Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen has entered an exclusive, 60-day negotiating window for the construction of an 8,000-seat stadium in West Valley City, Utah, to be home to RSL’s USL affiliate Real Monarchs, the team announced Tuesday.
According to the team, Hansen and West Valley City manager Wayne Pyle signed a letter of intent for the negotiations to move forward.
"This is an extraordinary city with diverse business interests,” Hansen said in a team statement. “We've always been impressed by their ability to bring private sector investment to their community. Their level of commitment is impressive, and their unique ability to embrace public/private partnerships is attractive."
The news comes a week after Hansen pulled back back offer to build stadium at Utah State Fairpark.
Should both sides agree to move forward, construction for the project just south of downtown Salt Lake City is expected to begin later this spring, with the Monarchs kicking off league play at the new venue during the club's 2016 season. In addition to the Monarchs' games, it's envisioned the stadium will also host many other events and teams, including a concert series, a professional women's soccer franchise, men's lacrosse and rugby franchises, community adult soccer games and other activities.
"We are so excited to be part of this announcement and bring yet another major entertainment venue to our fair city, as the commitment and skill of those working tirelessly behind the scenes has resulted in another major milestone in the progress of West Valley City," Pyle said in a statement.
Slated to kick off later this month, Hansen formed the USL Monarchs to bridge the gap between Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and the club's academy at the Grande Sports complex in Arizona.
"We are excited to welcome the Real Monarchs and all fans of professional soccer to our city," West Valley City mayor Ron Bigelow said in a statement. "This is a great opportunity for our residents to enjoy soccer. West Valley City and the Monarchs are a great match and they will be a terrific addition to our community as we build toward the future."
For the inaugural 2015 Monarchs season, the club will play a 28-game regular-season slate in the 12-team Western Conference, sharing Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, RSL’s home.
The Monarchs kick off the season March 22 at LA Galaxy II and play their first home game is April 8 against Portland Timbers 2.
