ST. LOUIS -- A task force's efforts to build a new NFL stadium on St. Louis' north riverfront took another step forward Thursday afternoon.
Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem dismissed Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon from a lawsuit that challenged Nixon's role in providing financing for the proposed nearly $1 billion stadium.
Since the stadium was first proposed, part of the financing plan for it included Nixon's ability to extend state bonds currently used for the Edward Jones Dome to pay for the new venue. The lawsuit, originally filed by six state legislators, intended to prevent the governor from using state money to fund the new stadium.
Beetem ruled that the suit had been filed incorrectly.
Earlier this month, the task force, led by businessman Dave Peacock and attorney Bob Blitz, earned a similarly positive ruling in a city court, which allows them to use about $66 million in city bonds as another piece of the financing plan.
The task force considers both rulings favorable on the long road toward securing financing. The original proposed financial package included $135 million in RSA bonds from the state.
"Once again, full credit is due to my task force co-lead Bob Blitz, whose commitment is evident in the progress we've made this month," Peacock said. "The court's decision is the right decision on many levels and a clear victory for progress, jobs and a bright future for our state, the resurgence of downtown and the NFL in St. Louis. We still have much work ahead, but there is no question our project continues to advance each week with greater certainty and momentum."
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay confirmed earlier this month that there would be no appeal of the city ruling.
The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority is still named in the state lawsuit, which Beetem transferred to St. Louis jurisdiction as part of his ruling.
At this week's owners meetings in Chicago, NFL executive Eric Grubman, who is in charge of relocation and efforts made to build stadiums in home markets, mentioned the need for St. Louis to clear some of the litigious hurdles still standing in the way of putting together an actionable financing plan.
"With respect to St. Louis, they have made consistent progress over quite a number of months," Grubman said. "They are continuing to assemble the land, and their financing strategies do have to be finalized. So risks remain. They're dealing with those risks similarly to San Diego and for that matter any market that would be going through this. We asked about the risks and the litigation strategies, and we keep asking about them until they're eliminated."
Thursday's ruling didn't entirely eliminate one of those risks, but it was another step toward doing so.
St. Louis is working to get a stadium built in its efforts to keep the NFL in town. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is attempting to build a new stadium in Inglewood, California, which he proposed to the owners in Chicago on Tuesday.
NFL owners are expected to decide by the end of the year or early in 2016 whether Inglewood or the Raiders- and Chargers-backed Carson stadium plan will bring the NFL back to Los Angeles.