Alex the Greek

Chargers owner Alex G. Spanos, the megamillionaire who reportedly wants San Diego taxpayers to give him 60 acres of prime Mission Valley property as part of his latest stadium scheme, has turned Hollywood mogul. The Stockton developer has set up A.G.S. Communications, LLC, to bankroll a new IMAX movie that "celebrates the illustrious history of Greece and its role as the birthplace of modern civilization." Spanos, who will serve as executive producer of the film, to be titled Greece: Secrets of the Past, is putting $6 million into the deal. Oscar documentary nominee Greg MacGillivray (The Living Sea [1998]; Dolphins [2000]) is co-producing and directing. Meanwhile, city insiders speculate that the reason Spanos may be dropping his bid to have the city council put the stadium deal on the ballot in favor of mounting his own initiative drive may have something to do with the fact that a council-sponsored measure would require an environmental impact report up front, whereas an initiative would not. Critics say that an honest environmental appraisal of the Spanos plan to build hundreds of condos along with a new stadium would never pass muster.