(by Leigh Dethman desnews.com 8-11-06)
Salt Lake County officials have a deal ready that they say will keep Real Salt Lake in Utah.
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon announced a proposal Friday that includes $55 million in public subsidies to build the team a soccer-specific stadium in Sandy. He faxed it to team owner Dave Checketts late Friday afternoon, and Checketts had not yet publicly responded early Friday evening.
The county would use $20 million in hotel-room taxes to help build infrastructure at the stadium, with Sandy paying $15 million in redevelopment agency funds, Corroon said. The team would also share with the South Towne Exposition Center a $20-million parking garage that would be built on the west side of State Street.
The deal came at the last possible minute, as Checketts said public funding for a stadium must be hammered out before Saturday. If not, he said he might sell the team.
With just $20 million of hotel-tax dollars going to the stadium, that leaves other hotel-tax revenue for other projects around the county. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson wants to use some of that money to build a downtown performing-arts center.
"We have a proposal that is an absolute no-brainer. It's a great deal for the county, there are huge upsides for everyone, including Salt Lake City," Anderson told KSL-Radio.
Other terms of the deal include a mandate that the stadium be built with environmentally-friendly standards, and that Real would give Salt Lake City $7.5 million for a soccer complex.
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