The San Francisco 49ers seemed all set to being the relocation process from Candlestick Park to their new stadium in Santa Clara. But there could be a legal issue that could very much impede progress. Mike Rosenberg of the Marin Independent Journal has more.
An obscure oversight board that shocked Silicon Valley by pulling $30 million in tax funds from the San Francisco 49ers stadium to give to schools upped the ante Wednesday by hiring an attorney to defend its decision in court.
The taxpayer-funded lawyer, at $275 per hour, will try to fight off a lawsuit the Niners filed to appeal the funding swap. A judge may decide later this month whether the redevelopment funds should go to the Santa Clara stadium or local schools.
"If we lose, we lose. But this is a very important issue for all parties," oversight board chair Don Gage said.
Things got out of hand on June 22nd when this little-known oversight board voted 4-3 to take some of the redevelopment money designed to fund the $1.2 billion stadium, about $30 million worth. Oversight board members believe that this money is theirs and should be spent the way they desire to spend it. The 49ers sued soon after, and now the oversight board has hired an attorney, one Hilda Cantu Montoy, to try and get a clear and partial hearing for their cause.
The Niners should feel pretty comfortable where they stand right now, but that position could change if the court somehow finds in favor of the oversight board. Still, these issues are only financial and shouldn't keep the stadium from being completed. The 49ers have already begun construction on the stadium and expect it to be fully completed within two years. But there could be longer delays if the 49ers have to scramble to find additional sources of income to get the stadium completed.
Talk about the 49ers stadium issues with San Francisco football fans over at Niners Nation.
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