Want To Bring The NFL To LA? Be Prepared To Pay

Welcome to the world of big-time development NFL fans — everybody has their hand out.

Ed Roski Jr. may well have the best proposal yet to build an NFL stadium in greater Los Angeles — an $800-million, 75,000-seat stadium in the City of Industry (near the 57 and 60 freeway interchange). It’s the kind of flashy new stadium that will attract an NFL team as those owners desperately try to keep up with the (Jerry) Joneses.

The question is if Roski added in what would have once been called “hush money” into his development costs?

When Roski’s plans came forward, the nearby City of Walnut complained and sued to block the environmental report. Oh, the noise, oh the traffic. The poor little city would have so much burden (forget the small businesses in the Walnut that could have capitalized on this kind of development).

It is amazing what $9 million can do. That is what Roski agreed to pay Walnut, along with an annual payment and promises to mitigate traffic issues, and its lawsuit went away. That is one major hurdle out of the way for this plan. The settlement does not include a group of Walnut residents involved in the same suit, but that’s okay as legislation in Sacramento right now would basically pull the rug out from under them.

This kind of thing is pretty much included in the costs of any big development today — elsewhere the City of Riverside has threatened to sue the Port of Long Beach (some 45 miles away) if a terminal expansion project is approved. It’s all about getting the cash where you can for desperate cities.

And Roski has enough problems on his plate without desperate cities. He has a host of zoning changes to get approved for his project, which not only would have a stadium but also practice and training facilities, retail and office space, and much more in a large development. Then he has to finance it in this economy, and if you haven't heard banks are not really in the giving mood lately. Then he has to find sponsors — like someone to pay for stadium naming rights — at a time when businesses are not making that kind of overt expenditure.

And all along the way, somebody is going to have their hand out. But so far Roski has gotten farther than the Coliseum or downtown or Carson or anywhere else where there has been talk of an NFL stadium. And if he pulls it off, if he can bring an NFL team to Los Angeles, he will be hailed as a hero. No matter the cost.