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Moments after a surreal stadium celebration Thursday outside Utah's Capitol - as political adversaries donned Real Salt Lake scarves to shake hands with soccer players in a receiving line - the congratulations echoed.
Among them: plaudits from a construction company executive who told a gracious and grateful Dave Checketts, the RSL owner, "now we know what we can do with the steel."
It marked a concrete finality to a two-year stadium odyssey that roiled fan emotions, whipsawed the public and rocked Utah's political establishment.
Despite it all, plans to build a $110 million Sandy stadium, which several times seemed doomed, had survived.
"This has come at a great, great cost, but what a blessed event this is," Checketts announced. "We can say, once and for all, that Real Salt Lake is a permanent part of this community."
Checketts praised a host of state leaders, especially Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., whose "strength and poise" made all the difference for the franchise's fate.
"Real Salt Lake is here to stay," Huntsman told the energetic crowd.
The decision means St. Louis remains on the march for a Major League Soccer team. Checketts thanked investors there for showing vision and making a "credible" purchase offer. He also insisted the potential Midwest move was real, not posturing to pressure Utah officials.
By midday Thursday, during a springlike afternoon, the Utah House gave birth to public funding that was killed last week by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, who declared using tax money for the stadium project an "unsafe investment." The vote, which had critical bipartisan support, was 48-24-3.
The deal provides $35 million in hotel taxes for land, parking and infrastructure for the 20,000-seat venue, expected to open in summer 2008 near 9400 S. State St. Sandy already has committed another $15 million toward an expanded project, which would include a hotel and broadcast center.
Under the plan, the state will own the stadium land, which many lawmakers pointed to as insurance for the public investment. But the move also has legislative critics, including several who panned it as "corporate welfare."
"This is worthy of our support, but it comes with a lot of trepidation because our public has not been with us," said Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake City.
Thursday's vote followed 45 minutes of debate on the House floor, where most lawmakers lauded the benefits of the stadium-funding bill. Still, Democrats complained they were duped by HB38, which started as a parking bill before it was amended.
Just before the vote, Huntsman visited the Republican and Democratic caucuses to lobby legislators to approve the measure. "We have an opportunity here to really capture the imagination of the nation and really the whole world with what Real will bring," he said.
But when the time came to vote, the bill's original sponsor, Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan, abstained, saying afterward she was inclined to vote no because she was not that excited about soccer.
Support for the RSL deal solidified once Huntsman assured lawmakers that key terms of a previous accord with the county would remain intact. For instance: The team will provide $7.5 million in funding for a youth sports complex in northwest Salt Lake City, along with an elite sports academy.
Senate President John Valentine said state leaders want, in writing, assurances that the team will remain in Utah for at least 10 years, which team officials pledged to provide.
"To me, [the deal] isn't a great risk," said Huntsman, who noted it has been "vetted and scrutinized unlike any other public-private partnership anywhere in the country."
But it was that review that led Corroon to reject the stadium deal, calling it too risky. The county mayor said he understood the funding was a priority for the state and agreed it ultimately will benefit Utahns. He also pledged his support, adding he will attend games.
"I hope that now that the state's done what it's done, Real will stay in Utah and live up to their commitments," Corroon said.
Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan said that in years to come, "we'll look back and see that it was visionary. . . . This will give more airtime to the state than any other thing we can do."
Dolan conceded there could be downsides: "The team will leave, the team will fail," he said. But "contracts will include penalties."
Rocky Anderson's alternative proposal for a stadium at the state fairpark lost in Thursday's action, but Salt Lake City's mayor was nevertheless "thrilled to keep MLS in the county."
That doesn't mean Anderson approves of the process.
The mayor, draped in an RSL scarf, said unnamed individuals "told untruths" that the fairpark wasn't a viable option, which may have steered some lawmakers to cast votes for Sandy. And he spoke of "a lot of intimidation" to get the Sandy deal done.
For his part, an "exhausted" Checketts seemed relieved to be done with politics. He thanked the "amazing" RSL fans for keeping him going and harked back to author Thomas Paine to sum up the stadium struggle.
"That which we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly."
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* DEREK P. JENSEN can be contacted at djensen@sltrib.com or 801-257-8785.
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* HEATHER MAY, ROSEMARY WINTERS and MATT CANHAM contributed to this story.
Stadium events
Team wins its debut game in April 2005 before 25,000-plus fans.
RSL owner Dave Checketts picks Sandy in October 2005 as stadium site.
Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan declares the stadium dream "dead" after County Council rejects a plan in July. Team says its future is in "jeopardy."
With superstar David Beckham manning a shovel, RSL breaks ground on Sandy stadium in August, thanks to tentative accord with the county.
County Council endorses the nascent stadium deal three days later.
Sandy stadium plan starts to unravel last month as a key county committee recommends against it.
County Mayor Peter Corroon buries county's deal Jan. 29, saying it's too "risky." Checketts threatens to sell team. St. Louis group later makes an offer.
Led by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., the Legislature gives final approval Thursday to a funding package for a Sandy stadium. Checketts says, "once and for all," the team is a "permanent" Utah fixture.