NFL surveys Rams fans about potential new stadium in St. Louis

As two separate NFL stadium proposals in Los Angeles took steps forward Tuesday, in St. Louis, Rams fans were simply asked to fill out a questionnaire.

The NFL reportedly sent surveys to more than 185,000 people in the St. Louis area, asking for their opinions about a proposed 64,000-seat open-air stadium along the Mississippi riverfront, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The price tag on the new plan to replace the Rams’ aging home at the Edward Jones Dome could top out at $985 million, with Missouri taxpayers on the hook for 40% of the total cost.

“Our role is to assess the viability of a stadium,� NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “And inform how a stadium would be best built in a particular market.�

Survey recipients were asked to answer some 100 questions regarding their views on a variety of topics including stadium amenities and seating. The NFL performed a similar survey in October in Los Angeles, though the league reached out to only 2,000 potential respondents.

Since Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s Inglewood stadium aspirations -- a potential $1.86-billion, 80,000-seat venue at the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack -- came to light in January, the city of St. Louis has been playing defense.

In an effort to keep the Rams under its arch, the city revealed its own new stadium project just days after the Hollywood Park development project was announced.

And then, last week, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced local construction unions had agreed to forgo overtime pay during round-the-clock construction of the proposed stadium, a deal that could amount to a savings of $45 million.

Kroenke’s Inglewood plan and another joint venture by the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, a $1.7-billion, 68,000-seat stadium in Carson, are not expected to require public funding.

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