St. Louis Ram’s owner Stan Kroenke wants to build a new stadium for his NFL team. In Inglewood, California. Kroenke is working with Stockbridge Capital Group on a 300-acre mixed-use development in Inglewood, just east of Los Angeles International Airport that would include an 80,000 seat stadium.

Kroenke has been trying to get the city of St. Louis to build a replacement for the aging (opened in 1995!) Edward Jones Dome. Under their contract, the Rams can exit after 20 years if they cannot come to an agreement with the city on improvements to the facility. News reports say the sides are about $575 million apart on the money for those upgrades.

While Kroenke seems intent of pursuing the arduous process of building a new stadium in California and getting NFL approval to move, St. Louis hasn’t given up. Anheuser-Busch executive Dave Peacock and attorney Bob Blitz were appointed to a task force by Gov. Jay Nixon to put together a new stadium plan for St. Louis.

The open-air stadium would be located along the Mississippi River and hold 64,000 for football games including 7,500 club seats, slightly under the 66,000 capacity of Edward Jones Dome. The cost was estimated at $860-$900 million.

From architect HOK’s website:

HOK and 360 Architecture’s plan re-engages St. Louis as a city linked to the Mississippi River, while simultaneously reaching out to the heart of downtown. This approach proposes bridging I-44 to keep the Edward Jones Dome as a vital piece of the new district, while extending connections to the currently expanding Great Rivers Greenway network and CityArchRiver grounds development along the river.

This connection of open spaces spans into the river, allowing for the game-day experience to extend in every possible manner along the riverside trail. Adjacent opportunities allow for potential retail and mixed-use developments around the stadium, enabling growth and the continued revitalization of downtown St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, there would be substantial demolitions necessary to accommodate the stadium and the numerous parking lots and ramps being proposed:

Peacock said the plan would eradicate blight and turn the area into a crown jewel. Thirty-three buildings are in the project area, and a majority are vacant, he said. The city owns one-fourth of the land. The plan preserves the 1902 Power and Light Building.

Redevelopment of this area is imperative for the health of the St. Louis community, he said.

Recent comments from the Bills organization and Delaware North executives lead many to believe that the Cobblestone District is the preferred choice for a new Bills stadium. Let’s hope they don’t bring the St. Louis model to downtown Buffalo.