The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $132 million retail, office and hotel deal - the first step toward building a professional soccer stadium on Coleman Avenue.

The city agreed to sell 66 acres to San Jose Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff and his financial partners. In addition to the office and hotel project, Wolff plans to set aside 18 acres for the 18,000-seat soccer stadium and parking.

But Wolff will only be able to build the stadium if the city later agrees to a separate deal to rezone 78 acres of commercial and industrial property he owns in Edenvale. Wolff plans to pay for the soccer stadium with the profit from selling that land to housing developers.

Even though the city has given no assurances to Wolff that it will rezone the land, soccer boosters are hopeful.

"This is a great, great day for soccer fans," said neighborhood activist Don Gagliardi.

The city also stands to gain financially. After paying off its debt on the Coleman property, the city will net at least $17 million for its deficit-wracked general fund.

If the soccer deal does go through, the stadium would be donated to the city and the Earthquakes would lease the land. Any stadium project would need to undergo several rounds of environmental review and public scrutiny before approval.

Paul Krutko, the city's economic development director, said the hotel, retail and office project would go through regardless of whether a stadium gets built.