St. Louis Rams owner to build NFL stadium in Los Angeles

By Cory Buck | Jan 5, 2015

Nov 9, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher (right) talks with Rams owner Stan Kroenke on the sidelines prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 31-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke can begin work on stadium construction in Inglewood, CA after joining forces with nearby land owners.

While there still won’t be NFL football in Los Angeles in 2015, it appears that the wait may not extend much beyond then. The LA Times reports that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has joined forces with Stockbridge Capital Group to form the best bid yet for a stadium in the second-largest media market in the country. Long disenchanted with the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Kroenke has been tied to a potential move for some time.

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The Times writes of the transaction, “Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who bought 60 acres adjacent to the Forum a year ago, has joined forces with the owners of the 238-acre Hollywood Park site, Stockbridge Capital Group.

“They plan to add an 80,000-seat NFL stadium and 6,000-seat performance venue to the already-massive development of retail, office, hotel and residential space, Stockbridge and the Kroenke Group told The Times.”

Having a group with the money and willingness to build a stadium near LA is nothing new, but this proposal has a few wrinkles that make it more realistic than previous attempts.

For one, Kroenke and the Rams are likely going to exercise their right to convert their lease in St. Louis to a year-to-year deal, freeing them to move to Los Angeles whenever they please. For another, the developers claim they won’t use tax dollars to build the proposed Farmer’s Field.

As a result, the Times notes:

"Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said he was “extremely supportive” of the ballot initiative that would add the sports and entertainment complex to the already-approved Hollywood Park development and speed construction. The stadium could be completed by 2018, the developers said."

With nearly 300 acres of land and a project set to go without tax payer support, this appears to be the strongest bid yet for an NFL stadium in Los Angeles. If it is and the three quarters of owners required to approve a move do just that, then Kroenke will have beaten owners of the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, who are also reportedly disenchanted with their stadium situations.

Of course, if Kroenke and Stockbridge pull off construction of a stadium, they could end up hosting games for two NFL teams a la MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The question then would be which other team jumps to join what could be a certain mover in the St. Louis Rams.

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