From Deseret News archives:

Meeting on Real is a no-go

Most on Rocky's list hadn't heard of his plan

Published: Saturday, July 8, 2006 12:01 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
A meeting on Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's proposal last month to put a Real Salt Lake soccer stadium at the Utah State Fairpark was to have been held this morning.

But of the 28 people Anderson proposed to participate on a commission to discuss his plan for a stadium, 20 said they hadn't heard of his proposal except through members of the media. The other eight either could not be reached for comment or did not return phone calls.

"I haven't heard a thing," said United Way of Salt Lake's chief executive officer, Deborah Bayle Nielsen, on Friday. Nielsen wasn't even sure if she would qualify for the commission, because a member of her board of directors is Dean Howes, the soccer team's chief executive officer. "I'm not sure whether that would be considered a conflict of interest."

Anderson pitched a list of community, business and government leaders to discuss his plan as an alternative to the governmental process that has stalled Real's current proposal for a stadium in Sandy. He called for the "independent, non-partisan community task force" to meet July 8, and he sent his proposal June 21 to Gov. Jon Huntsman, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, and Real owner Dave Checketts.

Anderson would not issue a comment for this story.

Story continues below
The mayor and his spokesman, Patrick Thronson, have declined the Deseret Morning News' requests for comment for the past 16 days. Anderson disputes the accuracy of some figures cited in an April 16 article on Anderson's extensive travel. The Deseret Morning News stands behind the accuracy of the reporting.

In May, Corroon nixed the soccer team's plan to use $81.5 million of county money to jump-start a stadium on 20 acres in Sandy. Since then, the team has searched for another option to stay in the south-valley suburb. Sandy officials proposed an alternative plan to the county on June 27. They called for county leaders to contribute $76 million, including debt service, from hotel-tax revenue and Redevelopment Agency dollars, to cover infrastructure costs around the proposed stadium complex.

The County Council is scheduled to discuss Sandy's stadium proposal at its regular meeting Tuesday. Michael Jensen, a member of the County Council who Anderson also wanted for the Fairpark commission, said that until the County Council decides what it will do, discussions of moving the stadium to Salt Lake City are premature.

"I think we need to look at the proposal that we have," Jensen said. "As far as just people saying, here's options, I don't think that is ever a bad thing. But I think you need to flush those options out and see if they're a valid option that really should be considered and has the potential to be a serious option. Maybe that's kind of in the stage that we're at now. Mayor Anderson needs to sit down with his council and the state and make sure it's a solid option and that all the other stakeholders agree with it."

Huntsman has said that his focus is on keeping a Real stadium in Sandy. House Speaker Greg Curtis has also said that he wants the stadium in Sandy, his hometown. If the county rejects the plan, Curtis has said he would like to see the hotel-tax revenue used for building a TRAX line to the Salt Lake City International Airport.


E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

When Boozer was shooting the free throws, why Sloan didn't substitute Mathew...

Letters: Global warming a lie

actions, I will be forced to be accountable for them. I refuse. I am an...

What's with the Utah fans flashing the double L sign?

@mark: So Sam da Ham... you were just making it up?" I'm a climate...

Utes excited to go to San Diego

"I have no idea why BYU fans are talking smack about bowl opponents. Even if...

TCU versus BSU unpopular

You say to "quit whining and play somebody." Isn't that what everyone is...

BoM translation remarkably consistent

Reading these comments, I start wondering-- Whatever happened to faith? Why...

Utes excited to go to San Diego

All those numbers when all you reall need to know is that BYU has beat Utah...

BYU eager for crack at Oregon State

All thos numbers when all you reall need to know is that BYU has beat Utah...

So Sam da Ham, when you said this: "Not so. Al Gore is poised to make...

Advertisements