The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team may be moving further away from Los Angeles and deeper into the heart of Orange County now that it's called off talks with the city of Anaheim to renew its lease at the stadium there. More than a year of heated negotiations has passed and the two parties are still unable to come to a final agreement, says the Orange County Register; frustrated that Anaheim won't play ball, the Angels are now "exploring all options," including a move to Tustin, where the city council is desperate to work with the team on a new baseball stadium at a former Marine Corps Air Station.
There's no agreement with Tustin yet, say Angels officials, insisting that they're just "in the talking stage," but the LA Times reports that there's been a lot of talking: the Tustin City Council has held nine closed-door sessions to discuss the topic.
A rep for the Angels has said that the team is not necessarily interested in leaving Anaheim, they just don't like the lease terms they're being offered so far. Back in September 2013, the Anaheim City Council approved the framework for a deal that would have the Angels pay $150 million for upgrades to their home stadium while allowing team owner Arte Moreno and his development firm to lease adjacent lots for $1 a year for 66 years. Development of the land would hedge renovation costs, which the Angels' owner liked. The city's mayor, however, was less happy about the deal, and that's where negotiations began to go sour.
City officials in Anaheim have "invited" the Angels to return to the negotiations, but if they don't, the Angels can opt out of their deal any time between 2016 and 2019. The team's current lease lasts until 2029.
· Could Angels move to Tustin? Anaheim talks with team break down [OCR]
· Frustrated Angels end talks with Anaheim on stadium lease [LAT]
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