Outgoing Mayor Rocky Anderson spelled out a new proposal from RSL in an e-mail he sent to new Mayor Ralph Becker and the City Council. Voters approved a $15.3 million bond for the project in northwest Salt Lake City in 2003. RSL threw in an additional $7.5 million last June, but the project remains crippled by spiraling construction costs.

With the current funding, plans for the 20-field park have been reduced to 11 soccer fields, one championship soccer field with a 7,500-seat stadium and no baseball diamonds.

But, Anderson wrote in his e-mail, RSL has offered to kick in $15 million so the city can buy additional land, boosting the complex to 19 soccer fields, the championship field and four baseball diamonds.

In return, the team would get to build its elite soccer academy on some of the land, handle operation and maintenance of the city's sports complex and receive revenue from concessions, naming rights and parking. The franchise also would "assume all risk" for construction-cost overruns.

"The city ought to grab that [offer] in a heartbeat. . . . We'd have more fields, more public access and greater economic-development potential if we could work this deal out," Anderson said Monday after watching Becker be sworn in as mayor. "I just wanted [Becker's administration] to know there had been these discussions."

RSL spokesman Eric Gelfand confirmed Monday that team owner Dave Checketts had told Anderson the team could put another $15 million into the sports park to get it done.

"It is among many options that were discussed," said Gelfand, who wouldn't say where RSL would get that money. "It never got to the point where a document was signed."

Now the proposal rests with Becker, he noted.

"We don't know where he is on the project," Gelfand said. "We would be more than happy to sit down with the new mayor and his administration when they feel it is appropriate."

Becker said Monday he needs to learn more about the proposal and expressed willingness to meet with RSL.

"As a city, we would welcome additional contributions to be able to help us build that facility," he said. "I'm going to be very interested in learning an awful lot more about the status of the project [and] what makes sense moving forward."

RSL expects to complete its 20,000-seat stadium in Sandy this October. Last year, the Legislature funneled $35 million of Salt Lake County hotel taxes to the $110 million project. Building an elite soccer academy in Utah - a facility that would train athletes from around the world - is a condition of those public funds.

rwinters@sltrib.com

Rocky offers abundant advice

In his e-mail, former Mayor Rocky Anderson also recommended that Salt Lake City's new mayor and City Council:

* Use surplus real-estate funds and a new sales-tax bond to fill a funding gap to transform the old Main Library into The Leonardo, an arts and science center.

* Implement a long-range plan to make over Pioneer Park.

* Continue the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival.

* Support the city's restorative-justice programs.

* Consider a commuter tax and a citywide fire-protection district to fund new public-safety facilities.

* Work with the Mayor's Coalition on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs to create a research-based, anti-drug program for city schools instead of restoring DARE, which Anderson eliminated.