San Pedro councilmember proposes waterfront stadium for LAFC

Soccer stadium on @LAWaterfront? @JoeBuscaino #SanPedro pic.twitter.com/Rq3U3WQRzm

— Donna Littlejohn (@donnalittlejohn) November 14, 2014

San Pedro Councilmember Joe Buscaino has written Peter Guber, Chairman and CEO of Los Angeles Football Club, about the possibility of building a soccer specific stadium on the San Pedro waterfront. Unlike the nebulous downtown proposals which have threatened to compete with the Galaxy's cool factor, a waterfront stadium would be in the Galaxy's same Harbor region.

The Los Angeles Football Club story exists in this nebulous region between LA Galaxy supporters and what used to be Chivas USA supporters, since they're competing against the former and trying to covert the latter. This is just a letter of inquiry, but it hints at a deeper flirtation.

The site offered is Port of Los Angeles Berth 46, and as waterfront sites go it's pretty cool. Freeway access isn't brilliant, a jog down from the Harbor Freeway, and then it's one road in with limited parking. However, being out on a peninsula like that with the ocean visible from the stadium? That's something the San Francisco Giants have taken advantage of to create one of the most beautiful parks in baseball (which also has an awful parking situation).

Berth 46 is a six minute drive away from the USS Iowa, seated much closer to the Harbor Freeway up Harbor Blvd. Along that road is the San Pedro waterfront property, which has been a redevelopment project for awhile. San Pedro reinstalled a Red Car trolley line along Harbor Blvd, connecting the Iowa with Ports O's Call and 22nd St. Landing which would be the closest to the proposed stadium site. Extending that line to the stadium could help with the parking situation.

What do y'all think? Is that councilmenber's proposal impractical? Would you like having the Los Angeles MLS rival playing this close?