National Football League

Rams owner Stan Kroenke buys Los Angeles mall

Published May. 7, 2022 1:26 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke has purchased a vacant mall in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, leading to speculation that he is planning to build a new facility there.

Kroenke purchased the 34-acre lot for $150 million in March, but the identity of the buyer had been kept private until recently when Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield told the Los Angeles Daily News that Kroenke was indeed the new owner.

"We know that that (The Kroenke Group) have different interests and they might put a stadium there," Blumenfield told the Daily News. "But unless they come to the city to ask for changes of some sort, and we grant them, they still have to do all what’s required in the entitlements."

It seems unlikely that Kroenke would build a football stadium there since he owns glistening SoFi Stadium, which opened in September of 2020 and just hosted the Super Bowl.

But he could potentially build a new Rams headquarters and practice facility. The Rams currently practice during the season at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, and their headquarters is in Agoura Hills. They have held training camp at UC Irvine in Orange County.

It's also possible that Kroenke simply saw the potential of the development plan that was already in place for the property.

According to the Daily News, the L.A. City Council entitled a plan in 2020 to transform the aging shopping mall into a $1 billion entertainment, sports, dining and residential complex. The plan includes different phases of construction to finished by 2035, and would include more than 1,000 apartment units, a 28-story office tower, two hotels and a 10,000-seat arena.

"Nothing is changed on the entitlement," Blumenfield told the Daily News. "The only thing that’s changed is that The Kroenke Group bought the property."

Several notable members of the Rams have recently purchased homes in the Hidden Hills area, which is less than 15 minutes from the mall Kroenke purchased. That group includes head coach Sean McVay and stars Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford.