Rams officials plan to discuss stadium upgrades with city

Officials with the St. Louis Rams plan to engage in negotiations with St. Louis city leaders before an arbitration hearing to determine who will pay for stadium upgrades and what those upgrades will be.

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"We plan to sit down with them in the near future before this arbitration process," Rams COO Kevin Demoff said.

The city's convention committee and the Ramshave rejected each others' proposals for stadium upgrades leading to arbitration before the end of the year -- as terms of the lease stipulate. However, negotiations can take place at any point.

Should things reach the arbitration stage, the city could accept the terms of the ruling, which would lead the Rams to remain in St. Louis through the final 10 years of the lease. If the city declines the terms of arbitration, the Rams, in 2013, can change the terms of the lease to year-to-year.

If that happens, the Rams could engage in relocation negotiations. There is already speculation that their former home, Los Angeles, could become their future home.

Follow Steve Wyche on Twitter @wyche89.