US EditionCalifornia auditors: Anaheim doesn’t know condition of Angel Stadium, might need hundreds of millions in work
- On Thursday, State Auditor Grant Parks released a review, requested in August by Sen. Tom Umberg and Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, criticizing Anaheim's lease agreement with the Angels for Angel Stadium, citing a lack of access for inspections and unfavorable revenue-sharing terms compared to other stadiums.
- The audit was prompted by concerns that the Angels, under a lease that started nearly 30 years ago, were not fulfilling their maintenance and revenue-sharing obligations for the city-owned stadium, especially in light of a canceled $320 million stadium sale deal in 2023 and former Mayor Harry Sidhu's guilty plea to federal corruption charges related to the deal.
- The audit found no violations of the lease agreement, but highlighted that the city has not been able to ensure the stadium is properly maintained and has only netted $415,000 from the stadium in nearly 30 years, excluding the $76 million rent paid in 1997 that was later returned for renovations and an additional $20 million contributed by the city.
- Umberg expressed outrage over the prohibition on inspections in the lease agreement, stating, "One of the most stunning is the prohibition on inspections, which I think is outrageous," while Angels owner Arte Moreno has said, "I'm not going to put $200 or $300 million into a stadium that a city owns without any of their participation," noting the team spends $5 to $7 million annually on the stadium.
- The audit recommends that future lease agreements include clear language regarding the city's right to inspect the property, mandate periodic third-party inspections, better delineate maintenance responsibilities, and require rent throughout the lease term, which currently extends to 2032 with options to extend through 2038, as the city currently does not know the physical condition of the nearly 60-year-old stadium.
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California auditors: Anaheim doesn’t know condition of Angel Stadium, might need hundreds of millions in work
The California State Auditor says Anaheim has not been able to ensure that Angel Stadium is properly maintained and that future agreements with the Angels should better specify maintenance responsibilities and inspection requirements for the aging stadium. The audit, requested by two state lawmakers who said they had “deep concern” that the Angels haven’t been living up to their end of the agreement, asked the California State Auditor’s office t…
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