Although Mayor Rocky Anderson said Tuesday that his office remains focused on Block 22 at Main Street and 600 South, he conceded the 10-acre tract is "creating some major obstacles for us financially."

"I don't think we can afford $20 million," said Anderson, who is trying to keep the price at $15 million or lower. "We've talked about whether we ought to go look at some other [site] if this doesn't work out. You always want to have a contingency plan."

It's unclear what this latest twist means to Real Salt Lake (RSL) as the team weighs whether to build a stadium in Utah's capital or suburban Murray.

Team CEO Dean Howes said "several" of the other sites Salt Lake City initially presented before settling on Block 22 would be acceptable.

City officials have said those locations were mainly west of The Gateway - the exact sites were not disclosed - and were cheaper than downtown's Block 22.

"If the City Council chooses to look elsewhere in the city," Howes said, "obviously our interest will either go down or stay the same depending on the location of those other alternative land sites."

Howes said RSL will continue to be flexible on when it will make a decision about the stadium.

"We would still like to have this thing move as quickly as possible. We're more than happy to be patient until they've worked out some of those details."

Salt Lake City west-siders are circulating a petition opposing the Block 22 stadium plan.

"It's not against soccer or the team," Councilman Van Turner said. "It's just too much money and in the wrong location."

Turner said many of his constituents would favor a stadium in their area, perhaps west of Redwood Road. "They would like to see it moved to the west side and maybe used for some west-side development."

But RSL has said it would like the stadium to be near transit. The proposed Murray site is within walking distance of the TRAX station at 4400 South, but it also may present complications.

Murray's plan is vague at best. The city is eyeing a 10-acre tract for the stadium to be part of a 99-acre Redevelopment Agency project complete with housing, shops and offices.

That RDA has yet to be completed, leaving Murray with little to promise RSL. The city doesn't know how much tax money will be available to improve the area.

"We are still up in the air," said Jan Wells, the Murray mayor's chief of staff.

Mayor Dan Snarr has said Murray, like Salt Lake City, could tap RDA funding to buy 10 acres for the team. That would be up to the City Council and Snarr has not committed any funding, Wells said.

RSL also is waiting on Salt Lake City Council members to say if they are willing to buy Block 22. The $20 million price tag would hamper the city's ability to build housing and limit downtown redevelopment projects. Some council members are only willing to spend $10 million.

Hotel owner Earl Holding owns most of the block, but the biggest hurdle is the expense of the Mark Miller Toyota property, Anderson said.

Mark Miller leases land from Virginia-based Capital Automotive REIT, a publicly traded finance company that specializes in automotive retail real estate. The city would have to relocate the dealership and buy additional property used by Mark Miller just south of Block 22.

Last week, the mayor told the council to delay a Block 22 vote to give him time to decide if the site is feasible, something he is still investigating.

Councilwoman Nancy Saxton - who initially suggested Block 22 - said Anderson should have explored leasing Holding's property and buying the rest, which would reduce the price.

"Our directive was to look at leasing part of the land and the mayor didn't do that," Saxton said, adding that bringing up leasing now may scuttle the deal. "That could be intentional. I have no idea."

hmay@sltrib.com

jsantini@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Lori Buttars contributed to this story.