"There's been a lot of pressure and incentives to make this a Salt Lake City program. It seems kind of desperate," she said. "It would be nice to have something like this without having to go downtown."

Murray's proximity to TRAX, coupled with the fact that it offers nearly 10 times the land than Salt Lake, has made it a tempting option for Real Salt Lake owners, said Trey Fitz-Gerald, director of marketing for the team.

"We see a very forward-thinking community that really wants us. They want Major League Soccer and Real Salt Lake as a cornerstone of economic development," he said. "But then Salt Lake is considered the hub of the Wasatch Front and there's something perhaps romantic about being downtown."

No matter which city winds up with the stadium, Fitz-Gerald said Real Salt Lake owners want to make the field a community partnership where high school and youth teams can play. In addition to hosting Real Salt Lake's home games, April through October, the stadium also will serve as a concert pavilion throughout the year.

"A civic building creates excitement for the community. It becomes a focal point and an anchor," Fitz-Gerald said. "There's civic pride and there's also national exposure."

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com