Rams Owner Plans NFL Stadium in Los Angeles County

The owner of the St. Louis Rams plans to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles County, boosting the chances that pro football could return to the region, according to a newspaper report.

Stan Kroenke has partnered with Stockbridge Capital Group, owners of the 238-acre Hollywood Park site in Inglewood, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday ( http://lat.ms/1BA13Ye ).

Kroenke and Stockbridge say they plan to add an 80,000-seat NFL stadium and 6,000-seat performance venue to a massive development of retail, office, hotel and residential space.

It is the latest of numerous Los Angeles-area NFL stadium proposals over two decades. But Kroenke's move marks the first time an existing team owner has controlled a local site large enough for a stadium and parking, according to the Times.

The plan will add to pressure on St. Louis to either strike a deal for a new stadium or watch the team return to Southern California, where it played from 1946 to 1994.

The Rams can choose later this month to convert to a year-to-year lease in St. Louis. The team declined to comment on any plans to move, but it's no secret that the team is unhappy in the Edward Jones Dome, which is outdated by current NFL standards. St. Louis is expected to offer the team a new proposal by the end of the month.

The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are similarly unhappy in old stadiums that don't offer updated amenities.

The earliest any team could move would be 2016.