Real Salt Lake is deciding between downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy as the permanent home for the Major League Soccer team.

On Wednesday, RSL owner Dave Checketts publicly ruled out the Utah State Fairpark and Murray as possible stadium locations.

While the team had hoped to have announced a site by now, Checketts said Wednesday it could take him another month to decide. And he backed away from the team's initial plan to seek taxpayer money to pay half the $60 million to $65 million construction tab, though the team will continue to seek public help in buying the land.

"It's premature to say it won't require some public assistance," Checketts said in an interview from New York. "I don't want to go to an election [to bond for the stadium]. I don't want anyone to think I'm reaching into the public pockets. That's not my intention. I never have formally asked for public taxpayer dollars. I don't plan on it."

Checketts cited the Delta Center as a model, in which Salt Lake City paid $24 million for the land and surrounding improvements and Larry Miller built the $74 million basketball arena for the Utah Jazz.

Sandy's stadium site is at 9400 South near the South Towne Expo Center. Checketts said he is looking at several sites in downtown Salt Lake City, mainly on the south and west ends.

"It's more of a downtown versus Sandy decision," Checketts said. "It really is complicated. The good news is that the team has had tremendous support. Attendance-wise, we're No. 2 in the league [with an average of 18,932 over 13 home games]. We have proved to everybody that this is a team that will be supported. I feel more confident than ever about getting a stadium done. I have to continue to figure out where we're going to get the political support for doing it and what site works best."

The Republican-dominated Legislature may need to help the chosen city secure money for the land. That has made Sandy appear the betting favorite because its GOP mayor, Tom Dolan, is popular among Republican lawmakers, while Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, a Democrat, isn't. Plus, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, helped devise the Sandy plan.

Dolan and Real CEO Dean Howes have been spotted together at high-profile events: Howes attended Dolan's news conference in which the mayor announced he was running for re-election. On Wednesday, the two played in the same group at the Envirocare Utah Classic ProAm golf tournament at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy.

But Checketts said the decision is more complicated than which mayor has the best political connections. "We had about 50 factors. Political support is one of them. It's near the top."

Checketts, who grew up in Salt Lake City, has long favored a downtown location in Utah's capital, and studies of the four major sports leagues have shown downtown venues have a better chance at improving nearby neighborhoods and drawing fans than suburban ones do.

Dolan is impatient for a decision. He maintains one must be made by Oct. 1 to start preparation work for the Legislature, which starts in January. He spoke to Checketts last Friday. "I thought there would be answers. He was very polite, very nice. He just didn't give me an answer."

Anderson declined to comment Wednesday. He came up with the Fairpark plan, though he too prefers a downtown site.

Public momentum was behind the Fairpark. No taxpayer money would have been required to buy the land, since it already is owned by the state. A June poll for The Salt Lake Tribune found the most support for the Fairpark at 31.5 percent. The City Council unanimously backed the plan. And some Republican lawmakers - who would have had to approve a Fairpark stadium - were warm to the idea.

But the soccer team always was lukewarm. "Fairpark is definitely out of the mix," Checketts said.

He said the team's goal is to build a stadium surrounded by new development. That couldn't happen easily at the Fairpark, where the stadium would sit in the middle of 65 acres of state land.

As for Murray, Checketts said, "Frankly, we haven't heard much from Murray. They haven't been as aggressive as Salt Lake City and Sandy have been."

Murray Mayor Dan Snarr said he didn't know his city was out of the running. He called the decision "shortsighted."

He said the Murray site, at 4400 South near a light-rail stop, has the "five golden threes." The stadium would be less than three minutes from Interstate 15 ramps; it would be near three freeways; it would be three minutes from a TRAX stop and a light-rail transfer point; and it would take less than three minutes to transfer an injured player to Murray's new IHC medical campus.

But Murray wouldn't be willing to pay for land for the team, Snarr said. The private owner is willing to sell 15 acres for $3 million, he noted, and the city would clean up the contaminated soil.

"I don't have freebies, but we sure have the best location," Snarr said. "I'm going to call Dave [Checketts] right now."

hmay@sltrib.com

Where in downtown Salt Lake City?

* Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts said he is looking at several sites for a permanent soccer stadium.

* The spots include blocks west of The Gateway; land near the proposed Living Planet Aquarium at 336 S. 500 West; the block at 600 South and Main Street owned by Earl Holding; and the block at 400 West and 500 South, which is owned by the Newspaper Agency Corp., the company responsible for printing, advertising and distributing The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News.

* The team had approached the LDS Church, downtown's largest landowner, about six months ago. "Nothing that suited their needs was available," said church spokesman Dale Bills.

What about Rice-Eccles Stadium?

* At least one state lawmaker and one member of the Salt Lake County Council want the soccer team to remain at the University of Utah football stadium beyond the 2006 season.

* RSL owner Dave Checketts said the team may extend the lease, but only if a stadium cannot be built by 2007. "We're not going to stay there any longer than we have to. It's a difficult place for us, it really is."