The chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transit System says a potential downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers could face a lengthy delay.
In a letter sent to Adam Day of the city’s stadium task force, Paul Jablonski said the Imperial Avenue Division bus yard at 16th Street and Imperial Avenue in the East Village would need to be relocated in order to make room for a new downtown stadium.
The 7.75-acre yard is said to be a preferred location for a possible stadium in the East Village.
Jablonski said, “Moving an operation of (the Imperial Avenue Division’s) size is not a quick, easy or inexpensive endeavor. If the MTS Board, the Chargers and the City were able to come to an agreement to relocate (the division), the actual vacation of the property at 100 16th St. would take a considerable amount of time, anywhere from 5 to 7 years. The new site would need to be acquired and replacement facilities constructed before the (yard’s) operations could be moved.”
Jablonski also noted that a stadium in that location would cause stress on transportation services in and out of the area. He said moving thousands of fans in and out of the East Village area “would require infrastructure improvements to the Trolley system.”
— KUSI