Oceanside Back In the Chargers Mix
By TONY SHIN
Updated 3:37 PM PST, Tue, Aug 11, 2009
The San Diego Chargers are hoping the second time is a charm for a new stadium in Oceanside. Two years ago, the Chargers considered putting a stadium there, but the deal never went through.
A new private developer is once again bringing up the possibility.
"We are very interested in working with the Chargers," said Mel Kuhnel, Thomas Enterprises vice president of operations for the West Coast.
Thomas Enterprises is a Georgia-based real estate development company. It owns 90 acres of land where the Valley Drive-in Theater stands off highway 76.
The company has plans to build a shopping center on the site and now it wants to put a stadium there too.
"There is plenty of room and the utilities are already there," Kuhnel said.
Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani said the organization has been in talks for the past few weeks, and a deal could be a real possibility.
"We want to keep the team here," Fabiani said. "It is in Oceanside which is close to our core fan base, and also Orange County and Los Angeles."
Fabiani points out that there are several hurdles including Oceanside Airport, which is only a few hundred yards away.
"You've got to deal with issues with planes flying in and out on game day," he said.
Some nearby residents, including the Cremonesi family, say the increased traffic is also a big concern.
"I know they use Qualcomm for a lot of other events, car shows, RV shows and on and on, it would get a lot more use than just those games," Robert Cremonesi said.
Fabiani said the Chargers are still considering other possible sites including Chula Vista and Mission Valley where the team currently plays at Qualcomm.
First Published: Jun 18, 2009 10:49 PM PST
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