San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.comSanders opposes Union-Tribune's Chargers stadium proposal

Sanders opposes Union-Tribune's Chargers stadium proposal

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Mayor Jerry Sanders said Monday he opposes U-T San Diego's proposal for a new Chargers stadium and expanded convention center.

In a two-page editorial in Sunday's edition, the newspaper laid out a concept on a far grander scale than what was previously put forth by the city -- to put the stadium on Port of San Diego property near the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, make the convention center even bigger than what is planned now and add an indoor sports arena.

The $1.5 billion construction cost would be funded by a combination of increased hotel room taxes, selling the Qualcomm Stadium and Valley View Casino Center properties, bond sales, naming rights and advertising, according to the newspaper. The Chargers and NFL are set to chip-in around $200 million each in either the current plan or the new proposal.

The new home for the city's NFL franchise and the expanded convention center are currently separate projects, with the stadium set to fit into a lot in the East Village.

Sanders has expressed support for the stadium being part of a wider entertainment district, but not the way it was proposed Sunday.

"The city is ready to move forward now on a realistic plan to create thousands of jobs, protect our convention business and increase revenues for neighborhood services," Sanders said in a statement to City News Service. "We have to address these important priorities in a responsible way."

A financing plan on the current stadium is nearly finished, according to the mayor.

He also said that locating the facility on port property would take too long because there would be too many battles to fight.

Officials with the U-T could not be reached for immediate comment on the mayor's opposition to the plan.

Mark Fabiani, the Chargers special counsel on stadium issues, called U-T San Diego's plan "a bold and serious proposal" that merited public debate, in comments published by the newspaper.