Angels leaving the City of Anaheim

[virgilatmit]

Rumors out here are that the Angels are keen on leaving Anaheim:

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...-277745781.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_LABrand

I think the city may be playing hard ball with the Angels, knowing that Disney is in an expansion mood, and would love to build on that land. For the city, not only would this mean no tax dollar to subsidize a ball park rebuild, but it would mean more jobs and year-round revenue, not just revenue during the April to Sep/Oct months. For Disney, it means they could potentially build a third gate in Southern California (Star Wars Land? Marvel Super Heros Land?)

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

First, the absolute subject line, "Angels leaving the City of Anaheim," is wrong.

Yes, Angels owner Arte Moreno has threatened to leave Anaheim, but at this point, it's just part of the game of high-stakes negotiations. Tustin has not offered to build a stadium. Moreno would have to pay for an entirely new stadium.

Anaheim wants to keep the Angels.

Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim disagrees with the Anaheim city council about how to proceed. The city council wants to give Moreno a bunch of land. The mayor considers it a giveaway of hundreds of millions of public assets to a billionaire. Moreno's side walked away from negotiations last week, but that's how the game is played.

Expansion of the Disneyland Resort is not part of this story, despite the OP's suggestion that it is.

If Disney really wants to expand the Disneyland Resort with a third theme park, the land is already there in the form of the Toy Story parking lot and adjacent employee parking lot. If Disney took over the Anaheim GardenWalk and at least one existing hotel on Harbor Blvd, everything could be tied together very well. Even without the GardenWalk, it could be done. And it wouldn't involve a stadium site several miles away with I-5 and industrial parks between the two districts.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Moreno needs little reason to leave Anaheim... He's not in love with the location.

So he can play hard ball and hold Anaheim for kings random...and if they don't...some other outlier municipality will.

He also knows that it's only a matter of a few short years before the nfl returns...and there could be the opportunity to build a "sports complex" somewhere... Even maybe downtown or towards the coast.

He also has the best player in the sport whos all of 23...which means his take is in a position to be on the rise for the conceivable future.

 

[virgilatmit]

I agree that my subject line is not necessarily true (yet)... that's why this is in the rumors thread.

I agree that the Toy Story Parking lot is a closer site; however, you'd still need to make up for parking somewhere. Anaheim Stadium is further away, but not that far (it's the turning point on the Disneyland half-marathon after all). Also, who's to say that Anaheim couldn't sustain four gates? Why chose between a Marvel gate and a Star Wars gate... do both!

At the very least, I'd like the city of Anaheim to at least court Disney make Moreno realize that the city can move on from the Angels quickly.