Rose Bowl shouldn't serve as a temporary NFL home, study says

Temporarily hosting an NFL team at the Rose Bowl could bring in millions of dollars but would distract officials from putting into place a long-term plan to boost revenues from the stadium and adjacent golf course, according to a new report.

The Urban Land Institute, a research group specializing in responsible land use, conducted a study of the Central Arroyo Seco complex and delivered its report to the Pasadena City Council in June. Last week, the council forwarded the report to its Economic Development and Technology Committee for review.

The institute made suggestions ranging from creating a new conservancy to oversee the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Club operations to launching a visitors' program that would include Rose Bowl tours.

As for hosting an NFL team?

“The panel recommends that the city not be swayed by the offer to temporarily host the National Football League,” the report states. “Such an effort would be detrimental to the ultimate goal of making the Central Arroyo Seco a sustainable part of the Pasadena community.”

City officials have been exploring the possibility of temporarily hosting a football team at the Rose Bowl while a permanent new NFL stadium is built in downtown Los Angeles or the city of Industry. Next month, Pasadena is expected to complete a study of the traffic, noise and economic impacts of hosting a team for up to three years.

Rose Bowl Operating Co. officials have said the earliest a team would play in Pasadena is the fall of 2013.

Meanwhile, the 90-year-old stadium is undergoing a $177-million renovation project, which faces a funding gap of $37.6 million.

Institute representatives interviewed 30 stakeholders, including city officials, representatives of neighborhood associations and business groups.

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Photo: Rose Bowl/Credit: Times Community News