San Diego’s efforts to build a new Chargers stadium in Mission Valley got a boost Wednesday when Gov. Jerry Brown certified the project for expedited environmental review.

While the Legislature’s joint budget committee must also approve the certification this fall, Mayor Kevin Faulconer characterized the governor’s decision as significant.

“It’s fantastic news for San Diego and a big step forward for the Mission Valley stadium plan,” Faulconer said Wednesday night. “This gives our Mission Valley proposal more certainty and momentum.”

The certification won’t help the city accelerate completion of its ongoing environmental impact report on the stadium, but it would expedite any potential lawsuits challenging that document.


That could shrink the timeline for the stadium’s approval under the California Environmental Quality Act by a year to 18 months if lawsuits are filed, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said earlier this year.

The certification sends environmental lawsuits directly to the state Court of Appeals, bypassing the lower courts and guaranteeing a resolution within 270 days.

The news comes at a time when NFL owners are deciding whether to allow the Chargers, the St. Louis Rams, the Oakland Raiders or some combination of those franchises to relocate to the Los Angeles area.

Boosting the viability of San Diego’s proposed stadium with Brown’s certification on Wednesday could help sway the owners toward keeping the Chargers here.


A spokesman for Brown said the Legislature’s joint budget committee must vote on the certification within 30 days — well before the league’s owners are expected to make franchise relocation decisions in January.

However, an agreement on stadium financing would need to be reached with the Chargers for the project to be built. And a proposed financing plan released by Faulconer in August would require approval by city voters.

The expedited environmental approval is allowed under a 2011 state law known as Assembly Bill 900, which other cities in California have used for stadium projects.

Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, a former San Diego City councilwoman, helped San Diego get the certification, a spokesman for Faulconer said.


The proposed stadium would be built next to aging Qualcomm Stadium on the same 166-acre parcel.