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12:00

pat flynn - Hi, I am Pat Flynn, member of the editorial board at the UT and editor of Dialog, the Sunday opinion section.

So, what about the Chargers and a possible new stadium? Do you like developer Perry Dealy's plan for redeveloping the Qualcomm site? Is Chula Vista the right place? Somewhere else in the county?

Or should we wish them well in Portland, LA or San Antonio?

12:03

SignOnLiveChatModerator - Pat, what is Dealy's current plans for redeveloping the Qualcomm site for the Chargers?

12:05

pat flynn - He proposes a very dense development including condos, SDSU housing, retail, hotel(s), restaurants and office space that would generate revenue to pay for building a new stadium.

12:07

[Comment From Ron]
Are there still environmental issues under the property that Qualcomm sits on now (i.e. petroleum leakage)? How does that affect the cost of building a new stadium there?

12:08

pat flynn - Yes, there would be issues surounding the tank farm and leakage, not to mention the proximity to the San Diego River. Still, there already is a stadium on the site. That seems to me to give it a leg up on other sites that presumably would have environmental issues as well.

12:11

[Comment From Brad]
With the new San Diego City Council in office, is there any reason to believe that the city's attitude toward building a new stadium has turned more positive?

12:13

pat flynn - Well, the mayor has expressed doubt about the feasibility of this proposal and Councilwoman Frye, who represents the area, is also dubious, noting the plan calls for Mission Valley to be designated blighted, so it could be turned into a redevelopment area. Our editorial page has called for the mayor to take leadership on the issue of a stadium.

12:13

SignOnLiveChatModerator - Pat, how does the Chargers' original plan to develop the site differ from Dealy's current plan?

12:15

pat flynn - It is similar in many respects, but calls for much greater density. Also, I don't believe the original Charger plan required the redevelopment zone designation.

12:16

[Comment From Ron]
The Giants/Jets are getting a new stadium, is the money coming strictly from those teams or are they getting funding from New Jersey tax payers? Is there a deal on the table that absolves tax payers from providing any of the money for a stadium?

12:17

SignOnLiveChatModerator - To read the editorial Pat just mentioned that calls on the Mayor to take leadership on this issue, go to http://tinyurl.com/qtghjp

12:18

pat flynn - I believe, but am not certain, that there is some taxpayer funding involved in the Giants/Jets project. As for San Diego, there is a consensus that there will be no direct public funding. Even most types of indirect subsidies would engender serious challenges.

12:19

SignOnLiveChatModerator - Pat, what happened to the proposal to build a stadium in Chula Vista?

12:21

pat flynn - Officially, it is still on the table. But there seems to be little momentum. At this moment, I'd say it is unlikely a stadium will be built there in the foreseeable future.

12:28

[Comment From Ron]
When you say there is a consensus about no direct public funding, do you mean a consensus between San Diego city officials and the Chargers? If so, what are the obstacles preventing let's say a "less ambitious" undertaking at Qualcomm site?

12:31

pat flynn - Well, yes. I think all interested parties realize that there simply is no public appetite for subsidizing a stadium development. As for less ambitious, not sure. I believe Dealy and his advisers have sketched an ambitious plan precisely because it has to be so in order to generate the massive sums it takes to build a modern NFL stadium.

12:32

[Comment From Brad]
What about the revenue generated from Super Bowls? How can the city of San Diego have such a negative attitude about assisting financially with a new stadium when it will generate increased revenue to the city?

12:34

pat flynn - Well, the likelihood of future Super Bowls is a key argument made by proponents of a new stadium. There is no doubt that Super Bowls pump money into local economies, but there seems to be plenty of evidence that the effect is not nearly as great as typically claimed by the NFL or boosters.

12:34

[Comment From Ron]
Has anyone done a study as to how much money a city's economy profits from hosting a Super Bowl? I have heard that the only one who really profits is the NFL.

12:35

pat flynn - See above.

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