The Dynamo have made no attempt to hide their desire for a new soccer only stadium. Freaking Oliver Luck, the old Sports Authority head, is President of Operations of the team. Where would everyone like to see the new stadium? A blogger on the Chronicle website said the FC Dallas team saw a drop in fan rowdiness when they moved from the Cotton Bowl to the suburban Frisco area. I think as long as we can keep it inside of 8, west of downtown we should be alright.
I believe they were waiting on the season to end. I'm sure there's stuff going on behind the scenes, because the stadium talk has been buzzing in the media of late, as well. I'd like to have it as close to downtown as possible. If it could be near MMP somewhere, that would be fine with me. I've heard some talk about it being just on the other side of 59 from MMP. Great. Do it. We have to vote to approve county funds, though...at least I think we do.
Downtown probably isn't a feasible location. They will be starting a youth program and they will need to have probably 10 fields outside of the stadium. I've heard Beltway 8, close to Sam Houston Race Park.
They don't have to put the fields and stadium together. I'm not sure where it will end up, but I really hope it's not out in the suburbs.
They don't have to, but the MLS wants these new stadiums to be the soccer center for that specific city...a la Pizza Hut Park. It should certianly be closer to town than Frisco is to Dallas. I think the beltway is good because of the space they can purchase and it's accessibility.
Frisco really isn't that far from Dallas. I live near downtown and I just take the toll road all the way up to Frisco. It takes me only 25-30 minutes. Dallas isn't like Houston where all the main suburbs surround the city. Most of the main ones are directly north of Dallas, which means its closer to more than half the population. Lets just go ahead and put the stadium in Deer Park or Pasadena. That's part of Houston, no?
I don't mean to argue with someone who lives in D-town currently, but I lived there for a few looooong years, and I'm wondering why Las Colinas, etc. count as "main suburbs" while Duncanville, DeSoto, Red Oak, Oak Cliff, etc. don't?
I think it's been posted here a few times that the population center of Houston is now at I-10 and Gessner.
Here are some renditions of other stadiums being proposed/built in MLS (this doesn't include any SSS already being used such as PHP, Toyota Park and HDC): Colorado Rapids (Naming Rights Belong To Dick's Sporting Goods): DC United: NY Red Bulls: Real Salt Lake: Toronto FC: Kansas City:
Very much so. The ideal stadium is about 20,000 - 25,000. Plus, they want it to be soccer specific in every way. Reliant is great for when the big time Euro clubs or the Mexican league clubs come in. I've seen no better atmosphere than when the US played Mexico in 2003, the rematch from the pasting the US put on them in the 02 World Cup (sorry Swoly...had to do it). For the MLS, a smaller setting with surrounding fields is what they really want.
I wonder if they removed the paint from the glass on the Dome, if they could then grow grass in there for soccer? They don't need the paint anymore on the glass now that the Astros are gone. Or they could remove the east end zone/pavillion seats and put in a removeable field like the Arizona Cardinals new stadium. Let the grass grow in the parking lot. Seems better then a hotel at this point.
I think it's more up to the teams than the league. Of the current stadiums only PHP has fields around it, Crew Stadium, Home Depot Center, and Toyota Park don't. And of the new ones announced only Denver's has fields, to my knowledge Toronto, New York, and Salt Lake won't. So 2 out of 8 have surrounding fields. Houston's may but we really don't know at this point.
Hell, I live near the Galleria area and anything north of me is considered BFE... The only thing about Frisco is that the traffic sux...It took me forever after the game on Sunday to get home...That was just from PHP to the tollway entrance...When I drive to Houston, it usally takes me about 30 minutes, if that, to get from far north dallas to south dallas...In Houston, It would be from Clear Lake to downtown... I wouldn't want the stadium in DP or Stinkadena, however, i see your point...A downtown stadium would be totally badazz...Did you go to the game?
The Dome and Reliant are both way to big like leroy420 mentioned. Also, the main reason they need a stadium is to control revenue from parking/concessions and from events other than Dynamo games (concerts and other games). Right now teams can at best break even and most are losing a lot of money from their normal income (tickets, merchandising, sponsors, etc.). I think right now the only teams that are making a profit are LA and Dallas, both of whom have their own stadiums.
Hmm, how about they take out all the upper level seats in the dome and still make those hotel rooms. Then they only use for the two lower levels for seating, and then use the press level for press and luxury suites. If the Dynamo get a lease on the dome, they should get all gate, parking and concession receipts. Plus they should get a cut on the leasing of the dome space for hotel and restuarants. The other key here is to generate revenue from a structure that right now is just sitting there.
Can you get grass to grow in there without an obnoxious glare from those glass plates? I mean, from a sentimental point of view (and a save-money-on-demolition point of view) that sounds neat, but how feasible is it? Would the venue be able to attract any conventions away from downtown or Galleria area hotels or possibly other cities?
