Battle between SF and South Bay over 49ers stadium heats up

The City of San Francisco had long planned to have a new 49ers Stadium at the heart of its proposed redevelopment of the old Hunters Point neighborhood and shipyards. Those plans were thrown into chaos when it was revealed that the 49ers organization had opened negotiations with Santa Clara to build a new stadium in the South Bay. Over the past couple of days, the Santa Clara deal has been taking hits from all sides - including a few broadsides from the City itself.

- First, there was a leak. Someone fed a highlighted, ear tagged and notated copy of the Santa Clara Stadium "Environmental Impact Report" to the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board. Or maybe, after laying off half their newsroom over the past two years, the San Francisco Chronicle found the staffing and time to dig through the 178 page report (not counting the appendixes, charts and public comments which stretch it to more than 300 pages). In this report, the San Francisco 49ers have apparently made concessions to local businesses to preserve shared parking. These concessions include foregoing weeknight games during east coast prime time. That's right - no Monday Night Football, no Thursday Night Football and if enough businesses squawk, no Sunday Night Football. 

The EIR said the 49ers indicated that they would "inform the NFL they will forgo weeknight games on their schedule" for any season in which they could not secure enough parking spaces.

That is a rather startling admission from a franchise that walked away from plans for a new stadium at Candlestick Point - where it had played many memorable Monday night games - mostly because of its access issues. The 49ers have been equally chilly about San Francisco's offer to incorporate a football stadium into Lennar Corp.'s redevelopment of the old Hunters Point Naval Shipyard just north of Candlestick. Again, the team's main complaint: parking and traffic flow.

Considering the Chronicle was magically able to obtain what reporters call money quotes from Carmen Policy and San Francisco Gavin Newsom, who has spent the better part of two months dodging reporters - especially the Chronicle's editorial board, it's pretty clear who the source for the editorial was. Also probably not a coincidence? Rumors SFMTA/MUNI is looking at extending the T-Third Metro Line to Hunters Point. Again. 

- Secondly, today, Lennar Corp. (who's managing the redevelopment of Hunters Point) released new sketches of what the development will look like, if/when it is given the okay by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Included in those sketches even though it's supposed to be dead, new mock-ups of a beautiful 49ers Stadium at Hunters Point. Lennar and City officials went out of their way to point out the extremely attractive city vista from the stadium - a view that would make for great shots during primetime games, which can't be played at the Santa Clara stadium.

Images from the San Francisco Chronicle 

Thirdly, finally and probably coincidentally - The owners of Paramount's Great America have sued to stop development of the Santa Clara stadium, since it's going to be built on a parking lot they currently lease. They've made noises they are amendable to a settlement, which would probably involve a substantial reduction in the revenue Santa Clara generates off the theme park. Such a reduction would enlarge budget deficits facing Santa Clara and put the ability of the city to organize and co-finance such mammoth undertaking into doubt. Beyond, the budget deficit, it's surprising Santa Clara didn't bother to call the owners of the theme park next door to the stadium to get their input on the project.

It appears the City of San Francisco has finally gotten serious about keeping the San Francisco 49ers, you know, in San Francisco. They've broken out the old FUD (that's fear, uncertainty and doubt) marketing campaign in an attempt to discredit and slow down the effort to move the team. Beyond that and more importantly, the City of San Francisco has finally started to elucidate a compelling rational for keeping the 49ers in the City: ability to play Monday and Thursday Night Football games, easier access from the East Bay and a stunning neighborhood environment around the stadium. As someone who thinks the San Francisco 49ers should stay in San Francisco, all I can say is it's about time.

(I hope I put this in the right place Fooch, as this is my first FanPost and I didn't see one about the recent developments in the stadium battle)