SAN DIEGO -- Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency officials have rejected suggestions that a downtown redevelopment project is connected to plans to build a new football stadium in the area.

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"The Community Redevelopment Agency is not now and has not at any time been in communication with anyone within City Hall, the Anschutz organization, or with anyone representing the NFL about a football stadium," said agency head Jerry Scharlin.

Reports have surfaced in recent weeks that sports mogul Philip Anschutz, Los Angeles Avengers owner Casey Wasserman or other parties interested in luring an NFL franchise to Los Angeles had supported the CRA plan in hopes of easing restrictions on building a new stadium.

But Scharlin said the City Center Redevelopment Project, already granted preliminary approval by the City Council, does not include a football stadium.

"The goals of the City Center project are to create downtown housing, assist homeless service providers, preserve historic buildings and generate jobs and economic development," he said.

The issue of bringing an NFL team back to Los Angeles has remained alive since 1999, when the league was close to moving a franchise to the city but backed away when city leaders balked at providing a public subsidy.

The issue gained steam last week when it was announced that the San Diego Chargers, considered a serious candidate for relocation, will move their training facility to a stadium Anschutz is planning in Carson.

David Farrar, chair of the CRA board of commissioners, said if a stadium proposal were to come forward, the board would join others in opposing the use of public money to finance it.

"In the meantime, it's unfortunate that news reports about this phantom stadium are distracting the public from being informed about the real benefits of the City Center plan," Farrar said.

The project, which covers some 879 acres of downtown L.A., is expected to create up to 12,900 new housing units and 6.7 million square feet of commercial and industrial development. It also includes provisions to assist the area's burgeoning homeless population and rehabilitate historic buildings.

Though the project is expected to generate $2.4 billion in additional revenues over its 30-year life, it is not without its opponents. Already, county officials have said they may sue to stop it, arguing that the demolition of areas not considered blighted will cost the county tax revenue.

The City Council will take its final vote on the project on Wednesday.

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