For instance, when the Walt Disney Co. agreed in 1997 to buy the Angels and renovate their stadium, the company insisted that fast-food restaurants be restricted from opening in the adjacent parking lot, in order to protect ballpark concession sales.
Greg Smith, the executive who oversaw Anaheim Stadium on behalf of the city, said the new Dodgers owner cannot afford to buy the team without negotiating with McCourt on the future of the parking lots.
"Obviously, the ideal situation is whoever has the team controls the parking," Smith said. "If that can't happen, the buyer needs to make sure it is very specific about what can happen in the parking lots. If they don't want development, it's got to be stipulated in the agreement."
Brown, who as Angels president once negotiated against Smith, heartily agrees. However, with more than a dozen publicly identified bidders for the Dodgers, Brown warned that a prospective owner cannot count on McCourt's including the land in a sale, no matter how high the price.
"Chances are, somebody will come in and say, 'We'll take it the way it is,' " Brown said. "If your bid is conditioned on the fact that you're getting the land, you may not get the winning bid."
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