The San Diego City Council discussed Friday how the city is losing millions of dollars each year by operating events out of the aging Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley.
According to the report from the mayor’s office, events at Qualcomm Stadium are lined up for the next two years.
Concerts, lot sales, and other events are scheduled for the site where the San Diego Chargers played every fall for decades.
The events for this fiscal year are estimated to bring in $3.5 million. However, operational costs alone are estimated to be $10.7 million.
“We’ve been losing between $10 and $15 million a year on that stadium as it’s been sitting there now,” Council member Scott Sherman said.
San Diego State University has asked to use the site for its football program beyond that.
Sherman asks, “Who pays for it? There’s a lot of money needed to keep that thing operational to 2020. With the amount of money we make on SDSU games, it doesn’t even come close.”
Council member David Alvarez asked for a breakdown of how much money each event brings in versus the cost spent to run the event.
Council member Georgette Gomez said she would have liked to see the proposed soccer stadium in the presentation offered to the council on Friday.
SoccerCity is the most significant proposal for the land used by the football stadium.
San Diego City Council members voted unanimously to put an initiative on the November 2018 ballot, instead of approving funds for a special election.
SoccerCity supporters have said it's unlikely investors will wait around until 2018, with their plan calling for housing, hotels, a river park and a soccer stadium.
Major League Soccer officials are deciding on a city in December and won't pick San Diego if there's no soccer stadium.
The City Attorney’s Office said the proposed development was not included because voters have not yet decided on the issue.
The future of the stadium land will be discussed Saturday at an open house concerning zoning, design, and land use standards. The open house is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Westfield Mission Valley.
