California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bill allowing construction of stadium

While a dozen protesters from Walnut and other nearby communities were holding signs saying “No Stadium” across the street, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who may like wearing NFL jersey to watch NFL games,  was speaking on the edge of the hilly 600-acre site where a 75,000-seat stadium will be built. He said that he has signed a bill allowing the construction of the Stadium, which the developers hope will lure an NFL team back to the Los Angeles area.

The bill Schwarzenegger signed thus nullifies a lawsuit filed by residents in nearby Walnut over the project’s environmental impact. In Schwarzenegger’s words, “This is the best kind of action state government can create—action that cuts red tape, generates jobs, is environmentally friendly and brings a continued economic boost to California.”

The stadium is planned by developer Majestic Realty Co., which helped develop Staples Center, the downtown Los Angeles home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers and the NHL’s Kings. Majestic chief executive Ed Roski, a billionaire, has vowed that his company will build the stadium without any public support except for the $150 million bond measure by Industry to pay for infrastructure improvements. And the developers have planned to repay that money through ticket sales and parking fees.