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Could development drive Angels from Anaheim?

Proposed Angel Stadium development

With a Chinese investor pitching a $450-million development next to Angel Stadium and the Angels clearly not wanting to continue the status quo, the future of the team in Anaheim is once again in play.

LT Global Investment Inc. is pitching a 14-acre development next to the home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that would feature a 26-story hotel, a 28-story condo town, theater, indoor surfing park and restaurants. In theory, this would be the first part of a development that would see the area around the ballpark and Honda Center transformed into a high-density downtown area. Light rail now serves the area, and with the city targeting the so-called “Platinum Triangle” for future growth, the project is being seen favorably by some Anaheim officials, including Mayor Tom Tait.

And while LT Global Investment owns most of the land needed for the development, the Angels would need to give up additional parking to make this plan work. That’s not sitting well with Angels officials, who have pitched Anaheim on their own development plan, offering to renovate and upgrade Angel Stadium in exchange for development rights within the Platinum Triangle. Those talks stalled and the Angels turned to Tustin to begin negotiations for a new ballpark.

But all of these talks seem to have stalled, but they should be back: the team has an option to leave Angel Stadium between 2016 and 2019, and planning needs to begin now for a 2018 or 2019 ballpark opening. With a new negotiator for Anaheim coming on board, talks about the future of the Angels in Anaheim should begin — and one way or another the future of the franchise will be decided.

RELATED STORIES: Angels end Anaheim talks; Tustin taking up ballpark talk; Critic: Angel Stadium economic impact based on faulty data; City-commissioned appraisal of of Angel Stadium to be released; No public money for new Angels ballpark: Tustin mayor; Moreno: Angels committed to Anaheim, but checking out alternatives; Angels lease negotiations hinge on value of land surrounding ballparkAngels casually threaten move during lease negotiations

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