San Diego city representatives are scheduled to meet with senior National Football League officials in New York City today to discuss an effort by the city and county to build a new stadium for the chargers in the San Diego area.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke by telephone with National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell for about 45 minutes Monday to outline efforts by the city and county, the mayor's office said.
"The mayor discussed the actions San Diego has and continues to take toward a new stadium, and expressed his commitment to moving forward with a fair plan that meets the needs of the community and the team,'' mayoral spokesman Matt Awbrey said.
The discussion came after negotiations between the city, county and Chargers broke off in acrimony last week when team executives rejected a proposed timeline for conducting environmental studies of the proposed stadium site in Mission Valley.
Faulconer held a news conference to say he would take San Diego's case for keeping the team directly to the NFL.
"Mayor Faulconer and Commissioner Goodell agreed that the city-county negotiating team and NFL will continue to communicate ahead of the NFL owners meeting on Aug. 11,'' Awbrey said.
"(Tuesday), the chief negotiator for the city and county will meet in New York City with NFL senior officials,'' Awbrey said. "He will provide an update on San Diego's environmental analysis for a new stadium and proposed timelines to bring the issue before voters.''
The Chargers said they don't believe a legally viable environmental plan can be completed before league officials make decisions on their long-awaited return to Los Angeles, where they played in their inaugural 1960 season..
Government and team executives both want to have a public vote on any stadium agreement in order to validate their plans, even though it isn't expected to include tax increases.
An advisory group created by Faulconer recommended building a new playing facility next to aging Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley. The group suggested about $1.4 billion in funding sources and estimated a construction price tag of $1.1 billion.
The Chargers, citing a bid by the St. Louis Rams to return to the lucrative Los Angeles market, have acquired land to construct a stadium in Carson in case they can't land an acceptable deal in San Diego.
If the Mission Valley stadium is built, it would be home for the Chargers, San Diego State University football team, Holiday and Poinsettia bowls, high school championships and special events.
