Wow. A USLPro team with a riverside downtown SSS stadium, in a major US city. didn't see that coming. Most excellent indeed.
If this is indeed the Station Square idea, there can be certain strategic advantages to having a riverfront stadium near downtown Pittsburgh in the summer. Just wait to see if they reserve the Westin Convention Center or anything downtown between the rivers in mid-June to mid-July.
Bad ass. This is exactly what we should be seeing at this level. A small, but classy, stadium that will foster a good atmosphere. Hopefully the new stadium will foster some excitement and drive some sell outs. Between this and San Antonio's stadium, we may yet see blueprint to stability for lower division teams of varying ambitions.
For those unfamiliar with the area, it's on a bike/running trail, very close to a tourist-friendly development with restaurants/bars/shops/parking, with easy access to 2 major highways and at least one or 2 buslines. It's also familiar to locals, as there's been a mid-major music venue there off and on for the last 10 years or so. Really nice spot for a team that's had its share of troubles. Cool to see from my hometown.
Nice... so whats the Vegas line on this actually happening? Where is the $$$ coming from? Public? Private?
Read the release. Privately funded. About $7M. Supposed groundbreaking March, open late summer. Obviously, it's an ambitious timetable. Until and unless someone blows a whistle and a game starts there, you never know. But if they pull it off, it's a great thing.
Slightly more here. This story pushes construction back to "late March or early April" and says the team is "hoping to begin play there in late summer." Well, the season ends in late summer. They may not get into this thing this year. We'll see.
It's actually in that article: "The 3,500-seat stadium with a hybrid-turf surface will cost $7 million and is being funded by private investors, including Highmark — which will have naming rights — Trib Total Media and #1 Cochran Automotive." Read more: Plenty unique about Riverhounds' Station Square digs - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_775987.html#ixzz1jBYeIPbw
Your on a roll Kenn, is that AZ sun getting to you again? Whenever I see you going off on BS, I imagine you like Clint Eastwood in Gran Tarino, in chair, with a shotgun yelling at kids to get off your lawn. Any who, when I read it, I assumed that Highland, Cochran and the Trib were merely ads/boards/jersey sponsors and not really investors. The article does mention super, secret, KGB-like "private investors". I bet its the Heinz family. I am just shocked that a large health care provider, a car dealership and a newspaper are working together with a low budget minor league soccer team to spend $7 million of their own money. Sounds like a setup for a joke. Just shocked by that news. But I'll yield to the power of links. And hopeful thinking.
Cochran has been a sponsor of the Hounds for as long as I can remember so that isn't too much of a surprise. They are the largest dealer in the area. Highmark came out of no where but is a pleasant surprise. I imagine that is partly a result of their ongoing fight with UPMC (the other hospital group / insurance in the area). Highmark is showing they are going to big, long term part of the community. I believe Allegheny Health Systems (which Highmark recently bought) have been the doctors of the team for a while as well. The Trib is one of the largest local news/media companies. They have a big hand in all the local sports. This is probably them aggressively expanding their roll in local sports other than the Steelers and Penguins. Those 3 aren't necessarily the only ones fronting money. I don't think it's a big stretch for some out of the ordinary groups to come together on this. If you want to get involved with local sports the only real options used to be the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates. I'm sure they aren't cheap. But here is something they can back for comparatively little, in a prime location, and going no where but up. Everyone wins. No idea who the private investors are. Also rumor has it the Hounds themselves have been saving up over the years as well.
If so, that's amazing, impressive, and completely against the typical money flow for lower-division US soccer. Really looking forward to seeing the end result.
*SIGH* Reminds me of back when the Nashville Metros were going to have a nice new facility built before their major sponsor, HCA, got into hot water and put the kibosh on the whole deal.
See to me it makes sense. They are partnering with the Riverhounds to provide a facility that not only the soccer team will use but also, high schools, colleges, youth teams, a women's football team, lacross and some possibliy some other sports. Not to mention the traffic that will go by. It's by two major bridges and across the river from downtown Pittsburgh. So they get a heck of lot exposure then just sponsoring a D3 pro soccer team. That's my take, but I could be wrong, and if you ask my wife that's more times then I'm correct. LOL
Blackbaud here in Charleston was built with private funds as was Silverback park in Atlanta so their is a precedent for privately fund stadiums in lower divisions. Im glad for the Riverhounds especially since former Battery players, Evans and Kutney are up their. Im sure their experiences in Charleston were a big factor in driving this home..
True, but in both cases you had owners who were either real estate or tech tycoons. Neither applies to any of the ownership of the Hounds that I have read. I'm all for the Hounds stadium, just not sure all the pieces come together. Let's hope so.
True but I read the post as the fact that it was private funding and not public funding that he found to be interesting and a new thing.
I heard a large part of the private funding is from Kutney and Evans, who socked away some of the massive paychecks from their Battery playing days.....
