Perhaps the third time is the charm, as Anaheim figures out what to do with the city-owned Angel Stadium. City Council this month revisited that hot-button issue, which is a bold decision given the machinations surrounding the last attempted stadium deal landed the former mayor with a short prison term. But it’s a good idea for the city to raise this issue before any pressing deadline.
“[W]e haven’t really worked with our communications team to go out there and ask the residents of Anaheim how much are you willing to invest and or pay to keep the baseball franchise, versus unrestricted land, versus another professional sports franchise,” said Mayor Ashleigh Aitkin, per a VoiceofOC report. The city also is talking with state officials about the Surplus Lands Act, which requires localities that sell or lease land to prioritize affordable housing.
We’re pleased that elected officials are doing this in the public view and considering the highest-and-best uses for the property rather than simply prioritizing professional baseball. In 2013, City Council passed a Memorandum of Understanding that would have extended the Angels lease for 66 years for a dollar a year, but then backed away amid public backlash. It’s better to hear from the public before making any long-term decisions.
Then we saw the unpleasantness from 2023, when Sidhu pleaded guilty to federal obstruction charges into allegations that he provided confidential information to the Angels negotiating team as he sought a political contribution. That quickly put the brakes on the proposed sale.
Obviously, city officials will be minding their p’s and q’s this time. The current lease isn’t up for several years, but the city could put out a request for proposals (RFP) to gauge market interest in this prime property. Council should publicly affirm its commitment to a policy approved in 2018: if the property is sold to a team, it should be sold for its appraised value and the team should be named for Anaheim.
Kudos to the council for revisiting this sensitive issue in a transparent way. Let the discussions begin!