The Raiders and the Rams both fled Los Angeles in 1995, and in the subsequent 16 years, Tinseltown has gone without a football team. But finally, this dark period in the city's history may be coming to an end. This week, the L.A. City Council unanimously approved the financial framework of a deal between the city and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to build a $1.2 billion, 72,000-seat football stadium in downtown Los Angeles near the Lakers' Staples Center. The proposed Farmers Field is still 10 months away from being a sure thing — an environmental impact report still needs to be completed — but construction could begin as soon as June 2012, with the stadium opening in September 2016. There's one other catch: The construction project can't begin in earnest until an existing NFL team agrees to move to L.A. So if the city signs up a team, it may not have to wait for the stadium to be built — football could be coming to a temporary home like the Rose Bowl or Coliseum as soon as next season. Is it time for pigskin lovers in the City of Angels to celebrate?
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