Garcia, Lee offer deal for Dynamo Commissioners propose to offer $10 million for stadium project By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Dec. 23, 2008, 11:01PM Harris County Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia have tentatively agreed to contribute $10 million in public money to the Dynamo stadium project, provided the team and the city agree to certain conditions, city and county officials said Tuesday. The proposal the commissioners sent the city late Monday states the money would have to be used to build the public amenities and infrastructure serving the stadium, rather than the physical structure itself, Garcia said. That might include the water and sewer lines for the stadium, or the parking lots and tree-lined plazas surrounding it. Other conditions include guaranteeing that Texas Southern University will be allowed to play home games at the stadium and agreeing that 15 percent of the seats will never be sold for more than than the average price of a movie ticket. "We want to make sure that that's included in the agreement so we won't see a situation where the stadium is built and they focus on suites or club suites and their prices double or triple in the first few years," Garcia said. full story...
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! its a Christmas Miracle!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! It is a GREAT step and while I am happy, I won't be celebrating this until the shovels are outside the actual stadium lot and the ribbon cutting ceremony happens, but heck yeah! If we actually get the stadium, all Dynamo fans need to vote for current mayor Bill White for US Senate. I will be the 1st in line. I actually watched a high school basketball game featuring St Thomas (Bill White's son plays for them) play Cy Springs and I met the mayor and asked him about the stadium being done for the Dynamo and he stated to me "The Dynamo are a very good team and a professional organization and it is my goal before I leave office as mayor of Houston to give you and the Dynamo fans want they want, a permanent home." Thought I would pass this along to everyone. Thanks for the beginning of a great Christmas, Bill White and city officials and let's get this thing crackin' by Feb 09' will ya? I for one, am tired of Robertson Stadium and would love to have the Interliga and all other big games hosted at a soccer made facility.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Thanks Santa.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Extremely pleased to hear this. Let's hope this all gets straightened out in time for Jan. 13. All the delays were making me nervous.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! FAREWELL TO THE DUMP WE KNOW AS ROBERTSON... after the 2009 season. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! DynaKat, I don't think if the Dynamo didn't get city approval to build the stadium in downtown, that they were leaving anyways. I would think that they would move to the outskirts of the city. But we don't have to worry anymore, it is a couple kinks anyway from being done. Anyone on the Chronicle like "trutexanfan", who's team hasn't had a winning season and a playoff berth since their inception into the NFL, can go cry to their mama now that the Dynamo are about to get the home they truly deserve.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! I read this story when it was hot of the press, and still can't believe it. Christmas is here indeed! I hope they work everything out.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Yesssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Is this real? This is perfect! Eh, the more i read, the less it seems like a done deal, but certainly this is something to be excited about. Merry Christmas Dynamo fans!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! After the 2010 season at best, no? Or am I not fully appreciating just how big this news is?
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! ok sounds like good news for the dynamo and the fans but lets take a look at the conditions that the comissioners are proposing. In Lee and Garcia's proposal to the city they ask that: (1) The county's participation involving the money derived from TIRZ 15 be capped at $10,000,000 net present value. ** This seems to relate to the county using the money on infrastructure for the stadium eg sewer lines power etc. This is good as that way they can say its to the benefit of the city not just the team. (2) Provisions will be included in the Dynamo's lease with the city that will allow Texas Southern University to schedule it's home football games there to the extent such use does not conflict with soccer games. TSU will only be obligated to pay certain operating costs. ** As long as the Dynamo have first call on the stadium its ok. Although the phrase "to pay certain operating costs" would have to be examined further. (3) The Dynamo's lease will allow Harris County to have a reasonable number of dates to use the stadium and receive all of the related revenue. ** Again money issues are always going to need further examination. However if the county can sell the stadium for all the community it would be a much better sell. Again cant interfere with the dynamo though. (4) The lease to the Dynamo will include provisions that the soccer team be responsible for all maintenance and capital repair costs of the stadium. ** Better build it well then!!! Problem is, even though others will be able to use the stadium, the Dynamo will be expected to pay the costs of repairs. Hmm could be a sticking point. (5) The Dynamo are required to make 15% of the stadium seating affordable for families. Affordability defined by the average movie ticket price in the Houston area. ** I really like this idea. Im not sure how expensive movie tix or dynamo tix are but they cant be too high right. I think this should apply to all sports though. Somehow i doubt that would happen. Please correct me if it does though. (6) At the end of the lease to the Dynamo, the stadium will be jointly owned by the county and the city and at any time both can give their ownership interests to the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. ** Probably the biggest sticking point. Im not sure how long the lease is though. But AEG would have to recoup the cost of building the stadium in that time. And then what happens after the lease is over? Do the dynamo get treated like second class citizens. I guess its now in AEG court. I hope for the fans sake all goes well.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Frohe Weihnachten an alle Dynamo fans !! f.ing sweet news
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Currently cheap seats for Dynamo games cost $15. An average movie ticket is $12. This is already pretty close. You could probably make an argument about national average movie ticket price being $15 or some nonsense, so we're likely already there. I like this philosophy and I don't think anyone is going to fight it.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! I believe the conditions are not out of this world. Where do I signed, where's the dotted line??? Feliz Navidad Dynamo !!!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! My god, does everybody have alarm clocks set to big Dynamo stadium news??? I thought somehow I'd missed this news last night, I went back to check the time of the first post, it was 1:49am. All these other posts were during the night ............ Anyway, this is the Christmas miracle, the Grinch found his heart, there's joy in Who-ston! Does anybody think it's sort of strange that the Dynamo are being told how much to charge for their seats, though? Nobody's telling the Astros or the Rockets that. And can you imagine telling the Texans they have to charge the average movie price for an NFL ticket? Ha! But it's a nice provision, though, I hope it's not a sticking point....
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Ticket thng is easy: Give the SG's a discount for their entire section which will be in the lower bowl and problem solved !!!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Most of those conditions are items that have already been discussed in this process, like TSU participation, or are the sorts of things you often see in sports venue transactions. The only thing that's a little different is the ticket price item, but that's likely to become a very popular notion and should actually help with the public relations aspect of this proposal. Great news. We continue to be very fortunate in Houston to have a team that's well managed and local public officials who recognize a good deal for everyone.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! correct as always anderson. there's some dumb-ass FO out in MLS that wouldn't have gotten this far in negotiations for a downtown SSS. (emphasis on downtown) ps - thank you Baby Jesus for this present!!!!!
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Wooo Hoooo! A lot of conditions but I'm hoping the Dynamo just declare victory and move forward.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! This is positive, but I kind of feel like we got a cool sweater for Christmas rather than the remote-controlled car we asked for. Does the Dynamo even need $10M more for infrastructure or is that already covered under the City's contribution under the TIRZ? I think the intention of the Dynamo for the final $10M was for stadium construction and not ancillary improvements. There is probably a way to call things "infrastructure" that are essentially part of the stadium itself but some of these other conditions are downright strange and may not be worth the $10M contribution, depending upon how AEG does its calculus. A stipulation that 15% of the tickets be no more than a ticket for a product in another industry? Let's go to someone in the Pavillions and tell them that their prices for beer are tied into an index of Pepsi prices - odd. A crafty proposal by Garcia and Lee to give the appearance of an offer when it is closer to a polished turd than a Cadillac.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! polished turds are shiny. I like polished turds! Not to be confused with Polish turds.
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! Don't be so harsh will Robertson Stadium isn't the best setup in the world it has been a place to call home, Maybe I'm a little bias being an Alumni of Houston and avid Cougar fan. My other thought is how do they propose that there will be NO TSU Football lines for the Dynamo games?
Re: Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia offer $10 million for stadium project! i'm a cougar too, but that place is a dump. that auxiliary building in the northend should improve it a notch. hopefully it includes restrooms with 19th century plumbing (at minimum). btw IMO, Hofheinz Pav > Robertson Stadium. i like the 1970's retro feel to Hofheinz. too bad the nachos are also from the 1970's.