St. Louis Rams: Report Says Rams/CVC London Game Agreement Has Been Reached

According to a report from Matthew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the anticipated agreement to amend the St. Louis Rams lease with the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission regarding the Rams home venue (the Edward Jones Dome) has been approved.

Both parties will move forward amicably regarding the 2012 London "home" game versus the New England Patriots (but not for the 2013 or 2014 season).

Both the Rams and the CVC appear to be well satisfied with the agreement going forward.  As per the linked article above, CVC president Kathleen "Kitty" Ratcliffe said:

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I am delighted that we are able to find a mutually beneficial solution to the Rams' desire to play a regular season home game in London.  It was essential that the agreement provide economic benefit to the region.

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As for the Rams response (also via the aforementioned article), St. Louis vice president of football operations and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff stated the following:

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We [the Rams] are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the CVC. This agreement gives the CVC more powerful tools to help entice major events to St. Louis, which parallels our strategy of elevating St. Louis on a global stage.

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It is encouraging to see the Rams and the CVC working together and coming to an agreement that both parties apparently feel comfortable with.  

In related news, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke and his company, THF Realty, are working simultaneously and hand-in-hand with Bob O'Laughlin, the chairman of the CVC, to purchase Union Station (a national historic site) which is located in close proximity to the EJD. 

As this report states, there could well be some terrific repercussions for the Rams and the city of St. Louis with an enhanced Union Station area.  

As for this lease amendment, I will share more details about it tomorrow morning.

The focus now turns to March 1, when the Rams are due to either accept or reject the CVC's initial proposal regarding proposed upgraded and enhancements to the EJD.  All signs point to a rejection of that proposal with a counteroffer coming by May 1.  

I, along with others, expect an eventual pro-St. Louis resolution to the lease and a long-term stay for the Rams in the Gateway City. 

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter. 

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