or bow out of the process. Specifically, the council will decide whether to approve a general design for a $500-million renovation of the 83-year-old stadium -- a renovation to be paid for by the league -- and terms for a potential agreement with the league, which has been considering the Rose Bowl for nearly three years.

The battle lines are drawn in Pasadena, where the NFL issue is one of the most contentious in memory. Historic preservationists and neighborhood activists -- among them Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard -- are vehemently opposed to converting the city’s largest park and its landmark stadium into a home for pro football.

“I think we have to think twice about changes which threaten to undermine important community values that Pasadenans treasure and others envy,” Bogaard said.

But backers of bringing a team to Pasadena argue doing so is the best way to secure the long-term economic health of a stadium that now requires the help of the neighboring golf course simply to cover its costs.

The potential swing vote in today’s decision belongs to Councilman Steve Madison, who represents the neighborhoods surrounding the stadium. Although Madison has said he has not made up his mind how he will vote, many people in the community think he wants to continue courting the NFL.

Madison has been under pressure for months. Last week, Save South Orange Grove, an anti-development group, distributed political mailers to about 9,000 homes in West Pasadena in an attempt to dissuade Madison from voting in favor of an NFL deal, according to the Pasadena Star-News. The mailer asked, “Is our city council member selling us out?”

Even if the council votes in favor of moving forward with NFL negotiations, there is no guarantee the league will choose Pasadena. The NFL is considering a proposal to rebuild the Coliseum and one to build a venue in the Angel Stadium parking lot.