Sandy supports Real deal

SANDY — The Sandy City Council voted unanimously in favor of the Real Salt Lake stadium Tuesday night, and Salt Lake County leaders are about to find out if the Major League Soccer franchise is a worthy investment.

While Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan has been a strong advocate for the stadium and immersed in the details of those plans, the City Council has been out of the loop, and its backing of the project has been questioned.

But the unanimous pledge by council members made it clear they support the public/private partnership to build the $110 million stadium and adjoining hotel and broadcast studio.

The resolution cited economic impact, high youth soccer participation, a strong commercial center around the South Towne and Jordan Commons business district, and significant growth in the valley as reasons to pass the resolution.

"Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and City Council of Sandy City do strongly support the process for a public/private partnership that will result in the construction of the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium and its planned surrounding development in Sandy City," the resolution states.

The potential economic impact of the team is the main issue holding up a $30 million investment in county dollars to help build the stadium in Sandy. The county's Debt Review Committee will convene today in the first of three meetings to determine if the MLS franchise is on solid financial ground.

"We have a proposal that Real has agreed to," Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said Tuesday. "One of the things I would like to see is whether they can live up to the terms of the agreement. If Real says they'll give us 50 cents of ticket revenue based on 20,000 seats, we want to see if that's going to happen."

In August, Corroon shook hands with Real officials and gave his support to a deal that would give the team $30 million in hotel-tax revenue to help build the stadium. Sandy has pledged an additional $15 million in redevelopment agency funds. The stadium is expected to cost $110 million.

The entire deal, however, depends on a review of the team's finances by both an independent consultant and the Debt Review Committee.

Five months after the August agreement, the financial reviews are finally gaining momentum. The independent consultant's report is due back Thursday, and the County Council has asked the Debt Review Committee to try to make a recommendation by next Tuesday.

County treasurer Larry Richardson, who serves as the Debt Review Committee's chairman, said a recommendation probably won't be ready by then.