3rd Year in a Row ...

[MauiRam]

(KMOV)- For the third time in three years, taxpayers will buy the St. Louis Rams a new artificial turf field.

News 4 has learned the Rams are also expected to get state of the art, high definition video screens worth millions of dollars.

News 4’s Mike O'Connell has been investigating the 12-year-old lease deal that makes it all possible at the taxpayer expense.

It's become a sign of the seasons now, every summer the Edward Jones Dome gets a new artificial turf field for about $180,000. The Rams play ten games on it, and every winter it's torn apart and removed only to be replaced with an identical field.

America’s Center Vice President, Bruce Sommer says, “We're going to continue to do that until somebody develops a reasonable turf, one that doesn't have to be torn up off the floor,”

The Toronto Blue Jays have a removable field with 1,300 separate trays that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Dome officials however say the system isn't good enough, and that there are too many potential problems along the seams.

Dome officials have no choice but to pay for the new turf each year because of the lease agreement the Rams signed in 1995. It states that every ten years, the dome must be improved so it remains among the top 25-percent of all NFL stadiums. If not the Rams are free to leave town.

2005 was the first review year, and that's when the first field-turf brand field went in which replaced the old, hard astro-turf. $5-million was also spent upgrading luxury suites and the club seating area. $1 million went to improve the sound system, but the Rams agreed to put off other improvements. Now the two sides are in the final stages of negotiations that are expected to provide the Rams with a state of the art, high definition video system and scoreboard. It's thought the price-tag could be as high as $8 or $10 million.

[itsguud]

I hope I can save up enough to head down and see a game there this season!