THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDUSTRY, Calif. -- Los Angeles's industry planning commission approved a proposal for a football stadium Thursday intended to lure an NFL team back to the area.

The move is the latest step in the approval process for the US$800 million venue in the industrial and warehousing city 21 kilometres east of Los Angeles.

Officials with developer Majestic Real Estate Co. have said they'll begin contacting NFL teams about a possible move if the City Council gives final approval to the plan Feb. 26.

Majestic intends to pay for the stadium with private funds and start construction as soon as a team has committed to playing there.

Neighbouring cities concerned about traffic and noise have threatened lawsuits to stop the stadium.