Getting back to reality on Convention Center

Assuming that the AEG-financed makeover of the Convention Center doesn't happen because the AEG-financed football stadium will never be built, City Councilwoman Jan Perry wants to explore alternatives. Good idea - connecting a Convention Center re-do with the proposed Farmers Field was more of a hasty add-on to assuage concerns about what the city would be getting out of the stadium deal. Now it's time to adjust priorities, especially with Tim Leiweke gone as AEG's CEO, and especially with the AEG agreement expiring next year. From Perry's press release:

Councilwoman Jan Perry will introduce a motion next Tuesday that directs City staff to report back to the Ad Hoc Stadium and Convention Center Modernization Committee on alternative plans for the modernization of the Convention Center. The motion will ask the staff to explore potential ways to upgrade the current Los Angeles Convention Center without an NFL stadium. The current agreement with AEG is contingent upon bringing NFL to Los Angeles and will expire next year. Councilwoman Perry will ask that the City formulate alternatives to reach its goal of transforming the current convention space into a world-class center that would be competitive with leading convention centers across the nation.

Perry adds that "we need to have a plan in place with or without an NFL team." That's not an outright acknowledgement that the downtown stadium is history, but coming from the lead cheerleader in this miscalculated deal it's pretty close. Mayor Villaraigosa has said much the same thing:

Now that AEG is no longer for sale and they have indicated that bringing an NFL team to LA remains a priority, I call on AEG to live up to its commitment by immediately sitting down with the NFL to reach an agreement. However, the City will not wait for AEG, or any other party, to move ahead with the needed improvements to make our convention center a premier destination for meetings and conventions. Last year, we saw a record number of visitors come to Los Angeles and those visitors help drive our economy, fill our hotel rooms and take advantage of the numerous sports and entertainment options that we offer.