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LOS ANGELES - Councilmember Bill Rosendahl will host a Town Hall Meeting with the head of AEG, allowing community representatives to ask questions about the proposal for a downtown stadium and event center.
Rosendahl will moderate the meeting, 7-9 pm, Monday June 27, at the Mar Vista Recreation Center, 11430 Woodbine Street, Los Angeles, 90066 (map). Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive officer of AEG, will make a brief presentation and field questions from people selected by each of the neighborhood councils in Rosendahl's district. The public is welcome to attend and may ask questions as time permits.
"I am an advocate for transparency and community engagement," Rosendahl said. "This proposal is a big deal, and residents and taxpayers deserve the opportunity to ask questions and scrutinize the proposal. I'm grateful that Tim is willing to approach this in such a grassroots manner."
Leiweke said he welcomes the opportunity to talk directly with residents of Rosendahl's district, where he lives. Rosendahl has asked each of the eight neighborhood councils in District 11 to appoint up to five people to attend the meeting and ask questions on behalf of their councils.
"If people have questions, bring them on," Leiweke said. "This is a smart, solid proposal that, at no cost to the taxpayers, will provide great economic benefits to our City. I'm confident that direct questions and honest answers will build on the already strong support for the proposal."
Earlier this year, AEG proposed to build a new football stadium and event center downtown while modernizing and expanding a portion of the under-utilized Los Angeles Convention Center. Proponents contend the City needs a football team, and would benefit significantly from new jobs and the economic benefits of the project. Skeptics have questioned the viability of the project, the impact on the convention center, potential environmental impacts, and whether L.A. taxpayers will end up footing part of the bill.
Rosendahl, vice chair of a special council committee examining the proposal, said he welcomes the idea of an NFL team in Los Angeles, but has a lot of unanswered questions about the financing and risk to the taxpayers.
"I just don't want to see us holding the bag in any way, shape or form," Rosendahl said. "I want to see a viable government-private partnership. I always believe in the potential of a win-win situation, but we need a lot of answers before we know whether we are there, or whether we have some work to do to get there."
The Ad Hoc Committee on The Proposed Downtown Stadium and Events Center is studying the AEG proposal and will hold its second meeting 9:30 a.m., Thursday, June 30, at Los Angeles City Hall.
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