Bill Paves the Way for Jobs and Economic Development in Los Angeles Without Compromising Environmental Standards
SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and leaders from both business and labor today to announce new legislation that will help bring a stadium and convention center to downtown Los Angeles, creating more than 23,000 jobs — including 12,000 full-time jobs during the construction process and 11,000 more permanent jobs at the Convention Center — while including some of the strongest environmental and traffic mitigation efforts ever implemented in conjunction with building a stadium.
“I am pleased to join with Senator Padilla to announce legislation that will move the proposed downtown football stadium forward,” Speaker Pérez said. “This is an exceptional project, both in terms of the jobs that it will create, and in its groundbreaking emphasis on building the most environmentally-friendly stadium in the United States. After more than a decade, it’s time for the NFL to return to Los Angeles, and I am excited that our city will be home to the most sustainable stadium in history, paid for without a single taxpayer dollar.”
Senate Bill 292, authored by Senator Padilla, includes no exemption from environmental laws while allowing for expedited environmental reviews — fast tracking job creation in the community while constructing a carbon-neutral stadium that will prioritize transit more than any other NFL stadium.
“The building of a new sports arena and convention center is a game changer for the City of Los Angeles, the region and the state. This project will create thousands of construction and permanent jobs and continue the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles,” Senator Padilla said. “Unlike other stadium projects, this one will be built without taxpayer dollars or any public funds and be built to unprecedented environmental standards.”
Pérez, who created an ad hoc group in the Assembly to study the issue, thanked the Assemblymembers who made certain that the environmental and traffic issues associated with the project were addressed.
“I credit the strong efforts of my legislative working group, including Assemblymembers Mike Feuer, Wes Chesbro, Bob Blumenfield, Ricardo Lara, Nora Campos and Steven Bradford on their persistent work to ensure that these concerns are thoroughly addressed.”
The retractable-roof stadium would allow for expansion to 78,000 seats for Super Bowls and Final Fours alike, drawing crowds and business to downtown Los Angeles through a private sector investment of more than $1.3 billion dollars. In addition, the project will generate over $600 million in total economic activity, raising more than $40 million in city, county and state tax revenues.
The project has gained wide support in Los Angeles, where the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding with AEG last month in order to continue progress made on the proposed project.
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
