ANAHEIM, Calif. — The $320 million Angel Stadium land deal is officially dead.
A few days after the Anaheim City Council voted to void the approved sale of Angel Stadium and its surrounding parking lots to Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno, a representative for Moreno agreed to abandon the deal.
The Los Angeles Times reported late Friday that a representative for SRB Management, Moreno's development firm, sent a letter to the city accepting the council's decision to void the deal struck in late 2019.
"Given that the City Council unanimously voted to cancel the stadium land agreement, we believe it is in the best interest of our fans, Angels Baseball, and the community to accept the city's cancellation," wrote Marie Garvey, an Angels spokeswoman. "Now, we will continue our focus on our fans and the baseball season."
Anaheim Mayor Pro Tem O'Neil thanked the Angels "for their mutual understanding of what is called for [at] this moment."
"It is the right thing to do," said O'Neill in a statement. "But a long-term plan for the stadium site and baseball in Anaheim are still opportunities we want to explore. We will continue working [on getting] past this moment with the door open for a fresh start when the time is right."
Moreno's decision follows the city council's unanimous decision to void the sale of the 150-acre stadium and parking lots after it was revealed the FBI was investigating the city's former mayor for alleged corruption, bribery, and other charges relating to the deal.
The FBI claims former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu shared confidential city documents relating to the stadium's appraisal with an unknown Angels representative and later fast-tracked the deal's approval. In return, Sidhu planned — once the deal was set to be finalized in June — to approach an Angels representative for a $1 million campaign contribution for his reelection campaign in November.
Sidhu's lawyer denied the FBI's allegations. Still, Sidhu stepped down on Tuesday after the community and city council members called for his resignation.
Where Moreno goes from here is unclear.
Long Beach has offered Moreno the possibility of building a waterfront ballpark on a lot in the city's coast line.
Moreno could continue negotiations for a new stadium land deal with Anaheim.
An Angels spokesperson could not be reached as of press time.
The Angels have played in the city-owned stadium and surrounding parking lots since 1966.
The Angels and the city struck a controversial lease agreement in 2019 for the team to continue playing at the stadium until 2038.