SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA Joe Montana, one of the most renowned players in the history of the National Football League, is one of the primary investors in a proposed luxury hotel and entertainment complex near the future home of the San Francisco 49ers, the team for which he once starred.
Montana, ex-49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. and Connecticut developer Kurt Wittek are planning the project on city-owned land in Santa Clear, adjacent to the site of the proposed US$937 million, 68,500-seat stadium that would host the 49ers beginning in 2015.
The Montana-led investor group has requested an 18-month exclusive negotiating window with Santa Clara officials to acquire the land and complete a development plan for the luxury hotel, sports bar and entertainment complex. The initial proposal is said to have significant support from the Santa Clara City Council.
“This is an absolutely perfect fit for what we would like to see develop around the stadium as a supporting use, and having the cachet of Joe Montana raises the stakes for this being a destination,” Santa Clara’s new mayor, Jamie Matthews, tells San Jose Mercury News.