No question, downtown cheerleaders still want the stadium in their backyard. But some figure the valley is big enough to support downtown and 136 suburban acres for a Real city. And, perhaps with some arrogance, they are adamant it poses no threat to what they see as the "real" downtown.

"It's an honor that everybody wants to duplicate what we have down here," said Vasilios Priskos, chairman of the Downtown Merchants Association and owner of the real estate brokerage firm Internet Properties. "What I don't understand is why we're using [hotel taxes] to build infrastructure in Sandy when we already have infrastructure downtown. Why not use half that money and buy a block downtown [for the stadium] and get it over with and put it where it belongs?"

Sandy unveiled its development plans - dubbed "Gateway times two" - surrounding a Real Salt Lake soccer stadium last week as part of a pitch to gain $35 million from Salt Lake County's hotel taxes. That pot of money, along with $10 million from Sandy's Redevelopment Agency, would pay for land and infrastructure on about a third of the site for the stadium, parking and a hotel.

Worried about the original Gateway and the rest of downtown, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson characterized Sandy's plan as "raping and pillaging." He said it threatens the $1.5 billion of investment planned or under way in his city.

"It would be very destructive to everything being planned for downtown," said Anderson, who made the same argument in 2000 against a Salt Lake City project when a developer wanted to build a mega-mall west of the airport. A study showed 90 percent of the sales at that mall would be "cannibalized" from other retailers, and Anderson sees a similar problem with Sandy's strategy. "All you're doing is moving limited retail dollars around," he said.

Anderson is backed by the Utah Taxpayers Association, which maintains retail hubs simply move money from one city to another.

"Cities need to stop doing this," said Mike Jerman, the association's vice president.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, downtown's largest landowner, won't discuss how the suburban development would affect its own $1 billion redevelopment plan to add housing and upscale retail when it makes over the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza blocks.

The Downtown Alliance doesn't fear the Sandy development. But it has sent a letter to the county urging it to use the tax to aid downtown - where most of the hotel tax is generated.

It wants the money to bolster the Salt Palace, bankroll a Broadway theater and boost downtown as a tourist destination. And it doesn't want to see the hotel money subsidize private ventures around the soccer stadium.

"As much as I'm an advocate having these things downtown, if it's Sandy's money and if it's on their nickel, there's nothing to stop them from doing it," alliance Executive Director Bob Farrington said. "But when they start taking money from downtown to finance it, that's when it becomes other people's issues."

For its part, Sandy insists there is no competition with downtown. Mayor Tom Dolan downplays the retail portion of the project and emphasizes instead the office, housing and restaurants.

"I don't see major retail. We have the South Towne [Center] mall," Dolan said. With the Wasatch Front set to add more than 1 million people by 2030, "there's plenty of things that can be built."

Brenda Case Scheer, dean of the University of Utah's College of Architecture and Planning, also doesn't see the Sandy threat.

She said the suburb won't have the 20-plus-story buildings, the transportation choices, the headquarters of the LDS Church that the capital has. "Downtown is much, much stronger than getting destroyed by a little village 20 miles away."

Bruce Bingham, whose Hamilton Partners is building a $100 million office tower on Main Street, figures the redevelopment in Sandy will happen without the stadium because of growth. At the same time, he argues a Salt Lake City stadium would jump-start downtrodden parts of downtown.

"I'm not sure Sandy would benefit as significantly as downtown. The mayor [Anderson] was right on one thing: This is a politically charged situation. I'm not sure logic and wisdom will prevail."

The Salt Lake Chamber is touting its Downtown Rising initiative to strengthen the urban core - but at the same time isn't opposing a Sandy stadium. The chamber also denies that growth in Sandy hurts downtown.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, a Sandy Republican who has helped ensure the stadium lands in his hometown, asked the chamber for its support for placing the stadium in the suburbs; the chamber complied.

"We're going to be doubling our population in the very near future. If you only have one central shopping area or business district, it doesn't work," Chamber President Lane Beattie said.

But Anderson said the chamber should stand up against the Sandy plan and blames politics for the silence.

"This is a decision this entire region will regret some day," the mayor said. "Everybody will be asking, 'Why wasn't it built where we already have the infrastructure?' ''

As for the developers of The Gateway, The Boyer Co. sees no harm. After all, Boyer is building a bigger, similar development in South Jordan - a 105-acre open mall called The District - along with Quarry Bend, a big-box, mixed-use development in Sandy at what was a gravel pit.

"Sandy is getting to be more in the center of the valley," said Kem Gardner, part owner of The Gateway. "I like the idea of the soccer stadium being out in Sandy. We've got a number of developments out that way. That can only help."

But he also may opt out on helping to develop the Sandy land. He has been approached by the suburb but isn't convinced the soccer stadium will be a big enough draw to support other developments.

And he predicts it will be difficult to find major anchors because the south valley already boasts other entertainment and retail hubs, including Jordan Commons (near the proposed stadium) and Jordan Landing (in West Jordan). Still, Dolan said three investment firms are interested.

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, who has an extensive background in housing and smart growth, also doesn't buy the notion - championed by Sandy leaders and RSL - that a 20,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium would be an economic driver for showy retail in its shadow.

But while he believes retail is a "zero-sum game," he said the Wasatch Front is large enough to support downtown and vibrant suburbs.

"We need to remember that Salt Lake City is our capital," Corroon said. "But we have enough room in our suburbs that we can create these urban lifestyles."

hmay@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporters Jacob Santini and Derek P. Jensen contributed to this story.

The proposal

136-acre development

$650 million in

private investment

3,500 jobs

$8 million in property taxes a year

$5 million in annual sales taxes