LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ –Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles) were joined by business and labor leaders at a press briefing on Friday to announce legislation that could bring a new sports arena and convention center to downtown Los Angeles.
“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,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Unlike other stadium projects, this one will be built without taxpayer dollars or any public funds and be built to unprecedented environmental standards.”
Senate Bill 292, authored by Senator Padilla, will create ground-breaking environmental protection as well as expedite and elevate judicial review directly to the Court of Appeal. In addition, it will fast track job creation in the community while constructing a carbon-neutral stadium that will prioritize transit more than any other NFL 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.”
The stadium and convention center will be one of the largest construction projects in the United States and is projected to cost a total of $1.3 billion. It will create more than 23,000 jobs including 12,000 full-time jobs during the construction process and 11,000 more permanent jobs when finished.
Additionally, it will be the first LEED certified stadium and sports district ever built in the United States.
The City of Los Angeles, which recently voted to approve the project, has projected that it will generate $410 million in new tax revenues over 30 years. The project has overwhelming support from community groups, business and labor leaders, elected officials and members of the environmental community.
