City Leaders Should Shed the Qualcomm Stadium Debt, But Only for the Right Deal

By Haney Hong

While reading the 301-page SoccerCity proposal to redevelop the Qualcomm Stadium site, it became clear to me that we need leadership from City Hall, and our elected leaders should keep the following in mind to ensure taxpayers are getting the best possible deal for a prime piece of real estate the Chargers called home for 49 years:

• Prioritize paying off the existing $47.5 million in debt the city owes on Qualcomm Stadium.
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• Proactively solicit competing proposals, and do so on a timeline that keeps all options open, giving credit to the initial plan for getting ideas rolling.

• Learn from mistakes of the past – the city has a track record of entering into bad deals at this site.

• Be deliberate and decisive – inaction is costly but so is entering into a bad deal.
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Read the full column at Voice of San Diego...