A timeline of events surrounding the debate over building a new stadium in San Diego and the rumored return of an NFL franchise to Los Angeles since the Rams and Raiders moved out of Los Angeles nearly two decades ago.
Any taxpayer land or money thrown into the deal to replace Qualcomm Stadium would trigger a two-thirds voter approval requirement and the Chargers don't think that's attainable for a potential project cost of up to $1.5 billion.
February 20, 2015: The San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders were set to announce a plan to jointly build a 72,000-seat stadium in Carson, in the midst of talks with their respective cities to extend backstops
Feb. 16, 2015: Letters fired off between the Chargers and the City of San Diego show the tension between the two sides.
Feb. 6, 2015: San Diego's new stadium advisory group holds first huddle.
Jan. 13, 2015: Chargers are planning convention space in a hybrid stadium/sports arena complex nearby -- on 12 acres in East Village encompassing Tailgate Park and the Metro Transit bus yard.
January 2015: St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke announces plans for an NFL stadium on the Inglewood property he purchased a year earlier.
January 2015: Chargers say they've spent $15 million since 2001, studying nine different sites around San Diego County.
December 2014: The Chargers announced plans to stay in San Diego for the 2015 season.
October 2014: A survey commissioned by the NFL is distributed to thousands of LA residents, asking for feedback regarding a franchise in Los Angeles.
April 20, 2014: Chargers special counsel says he November 2016 presidential election would be the earliest chance to allow county residents to vote on a stadium proposal. The project’s final price tag could top $1 billion.
Feb. 4, 2014: Chargers say they will stay in San Diego for the 2014 season. They will not be triggering the “out” clause in their Qualcomm Stadium lease, which ends in 2020.
January 2014: St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke buys property in Inglewood through holding company.
Oct. 10, 2013: Plan to expand San Diego's Convention Center is approved.
March 7, 2013: If the proposed Convention center expansion is struck down the team says its ready to present an alternative which would be a multi-use stadium with a retractable fabric roof on the East Village site, a couple blocks from the Convention Center.
April 4, 2012: San Diego investment advisors suggest pushing back any financial game plan for a new Chargers stadium to September.
Oct. 19, 2011: Mayor Jerry Sanders tries to enlist county supervisors and fellow mayors in creating a proposal to keep the Chargers in the region.
Oct. 14, 2011: Mayor Jerry Sanders hires George Bilicic, an investment advisory banker with New York-based Lazard, Ltd., to formulate an alternate stadium financing plan and offer it to the Chargers.
August 16, 2011: San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will visit three NFL cities to learn first-hand how they created sports and entertaining marketing districts linked to stadium, arena and convention facilities.
Aug. 9, 2011: Los Angeles City Council members unanimously approve a Memorandum of Understanding with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which requires a full Environmental Impact Review of the project and details a 55-year lease for the land under the existing West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. With similarly approved proposals on the table, AEG and Majestic Realty are continuining to competitively court NFL teams.
Aug. 3, 2011: A Los Angeles City Council panel supports the financial framework for AEG’s plan, setting the stage for another nine months of talks between the two parties and sending the agreement to a full council vote Aug. 9.
July 28, 2011: Inland Valley residents have a chance to express their concerns over a potential stadium. Divided residents cited city pride, tax and business revenue, as well as traffic, among reasons to support or reject the plan.
July 27, 2011: High school football players, construction workers and even NBA alum turned business mogul Magic Johnson turned out to LA City Hall to comment on the possibility of a football stadium.
July 26, 2011: City officials release a draft agreement detailing a 55-year lease of the land under the existing West Hall of the LA Convention Center. AEG would pay $6.5 million for the land upon which a stadium and parking structure will be built.
July 25, 2011: Lewieke tells NBC4 he hopes to break ground in early 2012, citing an owner willing to take the risk on the $1.5 billion project.
July 20, 2011: An LA stadium is expected to generate $41 million in annual tax revenue, $22 million of which would go to the city, according to a report authored by Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting USA, a firm hired by Anschutz Entertainment Group.
June 10, 2011: AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke says he’s been talking with representatives from the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars as potential migrants to LA.
March 30, 2011: Residents are invited to an open house at the downtown convention center to present environmental concerns to LA’s planning department.
March 3, 2011: Majestic Realty stops referring to their proposed location as Industry, claiming it conjures up negative images. They begin addressing the potential stadium site as Grand Crossing.
Feb. 23, 2011: The Chargers and Mayor Jerry Sanders speak optimistically about ways of underwriting a new downtown stadium in the event the state hijacks the city's redevelopment funds.
Feb. 10, 2011: Chargers team spokesperson says if the team leaves Qualcomm Stadium for a new San Diego site, the earliest it will happen is 2018.
Feb. 7, 2011: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa posts a YouTube video expressing his support of bringing an NFL stadium and team back to City of Angels.
Feb. 4, 2011: NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell says Los Angeles is on the right path toward achieving its stadium, but still has a long, namely financial, road ahead.
Feb. 1, 2011: The proposed NFL stadium will be named Farmer’s Field, after a 30-year naming-rights deal worth $700 million was squared away with the insurance company. But there is still no football team to occupy the gridiron.
Jan. 26, 2011: San Diego considers building a stadium with a roof to replace the Sports Arena, allowing the city to sell off that property to help foot the bill.
Dec. 16, 2010: AEG reveals a futuristic-looking drawing proposal that includes an NFL stadium and expanded convention center.
Dec. 9, 2010: Leiweke announces AEG will absorb the stadium’s billion-dollar tab, save $350 million in government issued bonds that he promised would be repaid from event taxes.
Nov. 15, 2010: Staples Center-owner AEG proposes a competing bid for a retractable-roof “event center” downtown and convention center expansion project.
May 26, 2010: A San Diego County grand jury report slams city-owned Qualcomm Stadium, reporting that the city loses about $17 million each year operating the stadium.
Jan. 26, 2010: City of Industry’s 82 registered voters approve $500 million in infrastructure bonds, some of which are allocated to support billionare and Majestic Realty president Ed Roski’s $800-million stadium proposal.
Jan. 15, 2010: Over 18,000 news jobs associated with the stadium development start going up-for-grabs at the Joe Jobs Expo.
Jan. 7, 2010: Gov. Schwarzenegger signs a bill that exempts the LA stadium from environmental regulations and nullifies a lawsuit over the project’s environmental impact report by the citizens in neighboring Walnut.
Jan. 7, 2010: Escondido mayor plans to pitch Chargers ownership on a proposed Escondido stadium that would be built southeast of where Interstate 15 intersects Highway 78.
Jan. 6, 2010: City of Walnut residents file a petition challenging Majestic Realty’s stadium plans, claiming construction was approved without an adequate environmental impact report critiquing the stadium’s effect on air quality, traffic and quality of life.
Dec. 10, 2009: San Diego mayor's office has "re-engaged" the Chargers and confirms several downtown locations are being considered. One of those is a site east of Petco Park where the Wonder Bread Bakery stands in the 100 block of 14th street.
Nov. 3, 2009: Majestic Realty Co.’s website receives over 140,000 inquiries about general admission, club seats and luxury suites to watch a team that doesn’t exist play in a stadium that hasn’t been built.
November 2009: San Diego's re-development arm, the CCDC, mulls spending $160,000 on a feasibility study to look into an East Village stadium project.
Oct. 14, 2009: California legislature exempts a proposed NFL stadium in Industry from state environment laws. The theoretical 75,000-seat stadium would sit near the interchange of the Orange (57) and Pomona (60) freeways.
April 2008: Developer Ed Roski proposes a site in the city of Industry.
November 2005: The NFL commissioner announces after a meeting with then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that a preliminary agreement was reached to being a team back to LA.
May 2003: League owners vote to continue exploring options for a stadium in Los Angeles and commits money to a feasibility study for site in Carson.
May 2002: AEG announces plans to build a stadium next to Staples Center.
March 1999: The NFL approves an expansion franchise for Los Angeles, contigent on several issues involving the city and league, including a stadium site. No agreement is reached, and an expansion team is awarded to Houston.
1997: The stadium undergoes another renovation to add 11,500 seats. Jack Murphy Stadium became Qualcomm Stadium after the telecommunication company agreed to pay $18 million in naming rights.
August 1995: The NFL approves the Raiders' move to Oakland.
April 1995: The NFL approves the Rams' move to St. Louis.
1984: Chargers add 8100 seats at a cost of $9.1 million, the Chargers say..
1967: The Chargers move into the new stadium with a capacity of 52,000.
1965: Seventy-three percent of voters approve the construction of a new Chargers stadium in Mission Valley for $27 million.
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