San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s stadium advisory group has recommended Mission Valley as the site for a new NFL football stadium.
The Mission Valley location, not the downtown site suggested by many, will be the focus of future stadium negotiations between the City of San Diego and the San Diego Chargers.
The announcement will be made official at an 11 a.m. news conference Thursday on the grounds of the Chargers' current home, Qualcomm Stadium.
By selecting Mission Valley, the city's advisory panel is not going with the team's preference.
As NBC 7's Gene Cubbison reported last week, the Chargers are resolute in their choice - a hybrid stadium/convention facility on a 12-acre site in downtown’s East Village.
There were also questions raised regarding how complex a build would be on the site given that nearly half of the 166-acre site belongs to San Diego's Water Utilities Department.
Read more about the complex legal issues that could be tied to a Mission Valley site here.
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Chargers officials were made aware of the advisory group's recommendation Tuesday night.
Sources close to the team remain open minded to the site while they continue to work their options and plans for a downtown proposed site which they feel is superior over any plans to build in Mission Valley.
Mayor Faulconer released a statement thanking the group for "moving quickly."
"The Mission Valley site has been home to the Chargers for nearly 50 years and I know we can make it work for decades to come," Faulconer said. "Now that they’ve recommended a site, I look forward to the group continuing to move expeditiously on developing a fair and responsible financing plan for a new stadium.”
