Stadium News 2010 edition

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Permalink Reply by Bandido on February 2, 2010 at 3:17pm

Healthy Mind in Healthy Body !!


At times when you read about it in the Chronicle or on the Web, see it on the T.V. or hear it on the radio that times are hard. That cutbacks are in motion, no plan in site for relief. People need real hope, they need to know there is a future.

The best argument for a stadium is money, Pride and Legacy;

Money that will be spent on construction and maintenance of the facility. Monies the will be invested in new stores, bars, homes and in updating existing businesses around EaDo.

Texans are proud to be Texans and that’s why we build it bigger, better and faster. In short; WE GET’ER DONE !!
We can’t be dilly dallin’ for another five years while a group of autocrats find new reasons to deny us the joy of watching the beautiful game in a decent seat and our team play on grass instead of a pothole infested field.

In a world where soccer is King they can’t keep treating us like beggars in this City, in this County. The Dynamo have inspired our young and have bonded with our youth. The Dynamo have represented Houston across the Americas, the Dynamo have two more Championship rings than Bob McNair’s multimillion dollar team that needs pads to play and a valet to park their Bentley’s. at their convertible state of the art facility.

The Dynamo is much more than having a group of men kick the ball around wearing orange. They represent My passion, My Furry……..My City !!!

Let us not forget that It is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, so keep your voice in their ears !!!

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on February 2, 2010 at 5:43pm

Well said Bandido........it's rediculous that OUR Houston Dynamo STILL haven't been able to secure a stadium deal; while other unsuccessful/ struggling/ expansion teams have secured/ in the process of building their stadium!!!!

I know this is NOT any fault of OUR Dynamo front office......they have been working their hardest to get something done.
On episode two of SOCCER MATTERS with Glen Davis he interviewed club President Oliver Luck & Luck said that all that is holding proceeding up is getting Harris County's approval & cooperation!!!

HOUSTON, TX the 4th largets city in America, Energy Capital of the World, Home to The Largest & most advance Medical Center, Home to countless Fortune 500 companies & Pioneer of building the first ever Dome Stadium the Astrodome & the NFL's first ever retractable roof stadium Reliant Stadium............We pride ourselve in our DIVERSITY of culture, arts, ideas.......yet when it comes to embracing & promoting the sport that EMBODIES those ideals our City official & business leaders fail to show up!!!

It's soooo sad & pathetic!!!!

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Permalink Reply by James Cooke on February 2, 2010 at 6:20pm

Funny...A stadium or an inmate processing center in east Houston. Why not work with the people who are messing with the old Astroworld lot?

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Permalink Reply by R. Seydewitz on February 2, 2010 at 6:31pm

The silence is deafening from El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia. "We have more important things to think about" is the only thing I have seen in print by El F. L. in over a year (just recently) while we, the faithful fans, have gathered together, written in, called in and showed our support in other ways. What are they (he and she) waiting for???? There is something they want that is under the table and meant to stay there until they want to unveil it. I am very suspicious of them now and wonder WHO they are really working for. It is certainly NOT for the greater good of the Houston area, let alone the Houston Dynamo. If it is for the good of their constituents they don't even say that! The city and Mayor Parker should really put some pressure on them to get it done. "Fish or cut bait" and move on, I say.

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Permalink Reply by Web on February 3, 2010 at 9:05am

I thought the same thing, it's annoying that his only comment after at least a year of keeping quiet when he needs to be leading is "we have more important things to think about." If you listened to Glenn on his radio show Monday night, he didn't call out EFL specifically, but he said this attitude is disrespectful to not only Dynamo and soccer fans but to all the voters in Harris County. He really sounded angry, like the rest of us.

Let's get thousands of people at the rally this month and show them the real attitude of the soccer fans in Houston.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on February 2, 2010 at 7:59pm

As much as I don't like the proposed Dynamo downtown location for a myriad of reasons, the Galleria location is by FAR an even WORST location. The traffic there where 610 meets 59 is one of the BUSIEST, GRIDLOCKED, BUMPER TO BUMPER traffic nightmare in the Houston area....both the freeways & feeder roads!!!

I agree with James Cooke's idea about the old Astroworld site..........if the Dynamo are to explore an alternative site like the Galleria area, then why not explore the old Astroworld site???

The Galleria area is privately owned land & so is the old Astroworld site. The old Astroworld site is owned by local Conroe-based properties group. They bought the land for $77 million & have been looking to sell it to developers for years.....many interested groups have looked into the land, but none could commit & with the current economy crisis.....the lot sits empty!!!

Location, location, location it doesn't get any better than this, right off the freeway, main MetroRail station already established (Fanin Station), centrally located enough for all points of Houston to meet, several points of entry & exits to ease traffic congetion.......With 104 ACRES....PLENTY OF PARKING REVENUE to be generated!!!!

What's Next For Astroworld Lot?
KPRC Local 2
Monday December 14, 2009

http://www.click2houston.com/newsarchive/21962931/detail.html#story

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on February 2, 2010 at 10:36pm

GET DYNAMO STADIUM BUILT!!! It's good for the LOCAL ECONOMY & CREATES JOBS!!!


Report: Houston construction workers lead nation in job loss among contractors
KHOU Ch. 11
February 2, 2010

link: http://www.khou.com/news/local/Report--Houston-construction-workers...

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Permalink Reply by James Cooke on February 3, 2010 at 12:01am

I have been saying "Astroworld Lot" for the past several...several months.

1. Stadium
2. Tailgate Parking
3. Training/Preseason Fields
4. Dynamo Academy Fields
5. Assortment of Shops

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Permalink Reply by James Cooke on February 3, 2010 at 12:54am

There should be a Texas Cyclone memorial plaque where the front entrance to that ride used to be. Just because it's still labeled on Google Maps.

Using Kirby Dr. and Fannin St. as exits and the Astroworld foot bridge if needed. The best thing about the parking being next to 610 is that you can display your Dynamo flags so that drivers can see them.

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Permalink Reply by Nigel Brooks on February 3, 2010 at 10:05am

The problem is of course that the land is privately owned as is the land at the Galleria area location.

The City owns the land at the East End location.

I just cannot see a private developer getting involved in a project such as a stadium without realizing a large profit, that would severely cut into any anticipated revenues that the Dynamo hope for in building their own stadium on City property.

If you build a stadium on city property, you can deed it to the City and/or County, then lease it back for a specified number of years. You can get property tax abatements on the structure, you can keep all of the parking revenues and concessions.

If you build the stadium on privately owned land such as the other two sites - a huge chunk of your revenue is going to pay for the lease and sharing of parking etc.

The East End of downtown is the best deal by far and as I see it - the City needs to get together with the County and honestly discuss and come to an agreement on how they are to divide the spoils when the lease of the property is over. As I understand it, once the lease term is done, the ownership of the stadium will revert to the City - obviously the County needs something in return for their anticipated $10million investment.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Nordstrom on February 3, 2010 at 11:49am

You're spot on, Nigel. The property tax angle will be a huge issue in the downtown v. westpark debate. In my mind, Westpark is a red herring. I drove the property yesterday (my, what mighty high power transmission lines you live under, Bellaire's next cancer cluster!) and they'll definitely have to build ramps to / from Westpark. I could see that adding quite a few ducats to the local government tab.

However, I don't take El Franco's "we've got more important issues" statement quite as negatively as some, because for the first time ever, El Franco seems to have admitted that TIRZ 15 is an issue. That's a huge advancement from "I don't know what you're talking about" that seemed to be his position for the last 18 months.

And then, at the end of the Channel 13 bit last night, Gene Apodaca says the County tells him there's still 4 sticking points. 1) ownership - a city / county issue, Dynamo will be leasing the grounds; 2) improvements - again, to my understanding a city/county issue; 3) maintenance - to be the Club's responsibility; and 4) ticket prices.

I take No. 4 to mean that Commissioner Garcia is still holding on to her numbskull idea to tie ticket prices to the price of a movie ticket. Don't get me wrong, I understand where she's coming from, but her metric is unsustainable. What's the cost of a movie ticket? What happens when IPTV bankrupts the cinema industry in 15 years? A movie ticket where? At River Oaks? At the Marquee Imax? At the dollar theatre?

We all know that the Dynamo provide the most affordable family sports entertainment of any of the clubs in Houston. To a large degree, they've built their business model around affordability - I would never conceive of buying season tickets for any of the other clubs. Does she really think that they're going to reverse course, alienate their fan base, and price themselves out of business? Or is it more likely that they're going to continue their successful marketing strategy of family 4 packs, affordable end-line STs, etc.?

I recognize the incongruity between asking the county to spend money to fix the roads, but insisting that government stay out of the business judgments of the FO, but hers is one faux-populist concern that I think deflates pretty easily.

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Permalink Reply by R. Seydewitz on February 3, 2010 at 4:11pm

Eric, does the city/county "dictate or suggest" ticket prices for the other teams who paid diddly squat for their own sport-specific stadiums provided by the tax payers (us)?? I really do not know but I am amazed the S.G. can even say that is a requirement! Seems to be a BIG disconnect here.

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