York: With new CBA, 49ers look to finance stadium

July 26, 2011MAIOCCO ARCHIVE
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Matt MaioccoCSNBayArea.com
SANTA CLARA -- The stability that comes with a 10-year labor agreement bodes well for the 49ers' efforts to build a new stadium, team president Jed York said Tuesday.And the NFL's newly implemented stadium investment credit, which York said can accommodate several different construction projects in the coming years, doesn't hurt, either.The 49ers have focused all their effort toward building a 987 million stadium in Santa Clara, which received voter approval in June 2010. The 49ers have sold a reported 138 million in luxury boxes.Once the 49ers have the financing for the stadium, construction can begin. York said the target dates did not change during the NFL work stoppage. The 49ers plan to begin construction in 2013 in order to get the stadium ready for the 2015 season.
"With a 10-year labor deal, it makes it so much easier to finance a building and so much easier to go out and talk to a sponsor," York said. "You know you're going to have 10 years of stability with the league."As part of the new CBA, clubs will receive credit for stadium investment and up to 1.5 percent of revenue each year."The 1.5 percent credit that's there, that'll be enough for several new stadium projects," York said.York explained that 75 percent of the private investment in a stadium would be allocated to the credit."When you're looking at the 49ers, where a significant amount of our investment in the new stadium is going to be through private funds, you'd have a large percentage going to that 1.5 percent credit," he said.He said the 49ers would not be in competition with other clubs -- including the Raiders -- to get their stadium built. York reiterated that the 49ers have spoken to the Raiders about a shared stadium. The Santa Clara plan that received voter approval can be a shared stadium."We've discussed it, but there's no plan," York said. "It's something we remain open to, but it's got to be the right deal for two teams and there's nothing anyone can do to force that to happen."Free-agent philosophy: The 49ers might have to spend some money to get up to the salary floor, but York said the 49ers' philosophy is to retain their own players before spending big money on free agents from other teams."My sense is Jim (Harbaugh) and Trent (Baalke) are going to figure out what's best for the team and I'm going to support them 100 percent," York said."Yeah, I think we're close. And I think that's one of the reasons Jim Harbaugh is our head coach."Medical committee: "It's amazing to me that we could have a 10-year deal that takes care of so many of the issues that existed with the league," York said. "Taking care of the players is a very important thing. My father (49ers chair John York) is part of the medical committee that's looking into a lot of those issues making sure we keep the players healthier and safer. . . . It took a while but we all gave a little bit and at the end of the day to have a 10-year agreement that allows the league to continue to flourish and get the players to be in a safer position, I think everybody's a winner."