It’s been quite a week for the St. Louis Rams and their fan base. The turnout for open practices have been good. Fans are feeling good about the Rams and the potential of them staying for good.
On August 4, Judge Crawley ruled in favor of the St. Louis Stadium Task Force. It was another step forward in order to secure the financing for new stadium on the riverfront. The team of Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz was pleased with the outcome, as well as Governor Jay Nixon.
“My task force partner Bob Blitz deserves a great deal of credit for today’s result,” Peacock said in a statement. “Bob’s commitment to the stadium project is impressive and his work on this matter, along with other members of our legal team, was extraordinary. The court’s opinion is a victory for a bold and promising future for the NFL in St. Louis and the continued rebirth of our downtown.”
Not everyone was happy about this decision. St. Louis University law professor John Ammann, who filed a suit seeking a public vote before public investment, commented: “A terrible day for local democracy.” Amman pledged to appeal the ruling.
Mayor Francis Slay said he was also disappointed in the ruling, which was puzzling to me. When I interviewed his former chief of staff Jeff Rainford earlier this year, he said: “It’s part of being a big city and it’s also a part of our identity. We embarked on this to make sure St. Louis remains an NFL city.”
He also talked about the potential economic impact of new stadium on riverfront.
“We’re taking a part of the riverfront which should be prime real estate but it’s not, and there’s not any hope in the short term of it becoming prime real estate and getting redeveloped,” Rainford said.
“We may get a soccer team, we’re going to get the jobs related to it, whatever economic activity there is, we’re going to get that and free up the Convention Center for more fall conventions. It’s hard to book a convention because you have to book two to three years in advance and the NFL schedule comes out a year in advance.”
I don’t think the mayor was really disappointed at all. How would it look if the Rams left on his watch? He’s quite aware why building this stadium and keeping the Rams are important to the city of St. Louis.
Naysayers about the stadium always bring up we need more police, and the teachers need more pay. I agree a million percent. However, the extension of the bonds for the stadium and stadium only, and the money generated by hotel sales taxes, are lumped together as they should be.
Then you have those that gloss over all the work going to minority contractors. At least 10 percent of the work is going to minority contractors. Ten percent out of $989 million is not bad. And that’s just a soft number I’m using.
I will be glad when this is over. I dislike politics mixed with sports. It’s a very nasty cocktail.
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