SL Soccer Stadium Deal is Dead; Team Owner, Fans React

Ashley Hayes & Gene Kennedy ReportingPeter Corroon, Salt Lake County Mayor: "My decision is not about the popularity of soccer in Utah. It is about how we spend taxpayer dollars."

Dave Checketts, Owner of Real Salt Lake: "It must not be meant to be, because at every turn we get thwarted by political leaders."

After months of debating, a stadium deal in Sandy is a no go. Now Real Salt Lake may be looking for a new home outside of Salt Lake City.

After more than a year of back and forth dealings, the Salt Lake County mayor says no tax dollars will fund a soccer specific stadium.

What happens to the team is yet to be determined. The team will play at Rice Eccles stadium this upcoming season. But after that, it's still unclear.

Yesterday County mayor Peter Corroon said there was just too much risk involved funding Real's soccer stadium.

Peter Corroon, Salt Lake County Mayor: "Salt Lake County wasn't averse to helping, but when the risk is such that it's gambling then we didn't want to take that gamble."

Corroon was concerned: First, that even with realistic revenue projections the team would lose money and was an unsafe investment. Second, just a minor drop in ticket sales would create enough debt to put RSL in default.

The saga over where and whether to build the stadium has been an ongoing debate. In October 2005 RSL chose its stadium site in Sandy. A year later soccer star David Beckham flew into town and helped break ground for the project.

But yesterday the deal collapsed. This morning, Utahns are still reacting to the announcement.

Malcolm T. writes on KSL.com: "Thank you for not spending our money on something that has not been here long enough to prove itself."

Patrick S. disagrees, saying: "This is a sad day. It is sad to see Real go. They have done a lot while they have been here, and they could continue to do a lot for the state. Too bad. I just wish they could work something out."

Nancy S. writes: "I would have like to have seen the stadium, but I am proud of Mayor Corroon for standing up for the principles he said in the beginning... no use of tax dollars for private enterprise if it would not benefit everybody."

Another person writes: "Having a major league team in Utah brings more than just money to the state. Teams help to fund little league sports, and build new soccer fields. I think we really lost big with the loss of REAL Salt Lake."

The Deseret Morning news is reporting a company in Utah County, Anderson Geneva, wants to buy the team and build a stadium on the old Geneva Steel site, which it owns.

Michael Hutchings, co-owner of Anderson Geneva, told KSL Newsradio this morning, "I want you to know we're very serious about this. We think this is the best site for soccer."

Hutchings points out that three freeway offramps service the old Geneva steel site in Lindon, and commuter rail been approved that could mean a hub at Geneva property. Hutchings says Anderson Geneva doesn't need an infusion of public money to build a stadium. They're confident something can be worked out. The company hopes to reach Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts today to talk about the possibility.

If a soccer stadium is built on the Geneva Steel site, the owner and the team might face some environmental hurdles. Part of the massive property in Utah County is contaminated. But Dennis Downs with the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous waste doesn't know if there is a clean parcel large enough that could fit a soccer stadium and parking lot. And he says if they choose a portion that's still contaminated they will have to willing to pay to clean that up.

Real will play one more season at Rice-Eccles stadium at the University of Utah. Then Checketts will decide where to go from there.

And with the stadium deal now dead, Checketts says he's embarrassed with the outcome. He says he had a deal with the county, but a political play dashed the agreement.

Dave Checketts/Real Salt Lake Owner: "He said, 'We have a deal.' So all of the details had been negotiated. A contract had been drawn up with the county attorney, which is at least 95 percent of the way done."

Checketts says the deal is a sound investment for the state, and that the final numbers came down to a difference of seven million dollars in a 110-million dollar deal.

He says he told Corroon he would make up the difference. Now Checketts says he may have to sell the team.

Real will play at Rice-Eccles for one more year here, but the next step is anyone's guess. There is the possibility soccer could leave Salt Lake City and that evokes a very mixed reaction.

Scot Boyd: "I would be incredibly disappointed if the team left."

Kim May: "I mean it's fun, but I'm not very sad."

Doug Griffith: "I think there is a wide interest in soccer amongst our youth and I think the fact the county is worried about financial shortfalls is short-sighted."

Troy Hyer: "I think what he did was the right decision. I don't think it was financially viable."

Kim May: "If he didn't feel it's a safe thing, I kind of respect him for that."

Rick Bengtzen: "To be honest with you, I hate soccer but I think it would be good if they kept the sport here just for the simple fact that the better we show that we're a sports town, the more we're gonna have better sports here."

Eyewitness News also talked with Jim Sciumbato. He owns the store "Soccer Plus" and hopes Real will re-crunch the numbers and come back to the table with a plan B.

Sciumbato believes with David Beckam coming to the U.S. and Freddie Adu joining Real this season that soccer will grow.

Related topics