ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams have rejected the initial proposal to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome and will submit their own improvement plan, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission said Thursday.
The CVC on Feb. 1 announced details of a plan calling for $124 million in improvements to the dome in an effort to keep the Rams in St. Louis. The team can break its lease after the 2014 season and potentially move to another city if the dome is not deemed to be among the top tier of NFL stadiums.
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The CVC said the Rams will submit their own plan no later than May 1.
"We look forward to receiving it," the CVC said in a brief statement. CVC spokeswoman Donna Andrews declined further comment.
Messages left with the Rams were not returned.
Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, said the rejection was not unexpected at the early stages of the negotiations.
"It's part of the dance," he said.
The CVC plan included a massive scoreboard, new club seats and other amenities. But it also called for the Rams to pay for 52 percent of the cost.
There is growing concern among fans that St. Louis could lose an NFL team for the second time in a quarter of a century. The football Cardinals left for Arizona after the 1987 season in large part because of stadium issues -- owner Bill Bidwill wanted a stadium of his own rather than having to share one with baseball's Cardinals.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
