What do you want in SLC's stadium?

[mellon002]

We've talked about this before on the DC board and it seems to be a distant dream. In order for an expansion team to be granted, I believe a good deal of progress must be made on a SSS. I think SLC is in better shape than some other teams, like DC United. So what do you want in your stadium? I know my first preference would be to have seats close to the field. Victoria Street seems to be so far removed from the action.

[Freddy Garcia Lives]

Mostly I say keep the costs down to what is reasonable. If Checketts wants public money and says it is going to cost $100 million than it will not happen. If he gets the costs around $50 million he has a lot better chance. With that said, I like to see the fans a little closer. A good raised plaza or terrace would be nice, with a set up that would accomidate concerts. That will help the sell.

[Crewmudgeon]

Beer.

[TheCrew04]

I think that Crew Stadium and Home Depot will be major influences on it. That's obvious. I expect to have about 30,000 seats. I can't think of anything else :rolleyes:

[Red Menace]

Crewmudgeon hit the nail on the head! Lots of BEER brutha!!!

[Zé Bill]

Do I remember correctly that a university in Utah has an athletic field that's live green grass growing through a mesh of plastic?

Or was that just a proposal that didn't happen?

begin message in english language

One downside of FieldTurf for soccer is the unpredictability of the bounce when the ball is spinning.

The ball might bounce as on grass in response to overspin, backspin, what have you, OR it might catch and hyper-bounce like a superball.

That's the way it was at the unlamented bye bye 2003 Dallas Burn's suburban high school, anyhow.

FieldTurf does seem to be the best of its type---maybe tweaking the 'underlayment' and the length/number of fake blades of grass will in future erase some of these criticisms.

Does anyone have info on how FieldTurf plays differently at different installations?

back to "grass-thru-mesh": Doesn't Real Madrid have a version of that concept for their field?

Orient your SSS so the wind isn't blocked, if possible. A few games on windy days you'll regret it, but you'll be glad on every hot day or night when your only friend is a light breeze.

Welcome, Salt Lake Seagulls(?)! Who'll have a name first, you or Dallas?

So. oh yeah I forgot Is there a grass-thru-mesh field in Utah...anyone? eom

[Freddy Garcia Lives]

That WAS the U of U. Didn't work out too well so they bagged it a couple? of years ago. They then went on to the field turf. The problem was that the cheerleaders kept grazing on it and would eat the mesh with it

[Eric Bekins]

Here's a quote by Checketts from the Deseret News article regarding a new stadium: "My dream would be to build a stadium that people can sit in and have a view of absolutely gorgeous mountains. When you live here all the time, you don't realize how pretty this place is. Just spend 14 years in New York, and you'll recognize what you have here. So I want to build a stadium that shows off the landscape, so you can sit here on those beautiful nights and watch a really competitive team."
If he's so concerned with having a view of the mountains, that makes me think that there won't be a roof over the seats. I hope someone like Jurgen Klinsmann can convince Checketts of the value of a roof. I know that the mountains of Utah are great and all, but I'm not going to a soccer game to look at the mountains, I'm going to see the game, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Besides, in March or October there can be some interesting weather I'm sure, and having a roof would actually be practical for situations like that. There are so many nice new stadiums in Europe to model from, with roofs that can be designed with curves and shapes that can really make a new stadium attractive. I hope it's going to be more like Victoria Street, and not just a smaller version of Rice-Eccles.

[DMunited]

I want it to be Downtown. Either near the Gate Way area, or preferrably on Earl Holding's dumb ass parking lot. Soccer could be a bridge between the east and west sides of the city and be the shot in the arm downtown SLC needs. But not if they put it in the suburbs.

Other than that. A small roof, a nice view of the moutains, and beer.

[Casper]

25,000 screaming soccer fans.

[nsamsarmy]

Amen to that! A bunch of butts in the seats is the most important thing, but I would like to see a nice design with a roof - particularly since the weather at times can be nasty there. I'm pretty familiar with the city, and I agree that downtown would be the best place for it. We really need a stadium located in the dowtown part of a city, and I think it would be perfect in SLC.

[SLCFan]

We really need a stadium located in the dowtown part of a city, and I think it would be perfect in SLC.

Who is WE? I live in Salt Lake. WE don't. I'm hoping for a sports complex, stadium attached, say 30 soccer fields and a stadium? This would benefit Salt Lake and Utah the most. MLS and fans get their SSS, Utah gets a facility that the entire community can enjoy. Much more beneficial to soccer overall that way. We already have a roofed arena downtown, the Delta Center where the Jazz play. There isn't a location downtown that could handle a complex.

[Goldenstick]

They could still leave the ends open and have a roof over the main seating. That would still allow for an intense atmosphere and a pleasing view. I would also want a good sound system and a couple of nice sized big screens to watch replays and such. The sound system would be nice to get some beats going for chants and the words displayed on the big screens so new fans can sing along!

[Jay U]

Sounds corny....but a mountain view. I think it'd be cool if you could see the mountains from wherever you're sitting. I'm not familiar with the the geography...maybe there will be a view regardless of how the stadium is built, but to a visitor of the stadium it would add to the atmosphere. I hope the franchise is successful. I think SLC would be a great site for international games. Bring the Mexicans to a game in the mountains in winter...

Simple suggestion that will bring fans back....Paved Parking Lots!

[REStad]

Uhm, if you lve here I would think you know that the 30 soccer fields you desire are already going to be built.

The money's been approved, and the designs are done, so, I'm not quite sure why you're trying to tie a SSS to that project. If the residents of Salt Lake County hadn't already voted for that facility, perhaps it would make sense, but, they did, it's already going to happen.



Who is WE? I live in Salt Lake. WE don't. I'm hoping for a sports complex, stadium attached, say 30 soccer fields and a stadium? This would benefit Salt Lake and Utah the most. MLS and fans get their SSS, Utah gets a facility that the entire community can enjoy. Much more beneficial to soccer overall that way. We already have a roofed arena downtown, the Delta Center where the Jazz play. There isn't a location downtown that could handle a complex.

[nyrmetros]

4 seperate stands, each with a roof.... meatpie stands.... Guiness on tap...... home supporters section terraced behind the north end.....

[Wade Bills]

(Some of these have been posted before)

1. A real grass field with no pointy-ball lines.

2. A seperate standing-room only general admission section for a supporter's section.

3. Beer on tap (not for me, but some of my fellow fans who enjoy a cold beverage at the match)

4. A sellout crowd at every game

5. A view of the magnificent Wastach mountains

6. A big trophy case for all the MLS cups and US Open cups won by our new team. (Well, that will have to come later I suppose)

[WarrenWallace]

4 seperate stands, each with a roof.... meatpie stands.... Guiness on tap...... home supporters section terraced behind the north end.....
It is getting old very, very quickly that you have to repeat what you did above for every new stadium.

[Rockey J Squirrel]

If Rockey is consistant to Dee Dee and her subsidy of the base ball stadium (which by the way has done nothing to redevelop the neigborhood) it will be Downtown. If there are 3000 people at Abravenal Hall, 20000 at the Delta Center, and 23000 at the Conference Center (which are all within a half mile) where are you going to park the cars? A 10 acre block might just contain a Old Euro style stadium but the City requires 1 parking place for every 4 seats in "outlying" area and 1 for every 10 in the parking rich (read $3 to $15 "event" parking)Downtown areas. I've seen $5000 plus land each quoted for parking places. For 3000 to 6000 parking places there is not room to put them next to a stadium or even nearby. A $15,000,000 to $30,000,000 Bill for parking. WOW! A recent article about parking in the Hotel zone (just to the south of the above area) said the are some 16000 places but most are in use and more needed. Of course, unless you have no other tenants and synthetic turf, you have no training faclities and no messed up grass to simulate your opponents field and no place for your affiliate reserve and youth clubs. Post event traffic in Downtown SLC is bad and would be worse. Security of a blockfilling stadium with free traffic flow on four sides will not meet new rules. A camera moniterable circular control zone for pedrestrians (and to exclude bomb fill vehicles form getting next to the stadium) that can have secondary checkpoints before the entry/ticketing portals is now the requirement (it also make a neat place for pick up game while waiting to get in). The Main seating will have to be on the West side (looking at the Wasatch Mountains). 7:30pm Sun at your back in the summer.
Give me a Suburban site with lots of adjacent sports fields, free parking, on the TRAX line and with Freeway access!

[WishHoustonHAdATeam]

I live in Houston (Needless to say considering the name but still....) so I am very accustomed to seeing sports events in closed roof stadiums and I can tell you from experience that when the roof is open at Reliant Field or Minute Maid Park the atmosphere is a million times better than when they close the roof...I would rather get wet or sweat on a hot day than have another stupid retractable roof stadium in the United States....