PROVO — Senate President John Valentine is optimistic about the future of the Real Salt Lake Soccer deal, he said in a meeting with Utah Valley legislators and business owners early Saturday.

The discussion quickly turned to the stadium deal with the team, and HB38, which would use hotel-room taxes through 2022 to purchase land in Sandy for a Real soccer stadium and for a parking garage. The House approved the bill on Friday and it is now moves to the Senate for consideration.

"Will it work?" said Valentine, R-Orem. "I think it will. I think you'll see the Senate finally come around on this issue."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has set Friday as the deadline for lawmakers to come to a decision on the issue, and Valentine on Saturday agreed with that assessment.

"We will have to have made a decision this next week or we'll lose the team. It's as simple as that," he said.

A soccer stadium in Sandy would be an asset that would develop economic activity and quality of life for Utahns, he said, as well as bridge a generation gap.

"I'm going to ask you to ask your kids and your grandkids (about the issue)," Valentine said. "These kids all grew up playing soccer. These kids, when they get a chance to go to a soccer game, it's like us going to an American football game. It's different. It's a different generation."

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's proposal to locate a stadium at the Utah State Fairpark is still a viable option, as well. Valentine said the potential for a Fairpark stadium is "a little bit more of a longer shot, but it does have some good aspects as far as the redevelopment of that area of Salt Lake City."

The hotel-room tax, Valentine said, is mostly paid for by out-of-state visitors, so the money would not be coming out of Utahns' pockets. The tax generally pays for tourism, sports and conventions.

"Those are the monies used to build the Delta Center," he said.

Valentine told attendees that the soccer team would have been sold on Friday if the governor hadn't intervened. Valentine said the team would have gone to St. Louis, Philadelphia or New York.

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