Official: NYC Soccer Stadium

So why then, do you think, did the Dolans work so hard to kill the West Side Stadium?

 

I would imagine - if the team is in Queens that SNY cover the NY2/Cosmos games.

If its in the city - yea maybe MSG takes those games on too but I hope not - MSG puts on 20 year old boxing matches on the prime network and hides the Redbulls on like MSG 2 or MLS Plus. Kind of annoying.

 

I don't know whether or not they did. I assume what you are saying is true. At bottom, the West Side stadium didn't happen because of massive community opposition.

Wikipedia says that Cablevision opposed it because they had put in a competitive bid but didn't get it. It's not footnoted so I don't know how true that is, but it sounds like a reasonable explanation.

"In 2004 and 2005, Cablevision provided funding for an advertising campaign against the proposed construction of a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan supported by the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. The stadium would have principally served the New York Jets, and was an essential part of New York City's failed bid for the 2012 Olympics. Cablevision had offered a competitive bid that far exceeded the bid of the Jets for property owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where the new stadium would have been located. The plans to build the stadium were abandoned in June 2005 when the New York State Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to provide state subsidies for the project."

Regardless, all I can tell you for sure is that 1,000 5,000, 20,000 and 80,000 seat venues are not in competition with one another.

 

Has anyone posted this article about the Pier 40 site?

http://www.downtownexpress.com/?p=8980

 

all i know is, by the time this happens, I'll be out of state.

Therefore, I will be pissed.

 

That place sucks anyway. They need to concentrate in Queens.

 

Yep - that they do. As I said - nothing against Manhattan or Pier 40 - I just think Queens captures the city a little better

 

But with Wilpon looking to build a mall on the juck yards and other high class crap seems there is no plans for soccer....

that now really only leaves the parking lot next to citi but the real question is if the wilpons are interested any more in a soccer venture... the way things look now seems like that ship has sailed and may no longer care about MLS or a soccer stadium neighbor....

 

this new layout sucks

 

I'm not entirely sure that anything will ever be built there. They've been going around in circles on this.

 

Did anyone really think that there was actually gonna be a stadium built there? It was a nice pipe dream while it lasted for those people who thought this had a chance.

 

The apt complex and the stadium are about as equally likely to happen (little to no chance).

 

Yeah no one really knows what the hell will happen on that land but I think it's pretty safe to say a stadium is not happening.

 

I wonder why the league is trying - i mean yes it would be iconic but they seem to be putting a lot of effort into what most believe is a lost cause.

I mean i guess they are probably using it as a smoke screen to divert attention from the real area they are looking at.

 

Stupid question. It seems the only plan b people are talking about is in Flushings. I know the city was in discussions of possibly trying another Olympics bid before the USOC squashed any bid city from attempting. Would you think a NYC 2024 olympics bid could have an impact on the Comos?

 

could have a positive impact on building a stadium. probably not a soccer specific one, but a multi-use one, IMO. Anyway, if the Cosmos organization were involved, they may request that the stadium is converted after the Olympics...

 

Another long article but halfway through it mentions that the soccer stadium option is not dead yet, and that it has at least one "friend in a high place".

http://www.thevillager.com/?p=4433

MLS seems focused on this site. For better or worse I don't think any other sites are in play right now.

 

It looks like the Willets Point option is being removed, if this goes through:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/nyregion/mayor-bloomberg-strikes-new-deal-to-redevelop-willets-point.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

 

Sites are drying up right and left.

Regarding Pier 40, there will be a public meeting on the 31st. I imagine people will be screaming about the residential/hotel idea. I wonder if MLS will have someone there though, at least to observe.

http://www.thevillager.com/?p=4604

 

Right - Willets Point will go out - but what about the Parking lot of citi field.

This overall deal really make the Willets Point project a long term thing but the parking lot they are speaking of (with the mall) can be started in the next few years.

That parking lot frees up much needed parking spaces to make building in the Citi Field Parking lot a very viable option, which was always the plan prior to the Madoff mess.

That news can actually be good news. Basically the city used a very dirty technique to turn the land across the street from Citi over to the Wilpons.

 

The NYT article says that the mall and garage would go on the WEST side of the stadium--currently the large parking area. The hotel and stores would go east of the stadium, in Willets Point. It also says some of the parking areas--the remaining areas I suppose--would be used as public green space. In this case there is no room that I can see for a stadium... unless you mean further east in Willets Point.

 

I see what you are saying yea. Ok - that would eliminate both WP and the parking lot.

I read a few opinion pieces that said this whole plan is going to change from the deal that was struck. I just think something is fishy at this site because Garber has always had an eye and has still yet to say that this site is out of the question.

Wilpons always needed more parking - i can not rule out anything, but I dont think it will be Willets Point - i think it will be the parking lot. Want to see how this plays out.

Garber keeps mentioning Flushing Meadow Park and UNLESS they mean the fountain of planets, I can not figure out where in Flushing Meadows they are looking.

 

http://observer.com/2012/05/17/citi...illets-point-will-bracket-stadium-with-malls/

Little more on this

"

An 800,000 square-foot mall will be built on the Citi Field parking lot (right), followed by a 680,000 square-foot mall on the edge of Willets Point (left). Because who doesn’t want to go shopping after the Mets lose? (Bing Maps)"​

I cant see malls on both sides of Citi - i still say this is an option - i could be wrong but just find two malls hard to believe. Especially when there are about 5 more malls within 10 minutes of that location.

The two areas in question are 18 and 15 acres - FYI - more than enough land.

 

There are two things that dominate Queens - Malls and Graveyards. There are more dead people than living people in some neighborhoods.

I saw a piece on Curbed (which is a really good site) and they said they expect the scope of the malls to change.

Not saying its a slam dunk but i still think that area is one to keep an eye on. So much ********ing political grandstanding though you dont know what to believe

And even if a stadium is not there, I am still following it closely because I am a Mets season ticket holder and want to see the area catch a boost.