Bronx close to scoring $400M soccer stadium for NYCFC

Thanks for the inside tip. I guess I will run all the articles or lack there of through your first to get the real scoop. That will help out a lot. Good to have you here to let us know who has knowledge and who doesn't.

 

Relax. It is an honest reading of the article to say that it was based on some quotes from the administration and a NYCFC spokesperson. The "real scoop" is there for anyone to read in the quotes from Marti Adams, a de Blasio spokesperson and from the NYCFC spokeswoman Risa Heller.

But clearly the involved parties aren't releasing many/any details about the talks or dialogue (beyond apparently what the administration isn't willing to offer -- subsidies) and those talks do not appear substantive at this point. And the usually knowledgeable sources (that the Capital writer has) don't have much of anything to offer/confirm/deny beyond want the official statements were. These are private talks, at this point, and there isn't much to them at this point, or at least not much that they're willing to announce publicly.

I'm sure the sources will follow up on the story and gain more knowledge as it develops (or not) over the next few months/years/decade.

At this point, what one of the sources was able to add to the article was that the deal does seem possible if NYCFC is willing to move ahead without any subsidies:

 

If avoiding having a soccer team playing in their stadium is the Yankees' objective, wouldn't there be easier ways to accomplish that, such as selling their stake? Relying on someone's anti-soccer feelings as a way to get a soccer stadium built doesn't seem a very promising route to success.

 

I thought the same thing, but it's Knave.

He is a soccer masochist.

 

Absolutely, my comments was only about the quality of play possibly being negatively impacted.
The awful surface at Century Link field hasn't stopped the Sounders success.

 

Indeed. the "very promising route to success" appears to be spending a fair amount of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's money (and maybe some Yankee money, too).

I'm not sure the Yankees have "anti-soccer feelings" beyond their general "pro-baseball feelings" (and business preferences).

Apparently selling their NYCFC stake wouldn't be good for Yankee business, at this point. (And they bought in to NYCFC likely knowing that a venue-sharing situation was going to be required for a few/several years.)

Well, if the shared venue reality turns out to be so bad that it actually does negatively impact the business(s) of the Bronx-based MLB and MLS teams in 2015 or whenever, then yes, the Yankees could sell their NYCFC stake (assuming there would be a buyer available).

 

you may want to revisit which epl teams (or any league) play on narrower fields and what their specific level of quality might be. given the choice, no really good player wants to play on a tight field.

 

Have you seen this said by the Yankees? Considering it has taken a year to announce (actually hasn't been 'officially' announced yet) NYCFC was sharing their stadium I really don't think they went in knowing they would be sharing their stadium/field. There were also reports not so long ago (a month ago or less) that NYCFC was looking elsewhere for a temp location. Again maybe you have inside info.

 

It's been the assumption all along. While I don't intend to look up old articles, it had been said since the announcement of the team that Yankee Stadium would most likely be a temporary venue until a stadium is built. I

 

Exactly. I know only what I read on BS or something linked from BS.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...tadium-for-nycfc.1997919/page-5#post-29327603

 

Everyone seems to be obsessing over this one article about a "De Blasio dialogue." Dialogues are held all the time and generally lead no where really quickly. The Mid East has been in a dialogue for nearly seventy years - haven't seen much peace progress in that area.

The article changes nothing. Until either De Blasio gives them millions of dollars of taxpayer money or the Sheik ponies up for the entire bill, nothing will change. That's the impasse. Talk, quite literally, is cheap.

To be honest with you, I think the 3 year temp home is an interesting number - especially since De Blasio is up for election in three years. I think the NYCFC owners are waiting to see if a new business friendly (a.k.a. your tax money going to rich people) Mayor will win election in 2017.

This is what it comes down to. You can think the Mayor will budge, or he won't. But this is what it comes down to.

But one should note, that dirty tactics can come into play. A Mosque was going to be built in lower Manhattan some years ago. However, a huge public movement came into play where the construction was deemed to be insensitive because of the proximity to Ground Zero. It's quite possible, given the Sheik's background, that this strategy could be drummed up by the community opponents to the stadium.

 

Maybe "anti-soccer feelings" was a bad choice of words. What I was referring to was fact that the Yankees' willingness to put up with having soccer played on their field is not unlimited. And I still don't think that that unwillingness is going to be enough to get a stadium built for NYCFC (maybe elsewhere, but not in a place where land is as precious as it is in NY) and that hoping that it will be is a recipe for disapointment.

 

Plus, it should also be noted that this "dialogue" is most likely nothing new - especially since the South Bronx community meeting (Jan 15) was held after De Blasio was inaugurated (I believe Jan 1).

Here's the link:
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...er-stadium-proposal-debated-at-public-meeting

TO FUZZX:

I know you have an urban planning background. You claimed this proposal would have no affect on traffic. Well, if you read the above article, you can see the Major Deegan would have serious issues (on an already too crowded highway). Huge transportation and logistics problems.

Not that it will stop anyone - the South Bronx has been the stomping ground for all those who like to spit on common folk.

 

I agree that "the Yankees' willingness to put up with having soccer played on their field is not unlimited" -- but ~3 seasons seems like a nice accommodation (and could/should be acceptable to all parties as needed).

The Yankees are a minority partner in NYCFC's ownership group. What is very/most likely to "be enough to get a stadium built for NYCFC" will be all the cash that the majority owner will have to throw at the project. (But the Yankees will show themselves to be a useful business partner. The Yankees aren't with NYCFC to "be enough to get the stadium built" but they may help with the timeline of the process, or as Knave envisions, "get a stadium built without hugely undue delays.")

 

Three years would be reasonable. I would hope that the Yankees could live with that. But can NYCFC get a stadium built in three years? I'm skeptical. This doesn't seem like the sort of problem that can be solved simply by throwing money at it.

 

The article above says nothing about traffic issues, only "The current proposal would require...altering an existing ramp to the Major Deegan highway."

I have read(or heard, I can't recall) that that exit ramp gets very little traffic, and modifying or closing it was part of DOT's plans, irrespective of the stadium, based on existing changes to traffic patterns.

It's based on that information, as well as the fact that the stadium generates half as much crowds as YS at best, that I stated that the project will not have an effect on traffic.

Also without knowing what DOT plans are, I can at least say that moving the exit slightly is feasible, if they think it is still needed.

A full traffic analysis is an essential part of a project of this kind, especially with the multiple modification to the road network. If there are any issues in this respect, they will be aired and vetted as part of the approval process.

 

Agreed.

It is healthy and wise to be skeptical.

But what do you see as this "sort of problem" currently for NYCFC?

From what I've read (that there's a plan/hope for a new soccer stadium near YS, and the new mayoral administration is willing to have a dialogue -- with some unnamed group but like the NYCFC owners -- and the adminstration is apparently setting the conditions of "no subsidies will be used" and "somebody's gotta pay to get this elevator company relocated"), this seems exactly like a situation that can (primarily, though perhaps not "simply") be resolved by NYCFC's owners throwing their money into the project.

 

Of course they would. It gives them negotiating leverage.

If you quit your job before you get a new one, your new employer can dictate terms.

But if you still have the old job, the new employer can't play hardball if they really want to hire you - you can just stay where you are.

My guess is they hope to get out before the end of three years. What the three years does is it takes away a card that other property owners can play if they have property the team wants for a stadium.

 

Sure, but they have been at it in NYC for 20 years, whereas it took about 3 years in KC to get construction going.

 

Bannister Mall was the second public bid. OnGoal actually owns that property if I recall. Before that they lost a ballot measure for a stadium on US 69 South. The current site is the third public site. HSG and the NSCAA prior to the sale had done some site studies on some land at 95th/Quivera/I-435 as well.

 

What I see as the problem (and maybe if what you say about the De Blasio administration is correct, this is eased some) is that the multiple levels of red tape in NYC and Albany are too thick, the degree of NIMBYism in NYC is too high, and available land in NYC is too scarce.

 

I agree with you, but there are a lot of posters on BigSoccer who would disagree with you about whether starting in NJ would affect how the team is viewed.

Of course a bunch of them now support a team outside NYC on Long Island.

 

Holy shit, that's Toyota Park

 

I squinted and thought it was Toyota Stadium or Crew Stadium.

All porn is basically the same.

 

Red tape, NIMBYism and land availability are all (or certainly can be extreme) challenges in their own way.

But having the Yankees in the ownership group, and there apparently being land relatively (for a cost) available near the new YS, seems like this is indeed some stadium project that Sheikh Mansour's money could accomplish (with the Yankees' help and local know-how in terms of overcoming the challenges).