Now Sports Capital Partners, owner of the Real Salt Lake team, just has to buy all the land.
The company owns more than 40 acres at the proposed stadium site, including 7.5 acres of the piece that was rezoned Tuesday, according to Sandy's Community Development Department.
But some land at the site, including the remainder of the rezoned 12.6-acre parcel - now zoned "regional commercial" - is still held by homeowners.
"My mom does not want to sell [her home], and we don't want her to be kicked off the property," Merridy Bagley said after the meeting. Her 80-year-old mother owns 1.5 acres on the site, she said.
Bagley said Sports Capital Partners offered the family a pittance for the property several months ago, and the family refused. But Bagley said the family might be willing to sell if the stadium-builders come back with a higher offer.
Joe Scovel, a real estate agent representing two commercial land owners in the area, concurred.
"They're talking about a 600- 700- 800-million dollar deal," Scovel said in an interview. "Some of that has to go to the property owners. [The land] is not going to be given up for free."
The stadium is expected to cost $100 million to build, but additional commercial development is planned for the area.
The zoning change, described by Sports Capital Partners representative Tim Soffe as a "housekeeping matter," received few public comments during the hearing.
Gillian Openshaw, who lives in a subdivision that neighbors the stadium site, worried about the safety of school children during construction. She asked when construction would begin.
"I would like that answered because we [the City Council] don't know," Councilmember Scott Cowdell said after the meeting.
A site plan for the soccer stadium has yet to be approved by the city. At the meeting, a member of Sandy's planning staff said the site plan will be submitted next week. It could be approved by the Planning Commission in early January.
"The site-plan review process will be very public," Councilman Dennis Tenney said before voting for the zoning change. "There will be lots of opportunities for public input."
rwinters@sltrib.com
