Santa Clara Mayor 'Thrilled' About 49ers Move

Nov. 9 -- Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan said this morning she is "thrilled" at the prospect of the San Francisco 49ers moving to Santa Clara.

The 49ers announced late Wednesday that they are shifting the focus of their search for a new stadium site from San Francisco 40 miles south to Santa Clara, where the team headquarters is located. The team has had discussions this week with Santa Clara officials and with the company that operates the Great America amusement park about building a new stadium on the site of the current amusement park parking lot.

The proposed stadium site is across the street from the Santa Clara Convention Center and near both light rail and Altamont Commuter Express train stops, according to Mahan.

"It's got everything a stadium needs. We're near every freeway you would need in the Bay Area. There's a light rail stop, ACE; we've got Caltrain," Mahan said.

Mahan expects that any stadium plan would include retail and housing development at the site.

"It's the development rights that make this work without using public funds," Mahan said. "That's crucial to us that it doesn't impact our city general fund."

Santa Clara has been approached several times by Bay Area sports teams in the past two decades about building a stadium on the Great America parking lot site. In the 1990s, the San Francisco Giants considered the site and in 2001 the Oakland Athletics also approached Santa Clara. Mahan believes the third time is the charm for Santa Clara and professional sports.

"I am thrilled about this because I think they are serious," Mahan said. "Santa Clara has had a great working relationship with the 49ers for 20 years."

Even if the team moves south, Mahan expects it will still be known as the "San Francisco 49ers" and she would not have it any other way.

"They've got to stay the San Francisco 49ers. I'm a 49er faithful going back to John Brodie and Kezar Stadium," Mahan said.

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