(by By James Edward and Leigh Dethman desnews.com 8-9-06)
He might sell the team if stadium funding isn't finalized by Saturday
It might be a self-imposed deadline, but Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts is sticking to it steadfastly.
Checketts reiterated at a Tuesday afternoon press conference that Saturday remains the make-or-break deadline to lock down stadium funding for his Major League Soccer franchise.
"The reality of the situation is, we've come as far as we can with what we have, and we have to have a solution this week," Checketts said.
Checketts wouldn't elaborate on the consequences if a deal isn't done, but he's said previously he might sell the team, and MLS commissioner Don Garber has confirmed that investors in Rochester, N.Y., and St. Louis have contacted the league about purchasing the franchise.
Even investors in Utah County are offering to buy the team if Checketts is willing to sell.
Stadium talk has been quiet since the Salt Lake County Council rejected a proposal that would have given Sandy $30 million to build infrastructure for the stadium site about a month ago.
After the rejection, team officials — including CEO Dean Howes — said the franchise was finished with actively pushing stadium-funding plans, and was "waiting for our community leaders and other private partners to bring us proposals that we can get our arms around and agree with and move forward."
One of those recent proposals was from Anderson Geneva, a development company that purchased the Geneva Steel site in Vineyard for $46.8 million last November. The company offered up to 30 acres of free land to Real to build a stadium there. They also offered to buy the team if Checketts decided he didn't want the land and put Real up to the highest bidder.
With just three days before the deadline, Checketts was mum about whether he is focusing on Vineyard, Sandy or the Utah State Fairpark.
"I wouldn't get to three days before the deadline and not be focused on one option, but I'm not going to say what that is," Checketts said.
Whatever it is, he doesn't appear to be taking it lightly.
A team of financial advisers from New York has been in Salt Lake City for three weeks examining every number to try to find a solution that every entity can agree on, Checketts said. Nonetheless, he reiterated, "This doesn't work without a public/private partnership, and I have no indication that's going to change."
If Checketts is trying to make things work, he's not working with the Salt Lake County Council. He fired off a letter shortly after the council's decision to deny public funding, saying, "We do not wish to expend any more of your valuable government time on an issue that appears unable to succeed."
All is quiet at county headquarters, councilman Joe Hatch said.
"Nobody seems interested," Hatch said. "If there is a deal to be cut, I suppose they are doing it on their own."
Checketts says he's raised nearly $100 million in private contributions to fund the stadium. Over time, Checketts has asked for up to $45 million in public dollars. Hatch whittled that amount down to $30 million, but the council voted it down in July.
All along, Checketts targeted Aug. 12 as the deadline to finalize stadium funding, and not coincidentally, that is the same date as Real Salt Lake's exhibition match against Real Madrid at Rice-Eccles Stadium. He had wanted international soccer star David Beckham to ceremoniously shovel the first pile of dirt on the new stadium, but Checketts said that won't happen now.
For Checketts, one of the most upsetting parts of the stadium fiasco is those who question his intentions.
"I've done everything I said I would do. I brought the team here, I've underwritten all the costs, and now with our team of people, we've succeeded in bringing one of the greatest teams in the world to play here and be here all week," he said. "If that doesn't demonstrate to everyone involved that I'm serious about this being a long-term presence here, then I don't know what can."
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