49ers take first loss of year … against proposed office complex

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, June 04, 2007  |  Comments( 20 )

San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco 49ers 650,000 - Class A office complex 3,300,000.

Kind of a blowout, if you think about it. Unless you're not a fan of having the 49ers move to Santa Clara, Calif.

A report released by Keyser Marston Associates on Friday concluded that a 15-acre Class A office complex would produce $3.3 million in annual revenue for the city of Santa Clara, while a stadium would generate just $650,000.

That's not exactly good news for a franchise that is looking to move out of San Francisco and is asking the city of Santa Clara to pony up more than $160 million in order to help finance a 68,500-seat stadium in its entertainment district. Incidentally, the total cost of the proposed stadium is expected to exceed $850 million.

However, there were some aspects of the report that validated the franchise's claim that Santa Clara stands to gain a lot if it welcomes the local NFL franchise with open arms and open pocketbooks. For example, the study suggests that the 49ers would generate more than $40 million in annual economic activity and would create hundreds of new jobs for the city.

If the team does make the move out of San Francisco it would be joining a host of other NFL franchises, including prominent names such as the New York Giants, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, that do not play their home games in the city (or state in some cases) they represent.

Nevertheless, the city of San Francisco is making a play to keep the franchise that bears its name. Officials have proposed that the team build its new stadium at the site of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Unfortunately, concerns about the Navy's ability to clean up the polluted site quickly enough to adhere to the team's timeline for a new stadium by 2012 make the proposal a bit dicey.

One thing is for sure: With the Dallas Cowboys set to build a new stadium by 2009, the 49ers are now on the verge of a truly sad distinction -- playing in one of the oldest and most decrepit stadiums in the league.

So at this point, both the fans and the franchise should be eager to get into their new home, regardless of where it is located.

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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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