Tuesday night, Santa Clara's City Council voted unanimously to move forward with its bid for the Super Bowl. The city is going all out to woo the NFL in its bid for the big national event.
The NFL's terms are tough and not likely negotiable:
Santa Clara says it will get reimbursed for public safety expenses by the San Francisco Host Committee.
"It was our intention to make sure that we walk away putting on a great show, doing a lot of work, and making sure that we come out whole in this process and being reimbursed for our efforts to make this a successful event," said Santa Clara Public Communications Manager Dan Beerman.
Giving the NFL a hotel tax break isn't as bad as it may sound. There are 350 rooms that are involved. At a conservative $150 nightly rate, the tax is $14.25. That translates into a $5,000 loss per night -- revenue that normally goes into the city's general fund.
The general manager of the Hilton Santa Clara, which sits next door to the new stadium, thinks Super Bowl spending will more than offset that loss.
"The value of that event in this city and the exposure that we're going to get here and the spend during the Super Bowl event and the time frame, I think, will more than make up for anything that's lost," Erich Smith said.
Plus, Smith's planning a 140-room addition to the hotel in time for the Super Bowl, with rooms overlooking the stadium that will go for a premium rate.
Santa Clara knows there is competition. Miami is also bidding for the Super Bowl.
"On a personal level, yes, I'm keeping on top of it. I think that because we're showing a regional effort here in the Bay Area, that's our key," Beerman said.
Representatives will take the city's bid and pitch it in person to the NFL on May 21, 2013.
ABC7 News reporter Lisa Amin Gulezian contributed to this report.
