Anaheim Settles Claim Over Failed Angels Stadium Deal

ANAHEIM (CNS) - Anaheim and Angels baseball officials Monday settled a claim related to the failed sale of the stadium.

The team sought $5 million plus legal fees for the $320 million deal for the 151-acre stadium that collapsed amid allegations that former Mayor Harry Sidhu funneled inside information to then-Anaheim Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament and a consultant for the Angels in 2020.

Sidhu has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, wire fraud and lying to federal investigators and is awaiting sentencing. Ament has also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was cooperating with authorities.

Anaheim City Council members scrapped the sale in 2022 after Sidhu resigned and the allegations hit the news. The Moreno family, which owns the team, submitted a claim in June 2022, and a settlement was reached Thursday.

The Moreno family will get a credit of $2.75 million on revenue sharing from tickets and parking, which will is expected to be paid off in two to three years, officials said.

The settlement will now allow for the city to build a fire station along State College Boulevard that will service the stadium and the neighborhood, officials said. The fire station will be placed on 1.4 acres of city land covered by the team's lease for the stadium site.

The team raised issues with the fire station at the site while the claim was outstanding, officials said.

Officials expect construction to begin next year, with the fire station up and running by 2026 or 2027.

"This is a fair settlement for our city," Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said. "It allows both sides to move forward without needless expense and distraction. Clearing the path for a fire station is a priority for Anaheim. A new station will serve the growing number of people who visit and call the Platinum Triangle home and will allow us to bring expanded emergency services to the area without added delay or cost."