2012-2016- The Fisher Era

St. Louis CVC sends new stadium proposal to the St. Louis Rams

On Monday, August 20, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) sent the St. Louis Rams an updated proposal for renovations to the Edward Jones Dome. The new offer would add 4,000 seats, a new scoreboard, and a glass wall that allows more natural light into the stadium. There are also some smaller changes, including new club areas. According to CVC president Kitty Radcliffe, the project would cost less than $200 million.

The CVC’s plan is an improvement over its previous $124 million proposal, but it’s still a far cry from the Rams’ estimated $700 million plan. Few people appear to know why the CVC waited until now to make its final proposal. The arbitration process is underway, and each side had its chance to make a competitive offer. For me, it’s a little surprising that the CVC waited until now to make its final proposal.

Other writers covering the story have presented different points-of-view on the matter. NextSTL’s Alex Ihnen stated that the Rams and the CVC may be close to a deal, which is why the plan was made public. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell proclaimed that the offer “closes the enormous gap between its original (and woefully inadequate) $124 million proposal and the far more elaborate one the Rams put on the table.”

While I agree with Burwell that the new proposal closes the gap between the two sides, it doesn’t fill that gap. The Rams’ proposal is meant to ensure that the team is housed in a first-tier stadium for the next 20 years. The CVC’s proposal barely scratches the surface of that plan. I have strong doubts as to whether or not the improvements offered by the CVC will even push the Edward Jones Dome into the top half of the NFL’s stadiums.

The Rams’ amended lease with the CVC notes the following:

“The Facilities, taken as a whole, and each Component of the Facilities, respectively taken as a whole, are to be ‘First Tier’ on March 1, 2005 and March 1, 2015. To be ‘First Tier’ at those dates, the Facilities, taken as a whole, and each Component of the Facilities, respectively taken as a whole, must be among the ‘top’ twenty-five percent (25 %) of all NFL football stadia and all NFL football facilities, if such NFL football stadia and facilities were to be rated or ranked according to the matter sought to be measured.”

The amended lease doesn’t state that only certain parts of the stadium have to be in the top quarter of the NFL’s venues; it states that the Edward Jones Dome, as a whole, must be in the league’s first tier. This includes each “Component of the Facilities.”

This is why I disagree with Ihnen and believe that the Rams are going to reject the offer as it stands. It doesn’t address all of the issues that the club addressed in its plan, nor does it ensure that the Edward Jones Dome will be one of the eight best stadiums in the NFL. The new scoreboard, additional seats, and the glass wall are nothing more than bandages covering a gaping wound. They don’t solve the actual problem.

When the Rams reject this offer, the arbitrators will have to choose between the two plans or come up with their own. With such a vast difference between the proposals, I expect the arbitrators to build their own offer. At that point, who knows what will to happen between the Rams and the city of St. Louis?

Derek Ciapala has been following the Rams since childhood. He has been published on Yahoo! Sports, GatewayMMA.com and multiple other websites. You can check him out on Facebook or Twitter @dciapala.

(Originally published on Yahoo! Sports)

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