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The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA.)
The City Council voted 3-0, with Jeffrey Giba abstaining, to approve a resolution in favor of a $22 million project to build a 3,000-seat campus stadium . Moreno Valley Unified School District officials hope to start construction in May and have the project completed by October 2018.
The city support represented a change after disagreements in the past year between city and school district officials on issues including the complex and continued city funding for school crossing guards.
The council's vote did not address whether the district can use some or all of Westbluff Park next to the campus. School officials say they would like to use the space for a secondary road in and out of the campus and for parking.
Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez said city officials "would negotiate in good faith with the school district" on that issue.
The only reservation came from Giba, who called it premature to approve a resolution. He said there are still unanswered questions about the project's impact.
More than two dozen Canyon Springs students and top school officials attended the meeting.
Andre Gutierrez, a 17-year-old senior who is not related to the mayor, said he and classmates often wonder what it would be like to attend a home game. He said he had hoped to graduate at his own campus.
While he won't be able to, "I'm very delighted for people such as my sister and future Cougar generations who will have an opportunity to enjoy this stadium," Gutierrez said.
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