NFL Relocation Update: Court Victory To Help St. Louis Retain Rams?

A Missouri circuit court judge ruled Monday that the St. Louis Regional Sports Authority does not have to go to a public vote in order to refinance bonds for the construction of a proposed new football stadium on the St. Louis riverfront downtown, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

Here in St. Louis, lawyers for the city argued that an existing ordinance requires a public vote before taxpayer money could be used on a new stadium. Frawley accepted two of the arguments – that the law conflicted with state statutes governing development tools like tax increment financing, and that the law was too vague.

Several NFL owners have said in recent months that it would be hard for the Rams to relocate to a $1.86 billion Hollywood Park stadium backed by the team’s owner, Stan Kroenke, if the task force produced a viable, partially publicly funded option in St. Louis.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) said in an emailed statement that Monday’s ruling “clears the way for the stadium task force to continue making solid progress under the aggressive timeframes set by the NFL” and Bob Peacock, co-leader of the stadium task force and former Anheuser-Busch president, called on residents “to rally on behalf of something that will make a difference in our economy, national profile and quality of life for generations to come”.

“When you look at the city of St. Louis and our needs, especially post-Ferguson and the world seeing the issues here in the St. Louis region, for anyone to suggest that the billion dollar investment we need to make is in a football stadium is insane”, French told ThinkProgress.

“If the Mayor doesn’t also appeal, he will have abandoned the voters and taxpayers”, Ammann said.

The site of the proposed outdoor stadium is about a half-mile from the dome. There will be public meetings and other opportunities for public participation regarding financial assistance for a new stadium.

But Ammann says the ruling does not mean a vote can’t be held, just that it’s not required.

The Rams are yr to yr on their lease on the dome, which opened in 1995, the yr the Rams arrived from Los Angeles. With the Rams, along with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, seeking moves to Los Angeles, the league could make a decision soon. “The Board of Aldermen tomorrow could meet and put public financing of the stadium on the ballot…”

Proponents of the stadium celebrated the ruling as “extraordinary” and immediately began to push for spending almost $998 million in tax dollars on plans to build the new stadium and to improve the local infrastructure to support it. Bond extensions would offer $201 million – $66 million from the town and $135 million from the state. The rest would come from the NFL’s loan program, the team owner, and personal seat licenses.

The stadium could be ready for the 2019 season.