Santa Clara to Negotiate Hotel Deal With Joe Montana

Santa Clara officials have given the go-ahead for the city to begin negotiations with legendary quarterback Joe Montana for a hotel and entertainment complex across from the 49ers new stadium.

The City Council voted 4-2 on Tuesday in favor of negotiating exclusively with Montana's group.

They would open with the new 49ers stadium before the 2014 NFL season.

Last July Montana initially made the proposal for the project in front of the council.

The former 49ers' great presented a proposal to lease two plots of city-owned land to build a luxury hotel near the site of a proposed stadium for his former football team.

The proposal calls for a luxury hotel to be built along side a sports bar and an upscale restaurant spread across seven acres of land.

Montana has said he has money for at least a four-star hotel, a sports bar, an upscale restaurant and additional entertainment uses.

The two councilmembers who voted against the idea - Jamie McLeod and Will Kennedy - said the city should open the land up to all potential developers instead of working only with Montana.