By Helen Jeong
When the Anschutz Entertainment Group wished to improve the infrastructure and facilities near the aging Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2005, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made it known that he supported the five-year plan.
He wore a “Coliseum 2010” T-shirt and rallied for the entertainment giant — owners of the Staples Center and the adjoining LA Live entertainment complex – to convince the Los Angeles City Council to approve a bill to spend $25 million on improvements around the venerable Coliseum, home of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games.
Fast forward to 2011. The outgoing mayor is still on AEG’s side in an attempt to expand its empire and build a new football stadium across the street from Staples and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The plan has triggered a debate over whether the city really needs a football stadium. Continue