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By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts still has options for building a soccer stadium in Utah. His patience, however, is running out.
"I just want to take a little time and take a deep breath and figure out what to do," Checketts said during a conference call Thursday.
Checketts said he had no plans to move the MLS franchise -- as long as he owns it. But after the Salt Lake County Council's vote Wednesday against using $30 million in public funds for the stadium project in Sandy, Checketts said he had grown tired of the roadblocks he's run into since announcing last fall he would build in the suburb about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The team would pay for the stadium construction, but wants the city, state or county to pay for infrastructure.
"These kind of enterprises take a combination of public and private money," Checketts said. "I'm sure you're getting sick of hearing me say that, but that is the reality."
So unless Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, who called his proposal for a stadium-shopping complex "dead" after Wednesday's vote, or council members who supported the deal can come up with a way to get the public funding, Sandy is likely out of the running for now.
"They're passing up an economic development in our community that would be second to none," Checketts said.
Checketts said he plans to take about a week to consider his options. He planned to speak to the Real players before Friday night's game at New England. He said the players had made a commitment by coming to Utah before the team joined the league last summer and wanted to assure them that they wouldn't necessarily be moving away despite the stadium setbacks.
"I have not exhausted every resource, and I'm committed to making it work," Checketts said.
Other possible sites include the State Fairgrounds west of downtown Salt Lake City, a location Mayor Rocky Anderson has been pushing for the last month. Checketts said he has spoken with Anderson about the site and the proposal "has legs" but many details would need to be worked out.
There are also downtown locations where a stadium, but maybe not an accompanying shopping area, could be built. And Checketts said he has been contacted about land near the closed Geneva Steel plant in Utah County.
Checketts said he has had no contact with Rochester, N.Y., officials about moving the team to the western New York city. St. Louis, where Checketts owns the NHL team, has also come up as a possible new location, but Checketts said he would sell the team before moving it.
"I have said very clearly I only want to own the team in Utah," Checketts said.
Checketts also stood by statements he made on the radio Wednesday accusing Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller of working against the proposal to use county hotel tax revenue to help with the soccer stadium package. Checketts used to work for Miller as president of the NBA team.
"He did not want me to get a better deal than he got on the Delta Center," Checketts said.
Miller on Wednesday said he has been staying out of the stadium negotiations.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-07-13-06 1444MDT
