Folks in Vineyard have mixed emotions when it comes to the possibility of building a major sports arena in their town.

On one hand, the stadium could bring in a swarm of new businesses such as restaurants and stores. On the other hand, old-timers in the town aren't sure how they feel about trading their peaceful, simple way of life to grow businesses instead of crops.

"I'm torn about the soccer field," said Tina Holdaway, whose family grows alfalfa at the end of a narrow road in Vineyard. She said she and her husband always dreamed of raising their family in a small town and teaching them to work the land with their own hands.

"You can't stop progress, and it needs to happen, but it's sad to think it's going to be different," she said. "Driving down this road after a long day of work — it's so peaceful. We might have that somewhere else, but not in Vineyard. I guess we'll enjoy our peace while we have it."

With or without the stadium, Vineyard is growing, residents say. Most, by now, are resigned to that fact. Some even believe a Real stadium would be the jump-start Vineyard needs.

"This would probably put us on the map," said Arthur Pheysey, who has lived in Vineyard for 28 years. "We're going to change anyway. Vineyard is the last pocket of undeveloped land in Utah Valley. We're on the explosion edge of development. This would be a good thing down the road."

Hutchings said Anderson Geneva has already held informal meetings with Vineyard officials about the possibility of building the stadium within the town's borders — and received positive responses.

If the decision to move the team to Vineyard goes through, Hutchings said, more formal presentations with definite plans for the stadium will be presented to the town.

No additional tax dollars would be needed to build at the old Geneva Steel plant in Vineyard, thanks to a redevelopment-agency mechanism created in the 2006 legislative session.

The RDA is not set up yet, but local officials told Hutchings it would be "easy" to create one and get the project started. A bill recently passed by the Legislature would allow local municipalities to use RDA funds to revitalize inactive industrial sites.

Hutchings believes that handing over free land is worth it for the potential commercial development around a stadium. The stadium would serve as an anchor to a 1,700-acre mixed-use development. If all goes well, Hutchings wants to break ground by the end of the year.

But Salt Lake County isn't giving up on Real Salt Lake, despite heavy criticism from the team's owner, as well as an official letter asking the County Council to stop wasting "any more of your valuable time on an issue that appears unable to proceed."