Los Angeles OKs outlines of downtown football stadium deal

[M II A II R II K]

A Field of Billboards for Farmers Field


Read More: http://www.laweekly.com/2011-09-08/n...farmers-field/

Additional: http://www.laweekly.com/2011-09-08/n...unner-stadium/

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The vista of downtown from the 110 and 10 freeways gives millions of visitors to the region their first view of the heart of L.A. But if everything goes AEG's way, the company and the Los Angeles City Council will alter the cityscape in a way L.A. residents have never blessed. The plan, peddled as crucial to the financial viability of Farmers Field NFL stadium, would transform a chunk of southwest downtown into a Las Vegas–style advertising platform for up to 41 billboards and ultrabright displays. "It's hideous politically," says Steve Sann, who chairs the Westwood Community Council. "It's hideous from a policy standpoint that the city is now getting into bed with the billboard industry and a megadeveloper. And, of course, it's going to be hideous visually for generations who are going to have to look at this" — 113 million motorists annually.

- A quiet part of the deal, never publicly debated, is the major billboard advertising revenue demanded by AEG. It can be achieved only if the City Council exempts the Convention Center and Farmers Field from the city's ban on new billboards, enacted to protect residents and motorists from a proliferation of visual blight in a city with an estimated 10,000 legal and illegal billboards. In the under-the-radar plan, the City Council soon would adopt a "citywide sign ordinance" that allows it to rezone the area around Farmers Field to create a Blade Runner–esque "sign district."

- In addition to digital billboards nearly 100 feet high, the Wilshire Grand will be covered in a multistory LED design of images such as vines and leaves. But once those several million LED bulbs are built into the skyscraper's skin, the lights can be transformed to gigantic commercial ads with a flick of a programmable switch — by order of the City Council. Los Angeles residents are increasingly mistrusting of the avidly pro-billboard City Council. In 2006, billboard proponent and City Council president Eric Garcetti and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo agreed to let national outdoor advertising giants erect nearly 900 digital billboards in L.A. neighborhoods.

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[SD_Phil]

I'd need to see it before I can pass judgment. If the billboards are a distraction from the freeway then that's bad but if they're 100 ft high billboards intended for street level marketing then that could be bad ass.

[JDRCRASH]

Just keep the billboards in South Park and on Hollywood Blvd (between La Brea and Highland).

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Just keep the billboards in South Park and on Hollywood Blvd (between La Brea and Highland).

i'd say that billboards are appropriate in more areas than just south park and hollywood.

1) hollywood blvd (la brea to 101)
2) sunset blvd (sunset strip, most of the length through hollywood)
3) south park
4) wilshire (koreatown)
5) miracle mile (east of the tar pits)
6) ventura blvd (coldwater to 405)
7) area around beverly center
8) area around 3rd street promenade
9) area around farmers market/grove

also, a half-dozen of the asian communities in the sgv could do just fine with electronic billboards: san gabriel, industry, rowland heights, etc.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

i'd say that billboards are appropriate in more areas than just south park and hollywood.

1) hollywood blvd (la brea to 101)
2) sunset blvd (sunset strip, most of the length through hollywood)
3) south park
4) wilshire (koreatown)
5) miracle mile (east of the tar pits)
6) ventura blvd (coldwater to 405)
7) area around beverly center
8) area around 3rd street promenade
9) area around farmers market/grove

also, a half-dozen of the asian communities in the sgv could do just fine with electronic billboards: san gabriel, industry, rowland heights, etc.

The problem with putting them in that many areas is that the news media (and public) won't know the difference from that and the status quo.

But if you concentrate them in the 2 areas I mentioned and tax the new sign districts and use the money for things like arts programs (like Toronto), and ban them everywhere else, the majority of Angelenos will probably be OKAY with that, because you keep over 90% of the city billboard-free.

Balance is the key.

[ltsmotorsport]

Well, this one is gonna have a slightly easier time in the CEQA process. SB 292 passed the legislature and is expected to be signed by Governor Brown.

http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postqu...author=padilla

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

even if the Gov doesnt sign it (he said he will) it automatically becomes law in 30 days so its a done deal. basically all thats left is for AEG to find a team and were good to go to break ground in June! btw, AEG will be paying to to build the stadium and will be investing in a team, while COI needs the coming team in to pay for it. This is AEG's to lose

[J. Will]

Redesigned Farmers Field Sprouts "Deployable" Winged Roof

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/1...inged_roof.php

[plinko]

At least it's more distinctive than what they were proposing.

[Shawn]

... But it's still called Farmers Field.

[mello]

Ok now that the Jaguars have a new owner after paying 756 million for the franchise can anyone give me a good reason as to why he would want to remain in that small market with a pathetic corporate base? Watching monday night football and you can clearly see sections of the stadium tarped off due to lack of ticket sales.

I could see if Orlando was much closer to JAX but it is more within the realm of Tampa so it is a much easier Sunday drive to go see Buccaneer games vs. the Jags. So what is stopping this new owner from relocating to good ole Los Angeles?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

not to mention he would double the value of his team instantly. its a no brainer, but the problem is the lease. Its very difficult to break from what ive read and have been told, but thats what lawyers are for

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by mello

Ok now that the Jaguars have a new owner after paying 756 million for the franchise can anyone give me a good reason as to why he would want to remain in that small market with a pathetic corporate base? Watching monday night football and you can clearly see sections of the stadium tarped off due to lack of ticket sales.

I could see if Orlando was much closer to JAX but it is more within the realm of Tampa so it is a much easier Sunday drive to go see Buccaneer games vs. the Jags. So what is stopping this new owner from relocating to good ole Los Angeles?

Because the lease is a bitch to get out of.

Because their stadium is fine.

Because the new owner is committed to staying in JAX (he's buying a home there).

Because there has been, in all likelihood, extensive dialogue between AEG and Stan Kroenke to move the Rams back (they are business partners).

Because they need to secure a deal with a team by 2013.

Because you'd have to realign the divisions by swapping the Jags and Chiefs.

...

[mello]

Buying a nice house in Jacksonville for a billionaire is not a big deal. You probably get a palace there for 1.5 million lol.

[jaxg8r1]

Originally Posted by mello

Buying a nice house in Jacksonville for a billionaire is not a big deal. You probably get a palace there for 1.5 million lol.

To move a team to LA, AEG wants complete ownership (why buy a team if you have to sell it?), also do you really think the league is just gonna let some newbie swoop right in and get the prized LA slot? Not quite.

Just accept it, San Deigo is probably moving to LA. And if not, it'll probably be Oakland.

San Diego makes the most sense, they have a shit stadium and are having ticket selling issues (although same with Oakland, long the leagues worst selling team ticket wise).

[JDRCRASH]

mello... you need to accept the fact that, unfortunately (for you), it will probably easier to land the Chargers instead of the Jags. It's just not worth it.

Besides, virtually starting a new local fan base from the ground up i don't think makes much financial sense for a new stadium OR the Jaguars. I mean sure people will show up at games no matter who comes, but you probably would have a greater chance of sellout games having the Chargers, Raiders, or Rams given they already have a sizable fan base in LA.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by jaxg8r1

To move a team to LA, AEG wants complete ownership (why buy a team if you have to sell it?), also do you really think the league is just gonna let some newbie swoop right in and get the prized LA slot? Not quite.

Just accept it, San Deigo is probably moving to LA. And if not, it'll probably be Oakland.

San Diego makes the most sense, they have a shit stadium and are having ticket selling issues (although same with Oakland, long the leagues worst selling team ticket wise).

AEG does NOT want complete ownership, probably just a 30 - 50 % stake.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Half of Orange County already supports the Chargers (when they're winning). The other half (and a majority of East LA) acts as if the Raiders never left town.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by mello

Buying a nice house in Jacksonville for a billionaire is not a big deal. You probably get a palace there for 1.5 million lol.

I would think that it signifies a commitment to staying put in Jacksonville, even if it's just for a few years.

BTW, has the sale even been finalized?

[M II A II R II K]

Football stadium plan bets many fans would leave cars at home


April 6, 2012

By David Zahniser and Ari Bloomekatz

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...0,710475.story

The developer of a proposed downtown football stadium is counting on a dramatic change in the behavior of L.A. sports fans, releasing a report Thursday that bets 1 in 4 ticket buyers would come to the 72,000-seat venue without a car on weekdays. With more than 19,000 vehicles expected to flood downtown for games at Farmers Field, Anschutz Entertainment Group's strategy for traffic hinges, in part, on convincing ticket buyers to travel via the Metro Blue Line, the upcoming Expo Line and other public transit routes.

- The push to limit the number of cars arriving at the proposed $1-billion stadium is tied to legislation passed last year to speed the project's environmental review process. That law requires that AEG operate a stadium with fewer car trips than any other NFL facility in the nation, company officials said. The environmental impact report, which must be approved by the City Council, assumes that more than 18% of ticket buyers would show up at weekend events without using cars. For weekday games, that figure would reach 27%.

- AEG contends its projections are not out of line with other major venues, noting in its report that more than 30% of visitors to Target Field in Minneapolis and more than a third of ticket buyers at San Francisco's AT&T Park arrive by public transit. Leiweke said AEG plans to give ticket buyers discounts and even bump them up in line for available tickets if they take public transit. "We just have to teach people and reward them for using mass transportation," he said.

- The stadium site is moments away from the congested interchange of the 10 and 110 freeways. But it is also close to a rail station that serves the Metro Blue Line between downtown and Long Beach and will soon handle the Expo Line, which will take passengers as far as Culver City later this year. The stadium would also host events other than football games, such as concerts and international soccer matches. Transportation planning consultant Ryan Snyder, who serves as a lecturer at UCLA, said he would like to see AEG focus less on freeway improvements for cars and more on the creation of bus-only lanes on corridors leading to the stadium.

Traffic is not the only issue analyzed in the report, which is 17 volumes. On other environment matters, it concludes that:

• The stadium and convention center wing would have a less than significant impact on climate change, in part because construction would involve "green building" features such as energy efficient lights and up-to-date air conditioning systems.

• Stadium lighting would have a significant impact on certain nights when the city has low cloud cover.

• The project would substantially alter the visual resources of the area, partly by adding more than 30 digital signs to the stadium and convention center — 14 of which would face the freeway.

- Those electronic signs would change images every eight seconds, a prospect that alarms Dennis Hathaway, president of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight. Motorists would see those images just as they merge onto lanes of the 110 Freeway, he said. "I think it's the height of irresponsibility to put those potential distractions right there," he said.

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