Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/angel-stadium/)
The Angels, along with sports teams across the country, are given too much of the revenue sports stadiums generate and taxpayers fail to reap benefits because cities don’t negotiate hard enough, according to experts.
An Anaheim city council action last month endeavoring to keep stadium deliberations with the Angels confidential is not only sad and ineffective for building public support it’s also likely illegal. This week, council members also consider even limiting their own ability speak from the dais.
Anaheim City Council members, after learning Mayor Harry Sidhu met with Angels President John Carpino earlier this week, voted to axe their monthly public update on negotiations and instead directed City Manager Chris Zapata to update when there’s only “relevant information” — effectively leaving the negotiations process in the dark.
The Angels are talking to Long Beach about potentially moving the team there after the Anaheim City Council extended the stadium lease with the team until 2020.
Approval of the mega-development in the Platinum Triangle had been held up due to fierce opposition from Angels Baseball, but the team and the Hong Kong-based developer reached an accord in recent weeks.
The Anaheim City Council voted Tuesday to postpone a vote on a $450 million, mega-development at the Platinum Triangle after facing heavy opposition from the Major League Baseball team.
The baseball team’s representatives filed an appeal Wednesday challenging the Anaheim Planning Commission’s approval of a $450 million mixed-used development that would compete with the team’s development plans.
Just as the Angels re-open talks with the city to renew their stadium lease, team officials are opposing a proposed $500 million mixed-use project in the Platinum Triangle next to the stadium, saying it would quash their own development plans.
Wylie Aitken will replace Charles Black, a controversial figure who clashed with the city’s mayor, as a lead negotiator on a new stadium lease deal with the Angels baseball team.
The newspaper published an attack ad with an unflattering picture of Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait after rejecting a similar ad that featured a photo of Kris Murray, the mayor’s chief opponent on City Council.