Santa Clara Ignores the City's Dream of Keeping the 49ers

49ers South Bay stadium bid approaches two important dates

By SAJID FAROOQ

Updated 12:37 PM PST, Tue, Nov 17, 2009

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Santa Clara is ignoring San Francisco's dream of keeping the 49ers and moving along with its own stadium plans.

A final environmental impact report for the football park next door to Great America was released Friday night, and residents will have a chance to voice their objections to the $937 million 68,500 seat stadium. And a project costing close to $1 billion for only eight guaranteed dates is bound to draw some criticism.

If the environmental report gets the planning commission's seal of approval, then the Santa Clara City Council will decide on Dec. 8 if the stadium should be place on a citywide ballot as early as next June.

Last week, San Francisco released its dream conversion of the Hunter's Point area and the plan revealed one thing: it does not work well if the 49ers leave town.

The proposed stadium is a 69,000-seat jewel for the once glorious franchise. But the plan also calls for "a 75,000 gsf performance arena," which could mean the football stadium is use almost exclusively just for football.

The project, which encompasses a total of about 790 acres in the southeastern portion of the City, is about twice the size of Treasure Island.

The driving force behind the project to pump life back into the depressed the City by building 10,500 homes and attracting 24,465 residents. But the key component to the plan is a 49ers stadium, located in Hunters Point rather than its current Candlestick spot.