San Jose Earthquakes Stadium - 2015 Can't Come Soon Enough!

The Guadalupe River Park already extends from the Airport into downtown and offers a nice little trail system along the river. It's my commute 2-3 times a week, if I'm lucky.

While I have no doubt there are other plans for the rest of the area between 87 and Coleman I very much like the river trail and hope to see a robust pedicab industry that services our post game traffic between the stadium and downtown.

 

My understanding is the RR isn't used that much anymore, and, of course, it's certainly possible to have a RR crossing at grade. But, I know for a fact that Vendome neighborhood activists would complain because one has already told me so.

 

If you visit the San Jose Market Center, the master plan anticipates all the unsightly buildings across the street on Coleman would be acquired and converted to parkland. Of course, that's just one of many unfunded master plans in the San Jose park system.

 

The stadium site is Coleman Ave & Newhall Drive, immediately west (really southwest) of the southern end of the airport. The river forms the eastern boundary of the airport.

 

The RR seems to be used at least twice a day on week days, my condo is next to it between 2nd and 3rd. Seems to usually be hauling gravel, and depending on the number of cars, gives us a nice earthquake simulation... I'd say between 3 and 4 on the Richter scale,

This is based on my experience of working from home, but the last few months I've not been doing that much and it does seem like I never hear it at all...

But the real evidence is to stop by and take a glance down the track to witness the "vanishing point" demonstration. If the top of the tracks shine, the tracks are still in use. These track shine.

They are completing a crossing on New Autum, near the Target, so we'll be able to go through between Coleman and Julian (it'll probably connect via Howard)

I'm guessing it might have been Tina, who told you they like the Coleman overpass. If it was taken out they'd lose that mural too.

 

Kind of off topic. Here's a recent picture of Robertson Stadium in Houston. Former home of the 'moes. UofH is building a new stadium on the site.


OK, not kind of off topic, totally off topic ... but still kind of interesting.

 

http://www.houstonfootballstadium.com/home/

They've torn down the old stadium without budget approval for the new one and no place yet lined up to play in 2013. YeeHa!

 

This is what Spartan needs on their east side.

 

They're gonna play on the field and have SRO. That's why it's still green.

 

I hope that whatever happens, it completely sucks. A plague on their house! And I know this is the University, and not the DynamoeHumms. Even so, I hope all their plans come to naught.

GO QUAKES!!!

- Mark

 

The city will also be restoring Julian Street to its original grid, getting rid of the curve it now makes when it swings down to combine with St. James right at Pellier Park. Arnold gave us $24-million to do this, although I don't know when it's supposed to commence. The idea is to re-establish the grid-parcels, construct more mid-rise accommodations and create a whole new mini-neighborhood surrounded by Market, St. James and Bassett. It's supposed to happen - I just don't know when. I'm pretty sure that everyone involved also believes that the overpass should be destroyed, since the tracks are barely used. I've heard that for years. But that also doesn't dovetail with the fact that there's a new crossing, as someone already posted, right at Autumn behind the Market Center, behind Target, along the side of the river.

For us, it makes obvious sense to intertwine all of this with any plan to make the soccer stadium connect more to downtown, but I really don't think the city has any vision to understand that. All they care about is more mid-rise housing and baseball.

 

The Quakes could do construction in the winter. It's actually cheaper to get a crew working in the colder seasons. The 49ers stadium has construction crews at work.

The delays are just that. A way of stalling for a few months until there is more clarity about market conditions and other opportunities.

 

So who is responsible for the delays?

 

Earthquakes Soccer LLC is ultimately responsible for everything. I'm just making the point that waiting to construct the structure is a business decision based on keeping their options open. There is still uncertainty about a lot of things: the real estate market, other uses for the land, other cities wanting a team (San Antonio is allegedly shopping for a team). Once you actually start constructing a stadium (pouring a foundation, etc), it is really expensive to change your mind or go in a different direction. Once again, Earthquakes Soccer LLC has managed to signal their commitment to the Coleman site and calm down the fans without actually making a huge financial committment. For the cost of a small sign and a few plastic shovels, they've bought themselves another season of fan optimism and patience.

 

I'm sure they will use the rains as an excuse. Even though it only rained on a holiday weekend.

 

I think you guys are reading this wrong. The construction hasn't started yet not because they are afraid to pull the trigger - it's because they literally don't know what they're building yet. They don't have the final design/plans ready yet. As Kaval has stated in recent interviews and articles, they have been moving on with decisions about every little thing in the stadium and actual design, and that is taking them a lot longer than anticipated. We havrnt seen new renderings, much less a more detailed seating chart, because they don't have the design finished yet. If they don't have the design finished yet, it's not a matter of wanting to start construction; it's that they literally can't start.

 

Um, I think the expenditure has been a little more than plastic shovels (which are not actually plastic BTW - if you'd been there to support the team you'd know) and a sign. I'm sure the design work at this time is running into the millions, not to mention the environmental studies, etc. And if they are thinking of dumping the team, why go through all the effort to "buy another season of fan optimism and patience". They are going to rake the cash cow that is porta-potty laden 10.5k capacity Buck Shaw?

 

You guys are talking to a wall... Give up.

 

Alas, no more negative rep.

I wouldn't let this bug me if you were the only one spouting this nonsense, but you're in good company. I don't what it is with some of you who flatly refuse to believe that Wolff and Fisher are good owners, that they've spent a ton of their own cash on OUR team, that they brought us back from the dead, that they are going to build us a new stadium with their own money when no other owners have even identified a site for a stadium in the previous 34 years.

And I assume that some of you will complain about the stadium once it's finished and running.

We have the best owners, ever. Drink it.

GO QUAKES!!!

- Mark

 

More on new stadia and just ow bitchin' this is. This is an article on the new Highmark stadium in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, USLPro side.

We are going to have a much cooler, much larger stadium, in a much cooler town. (Sorry Pittsburgh.) There will be players who really want to play for us now. A permanent home means never worrying about OUR team being moved again. I bet we get a lot more love from MLS and the media in general. It's going to be a huge move, and our excellent owners pulled this off when no previous owners even made a half hearted attempt.

F#$% yeah!

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

 

Pittsburgh doesn't seem that uncool, guy. They have nice hills.

 

Poor Skippy. Take heart that you're getting the GSW in 'frisco. Sure, you're losing 49ers, and yeah, the Quakes are NEVER going to locate in 'frisco, but hey -- you'll always have the Castro!

 

I'm sure that Pittsburgh is a cool place. But San José has better weather, great open spaces nearby, it's the capital of Silly Valley, and thus one of the most exciting and innovative places on the planet. San José is one of the greatest cities in North America.

GO QUAKES!!!
GO SAN JOSE!!

- Mark

 

We need to start building a place which reflects that. This stadium will be a good start.

 

Last week it was XMAS, then it rained this week its New Year's and its too cold to pound nails.....