SoccerCity officials are pushing ahead with a plan to redevelop the Qualcomm Stadium and Chargers Park properties.
The pledge to move forward comes after the San Diego City Council refused to support calls for a special election this November. That special election is considered crucial to the FS Investors' bid to land a Major League Soccer team.
RELATED: San Diego City Council Rejects November Special Election
The league is expanding by four teams. Cities that do not have a firm commitment to build a soccer stadium that will be up and running by 2020 will not be considered. The league said it will pick the expansion sites by the end of the year.
SoccerCity backers expect to pack City Council chambers next week when they officially present their plan.
FS Investors has exclusive rights to the MLS bid and the development team wants city officials to consider the financial implications of denying a special election.
"Is it worth $12 million a year to keep (Qualcomm) stadium open, wait the better part of a decade and at the same time give up tens and tens of millions of dollars a year in revenue in the form of rent payments, lump sum payments and taxes for the city and the county and the schools. In the hopes that at some point down the road something different comes out, that is actually the real question in front of the city council," said Nick Stone, of FS Investors.
Pushing the vote on the SoccerCity project to next winter will not keep the FS Investors' team in the running for a soccer team.
There is strong push back coming from two major Mission Valley developers. Both Fenton and Sudberry have major housing projects that would have to compete with the SoccerCity housing.
"We want to make sure that we get the right price for taxpayers and to do that you have to have a fair and open competition. We would welcome SoccerCity to put in a bid and to compete in the open market. That is how taxpayers can make sure that they get the best value for their land," said Laura Fink, a public relations spokesperson hired by Fenton and Sudberry.
RELATED: SDSU Drops Out Of Talks To Be Part Of Soccer City Development
San Diego State University is also looking for a slice of the Qualcomm Property. The school recently ended talks with FS Investors to partner in the SoccerCity project. The university is pushing for the city to open up a request for proposals that would invite other developers to offer plans to reshape the area.
