Carson officials celebrate proposed Chargers-Raiders stadium
CARSON, Calif. (KABC) -- Carson officials celebrated the news of a proposed $1.7 billion stadium in their city with a news conference Friday that felt more like a pep rally.
"This opportunity for the people of Carson is an enormous opportunity. It will change Carson for the better in a very dramatic way, and it will change our city forever," said Carson Mayor Jim Dear.
The Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers announced in a joint statement on Thursday that they are planning a shared stadium in Carson if both teams fail to get a new stadium in their cities.
Both teams had been trying and failing for years to find stadium solutions in Oakland and San Diego.
Several officials from various organizations spoke at the news conference, but there was no speaker from either the Chargers or the Raiders.
U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn reminded the crowd that her father, longtime Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, helped bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles.
"I know Brooklyn is still mad at us for that," she joked. "All they wanted was a new stadium, and Brooklyn wouldn't give it to them."
Janice Hahn continued, "We want the Chargers to know, and we want the Raiders to know, if you can't work it out with your cities, we welcome you with open arms here in Carson. We will give you a beautiful new stadium. We will give you fans like you have never had before."
The proposed stadium would seat 72,000 people on 168 acres, located at the 405 Freeway at Del Amo Boulevard. It would have room for tailgating, with approximately 18,000 parking spaces.
The cost of the stadium would be solely financed by the revenues generated by the stadium, said Fred MacFarlane with Carson2gether.com.
Raiders and Chargers fans showed their excitement at the event in front of City Hall, while officials spoke on the economic activity and jobs the proposed stadium could bring.
Carson Councilman Albert Robles arrived at the press conference wearing a hilarious Raiders-Chargers jersey.
City leaders in Oakland and San Diego have expressed their disappointment.
"It's real unfortunate that we learned that, according to ESPN, over the last nine months, Chargers weren't being upfront with San Diego," said San Diego Mayor Faulconer. "San Diegans deserve the team to stay here. We're going to continue to fight for that."
To turn the move to Carson into a reality, supporters will need to gather signatures to get the initiative on a ballot, then it would go to voters for approval. Another option would require the city council to approve it.
The proposed Carson stadium is just the latest in years of proposals to bring an NFL team back to the L.A. area. St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke is part of a joint venture to build a stadium at the site of the former Hollywood Park horse track in Inglewood.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts, Jr. said in a statement that the Carson plans do not affect stadium plans in his city.
A third plan remains alive for an NFL facility in downtown L.A. That stadium, known as Farmers Field, was the leading candidate for the NFL's return, but it's now a long shot with multiple competitors and no clear team attached.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
