It’s the beginning of the game, and Ed Roski Jr. is hoping to catch the kickoff now that the environmental impact report for his proposed City of Industry stadium has been released for public review.
Another football season is under way without a National Football League team in Los Angeles, and the review process could take months. Roski would like approvals by January, when team owners meet after the regular season ends. He hopes to lure a franchise to his planned $800 million, 75,000-seat stadium.
Roski and his City of Industry-based Majestic Realty Co. released the 800-page supplemental environmental impact report on stadium construction on an undeveloped 592-acre parcel. Roski won approvals in 2004 for an office, industrial and retail complex on the site.
The EIR was released Sept. 3 and is under a 45-day public review period.
Traffic is a major issue. The report makes suggestions as to how traffic flow can be improved by adding lanes on many of the surrounding streets.
The report shows that the stadium is expected to be filled to capacity approximately 10 days a year, mostly on Sundays, compared with a built-out office complex that would be in use 260 days a year. The stadium plan means that the office component of the project will have almost 2 million square feet less than was approved.
In comparison to three other football stadium proposals for the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the parking lot at Angels Stadium, the City of Industry site is a bigger plot of land, and has the space to include parking, practice areas, entertainment and the stadium.
Once the supplemental EIR has been completed and all comments have been addressed by the City of Industry Planning Department, a final version will be distributed to all those who submitted comments. The City Council will then hold a public hearing.
The City Council may approve the report or call for changes or additional studies.
Business Golf
When Forrest Blake was a commercial real estate broker for Cresa Partners in the 1990s, he closed nearly $100 million a year in transactions. The secret to his success, Blake said, was getting his clients on the golf course.
“I did hundreds of millions of dollars of deals through golf,” Blake says.
Now, Blake has switched course to focus on golf lessons. But in addition to teaching the right putting stance, he teaches the right business development techniques. He is owner of eight Golftec schools in Southern California, with six in Los Angeles County. The stores employ golf pros and offer high-tech golf lessons to individuals. Last week, he launched his “business golf” program. He offers tips on how to interact with clients or employees on the golf course.
“Talking about business on the first hole is a typical mistake. You need to let the client set that tone,” Blake said. “Your job is to develop a relationship, not set the agenda.”
Other tips include asking the client if he wants to drive the cart, making a ceremonial toast at the end of the day and asking the client to invite other people for another round next week. That adds a networking component to the experience.
In addition, Blake’s stores can host corporate events where companies can entertain clients and employees.
Blake’s Golftec locations have 7,000
students registered for lessons. He is looking for investors and would eventually like to spread out over the entire Southern California territory.
“My goal is to expand to 20 stores in Southern California within the next few years,” Blake said. He will either open new stores or acquire existing locations in West L.A., Orange County and San Diego.
Trojan Network
University of Southern California was the first university to make a deal with Onedegree, a new social and professional networking Web site that connects students, alumni and fans. Onedegree launched Aug. 28 and partnered with USC Athletic Department’s official tailgate party for its kickoff event at USC’s first football home game of the year, against Ohio State University.
The site had signed up 1,349 users
before the game and about that many the following week. The company plans to increase its presence at the official tailgate party before the USC-Notre Dame matchup on Nov. 29.
Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 236.
