Angel Stadium sale questioned by lawsuit

A proposed agreement to keep the Angels in Anaheim through the sale of Angel Stadium has been called into a question by a lawsuit filed on behalf of local residents.

A lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court by a citizen group called the People’s Homeless Task Force alleges the agreement to sell Angel Stadium to SRB Management, LLC, of which Angels owner Arte Moreno is a partner, violated state law by negotiating the deal with a “lack of transparency … orchestrated with an intent to keep interested members of the public, and even dissenting council members, in the dark,” as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The agreement, approved by the Anaheim City Council on December 20, 2019, would allow Moreno’s partner company to purchase Angel Stadium and the surrounding land that includes stadium parking lots.

If the agreement passes all approvals and is held up in court, the $325 million sale would keep the Angels in Anaheim for up to 30 more years with the possibility of stadium renovations or the construction of a new ballpark to be considered during that time.

The Angels have called Anaheim home for 55 years since moving from Chavez Ravine in 1966. While the franchise has long battled with the city of Anaheim over naming conventions, officially named the Los Angeles Angels today, the team’s roots are deeply planted in Orange County.

Litigation could slow deposits owed to the city under the proposal. A $15 million deposit is due in the spring, with additional deposits spread out over the next five years.

City spokesman Mike Lyster dismisses the allegation brought forward in the lawsuit. He said, “All council decisions required to be made in public were, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and misleading.”

Check back for more details as they emerge.

Background information on the proposed sale of Angel Stadium was found on the Angels website and can be accessed here.