Small crowd hears Anaheim’s pitch for Angels’ deal

Tom Morton, Executive Director, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment for the city of Anaheim, speaks to about fifty members of the public during the second public workshop put on by city officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Brian Chuchua of Anaheim asks questions during the second public workshop put on by City officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Tom Morton, left, Executive Director, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment for the city of Anaheim, addresses questions from the public during the second public workshop put on by city officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Eric Anderson, foreground, of Anaheim listens during the second public workshop to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Angel fans, Victor Gonzalez, left, with his 2 1/2 year- old daughter Vanessa Gonzalez. The two were in attendance at the second public workshop put on by City officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Alex Burrola, left hands out free t-shirts that read, "Keep the Angels". He is part of the grass roots group to try to keep the Angels. Chris Kaser is signing up to be part of the website information. "We want to make sure they dont go" said Kaser. City officials held a second public workshop to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Tom Morton, left, Executive Director, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment for the city of Anaheim, speaks to about fifty members of the public during the second public workshop put on by city officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Nick Mazza and Neil Nelson listen as City officials held their second public workshop to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.
Tom Morton, Executive Director, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment for the city of Anaheim, speaks to about fifty members of the public during the second public workshop put on by city officials to discuss ongoing stadium lease negotiations with the Angels. The meeting was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 30, 2014 in Anaheim.

By Art Marroquin | Orange County Register

January 30, 2014 at 9:17 p.m.

ANAHEIM – For some, it’s a matter of ensuring that the city doesn’t strike a bad deal.

Business leaders warned that the city would lose more than 1,800 jobs and millions of dollars worth of tax revenue if the Angels skip town.

But the common goal, both sides found, was to find a way to keep the the Major League Baseball franchise in Anaheim.

“My dad took me to games since I was 4 or 5 years old, he bought a home here, and the Angels were a big reason for that. No one wants to see them go,” Brett Davis, 35, of Anaheim said during a workshop held Thursday to discuss the city’s ongoing effort to negotiate a revised stadium lease with the Angels.

Even though there were chairs for a crowd of 300, only 60 people gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center’s arena to listen to city officials explain the negotiating process. Roughly the same number of people attended a similar community workshop earlier this month.

While nothing new had been announced since the City Council agreed four months ago to reopen the terms of the stadium’s lease, the sparsely attended forum allowed city staffers to explain their perspective on the team’s impact on the city and what’s at stake in the negotiating process.

Among the most disputed bargaining points is whether to allow Angels owner Arte Moreno’s development company, Pacific Coast Investors, to build offices, shops and eateries on the parking lots surrounding the stadium for $1 paid annually over 66 years. City officials have said that money generated as a result of development would go toward an estimated $150 million worth of upgrades to Angel Stadium.

Mayor Tom Tait has called for an appraisal of the stadium and surrounding property. A city-hired appraiser is expected on Tuesday to explain to the City Council the methodology for completing such a task, with a final report to be submitted by March, said Tom Morton, the city’s executive director for the Anaheim Convention Center, sports and entertainment.

Kevin Hogan, 39, asked why the city isn’t considering selling the stadium and surrounding property to PCI. Morton said that the team wasn’t interested in purchasing the property.

“With a deal like this, I don’t see why they would want to,” Hogan quipped.

Todd Ament, president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, said that the recovering economy makes this a good time to develop the property.

Others raised concerns about increased traffic on city streets and the 57 if businesses and parking structures are built on the wide-open parking lot. Morton said the problems would be partially alleviated under a plan to widen the 57.

“One of the cards that Anaheim has to sell is the fact that the Angels are here,” said Larry Slagle, who sits on the board of directors for the Anaheim/ Orange County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The stadium’s lease, set to expire in 2029, allows the Angels to leave as soon as 2019. Angels Chairman Dennis Kuhl has said the team has not explored other locations and is working toward a lease with the city.

“There’s nobody in Anaheim who I believe wants to see the Angels go, and they want to stay, so I don’t know why we have to include the development of land as an attached deal,” said Paul Kott of Anaheim, suggesting that the team pay a “reasonable amount of rent” to the city.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or amarroquin@ocregister.com