Anaheim is facing uncertainty regarding who will bear the cost of any necessary repairs to Angel Stadium as the Angels baseball team transitions to new ownership. The expected sale of the team from current owner Arte Moreno to Stan Kroenke, owner of the LA Rams, coincides with the anticipated completion of a comprehensive stadium condition assessment by the end of the year.
The timing of both the ownership change and the assessment’s conclusion is prompting questions among residents and officials alike, particularly concerning financial responsibility for the stadium, a significant asset for Anaheim taxpayers. City officials, as well as spokespeople for both the Angels and Kroenke, have not provided direct answers regarding who will be accountable for repairs.
The announcement of Moreno’s sale of the team to Kroenke came at the start of this month. This development follows roughly four years after a previous group of Anaheim City Council members first attempted to ascertain the stadium’s condition, an effort that stalled in the wake of a corruption scandal that scuttled a prior deal to sell the stadium to Moreno.
While city officials stated in 2023 that the stadium assessment would take approximately two months, they now report it is proceeding in phases and is expected to conclude by the close of the year – before the Angels team sale is finalized. The current reinstated stadium lease mandates that the Angels are responsible for maintaining the property at a "first class professional level," a stipulation that City Attorney Rob Fabela has previously affirmed means the team is liable for repairs.
State Senator Tom Umberg, who successfully pushed for an audit of the Angel Stadium lease, believes that Moreno and Kroenke will address the repair costs in their ongoing negotiations. He expressed hope that the stadium will indeed be sold, ensuring that "someone else, other than the taxpayers, will be responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, and operation of the stadium." State Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, who joined Umberg in calling for the audit, did not respond to requests for comment.
The audit, completed concurrently with the property assessment, revealed that the existing lease severely restricts the revenue Anaheim generates from the stadium. It also highlighted that the lease's unclear terms have hindered city officials' ability to verify proper property maintenance. Furthermore, auditors noted an unresolved financial dispute between city leaders and Angels executives, involving tens of millions of dollars for repairs, with the ballclub claiming the city will owe them for excess spending once the lease concludes, a claim city leaders dispute.
A spokesperson for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Joanna Hunter, declined to comment on whether Kroenke or Moreno would pay for any repairs, or if Kroenke agreed to the purchase without knowledge of the stadium’s condition. An Angels spokesperson similarly refrained from direct comment on repair payments but stated that the lease is tied to the team regardless of the owner, as was the case when they inherited it from Disney. The spokesperson also asserted that the team has previously exceeded lease requirements for maintenance and improvements under Moreno’s ownership.
City Spokesman Mike Lyster indicated that the lease has not yet been reassigned, as the proposed acquisition requires review by the acquirer and Major League Baseball approval, which is anticipated to take several months. Lyster added that it is "premature to speculate" on the matter. Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and other city council members did not respond to requests for comment last week. Mayor Aitken has previously criticized the current lease, stating that it would remain in effect if the deal is approved.
Beyond repairs, the future of the stadium and its surrounding 150 acres is also a topic of discussion. Orange County Register business columnist Johnathan Lanser speculated that Kroenke might opt to demolish the existing stadium to construct a new one and redevelop the extensive parking lots. Lanser pointed to the advantages of modern stadiums, including luxury amenities, and suggested the current physical location of Angel Stadium no longer serves its best purpose. A spokesperson for Kroenke told Forbes earlier this month that while immediate redevelopment is not planned, it remains a future possibility.
Senator Umberg also stated that if the stadium is not sold, city officials should renegotiate the lease with Kroenke once he assumes ownership, emphasizing that the current lease is unfair to Anaheim taxpayers. He believes that the rent and upkeep of the stadium should reflect the best interests of Anaheim citizens if the Angels remain in their current home.
