The owner of the St. Louis Rams plans to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, in a move that could see the team return to the city where it spent almost five decades.
The Los Angeles Times reported today that Stan Kroenke and the Stockbridge Capital Group, which owns the 238-acre site in Inglewood, plan to build an 80,000-seat NFL stadium. The site also includes space for retail, offices and residences.
The newspaper noted that there have been more than a dozen proposals in the past to bring an NFL team to Los Angeles, but Kroenke is the first team owner who controls a site large enough for a stadium as well as parking.
The story stoked speculation that the Rams would return to Los Angeles, the city the team called home from 1946 to 1994 when it moved to St. Louis. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously ruled out a team in Los Angeles in 2015, so the earliest a move could happen is 2016. Any move must be approved by three-quarters of the league's 32 teams.
The Rams are unhappy with Edward Jones Dome, their current home in St. Louis. The team and St. Louis officials remain far apart on a deal on improvements to the stadium — a divide that could allow the team to end its three-decade lease 10 years early. The city is expected to offer a new proposal by the end of the month.
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