House approves soccer stadium

Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake will remain in Utah, after overwhelming support from the governor and a House vote today approving a bill to help fund a Sandy soccer stadium.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan has been told by team leaders that the team will now stay in Utah and build their stadium in Sandy.

"I'm relieved," he said. "I'm very pleased that both the governor and Legislature saw the wisdom in keeping Major League Soccer here in the state of Utah."

The House today voted for a bill that will direct $35 million to the project by taking 15 percent of Salt Lake County's hotel-tax revenue for the next 20 years. The money will be used to build an already planned parking garage in Sandy, as well as buy adjacent land where the stadium will be built.

Jeff Cooper, managing partner of Illinois-based Simmons Cooper, who has been trying to buy the team for St. Louis, said he has received calls from team officials, who said they are no longer entertaining offers to move to St. Louis.

"I think that's their answer to us and is the correct answer," he told the Deseret Morning News today. "If the folks of Utah step up and help it to stay in the community, there's no reason for them to stay in St. Louis."

Team owner Dave Checketts will be giving his reaction to the bills passage publicly at 4:30 today at the state capitol.

The House passed HB38 on a 48-24-3 vote and now merely the governor's signature is needed to use the $35 million in hotel-tax dollars. The governor, who pushed hard for the deal and warned lawmakers that without action by Friday the team would leave Utah, is expected to sign the bill quickly.

Lawmakers debated for 45 minutes before the vote and in the end decided a Major League Soccer team would boost the image of the state, benefit the younger generation who grow up playing soccer and pay high dividends for the state and local government.

That was the same pitch they received from the governor just before the vote, when Huntsman appeared before the House Democratic and Republican caucuses to encourage them to voice their support for the bill.

However, a number of the minority Democrats voted against the deal, which had long been pushed by House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy.