SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco 49ers have ended
their negotiations with the city for a new stadium and may move
to the Bay Area suburb of Santa Clara.
The 49ers issued a statement late Wednesday night announcing
their interest in building a new stadium in Santa Clara, near
the Great America amusement park and the Santa Clara Convention
Center.
The team's headquarters and training facility is currently based
in Santa Clara, which is located about 30 miles south of San
Francisco, near San Jose.
"We're excited to work with Santa Clara officials to discuss
this project," Niners owner John York said. "Based on our
initial analysis, Santa Clara has strong potential to deliver
the game day experience our fans deserve."
The Niners' lease at Monster Park, the team's 46-year-old venue
at Candlestick Point, runs through the 2008 season.
The 49ers and city officials had been discussing the possibility
of building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point
that was going to be part of the city's bid for the 2016 Summer
Olympics.
"After careful deliberation, the team came to the conclusion
that the project would not have offered the optimal game day
experience it is seeking to create for fans," York said. "The
decision stemmed from the incompatible land requirements of the
stadium and mixed-use development at the site. The project would
have required massive new infrastucture and public transit
needs.
"Additionally, the complexity of the approval process placed the
team's goal of opening the new stadium in time for the 2012
season in jeopardy."
The team estimated that the cost of the infrastructure
improvements would have exceeded the cost for the proposed
stadium, which was somewhere between $600-$800 million.
York also made it clear that the team would not consider
changing its name.
"Nothing will persuade us to change the name of the San
Francisco 49ers, one of the most storied brands in the world of
sports," York said.
Talks with Santa Clara officials are expected to be held over
the next few months to further explore the project.
"We're proud to have the San Francisco 49ers as part of our
community," Santa Clara mayor Patricia Mahan said. "We have
been looking to expand our entertainment options in the Great
America Convention Center area for years, and this stadium can
be a great addition.
"The 49ers have been clear that their goal is to put together a
project that has no impact on the city's general fund and no
increase in taxes, and we are ready to give this project our
full attention."
If talks with Santa Clara break down, then York would consider a
move to another California city.
The Los Angeles area has not had an NFL team since after the
1994 season when the Raiders returned to Oakland and the
Anaheim-based Rams moved to St. Louis.
One of the NFL's most successful franchises, the Niners are tied
with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys for the most
Super Bowl titles with five. However, the last championship for
San Francisco came in 1994.