Mysterious mention about a Miami SSS

[wufc]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcmarstad14sep14,0,2687295.story?coll=sfla-news-palm

Look at the end of the article. The SSS part is just tacked on casually.

[BhoysFC1995]

it is a bit weird.

here's the small blurb-
Tearing down the Orange Bowl and building a baseball stadium and a small soccer stadium on the site would require less property, but the Hurricanes would need to move to Dolphins Stadium, a move the University of Miami has not endorsed.

honestly, i'd love to know where the writer got that info from, or perhaps he jsut made it up, which is possible.

[wufc]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/content/sports/epaper/2005/09/15/a4c_marlinsstadium_0915.html

The city has said that instead of renovating the Orange Bowl — a plan that has been in the works for years, Arriola said — it could tear down UM's home, build two new stadiums and still spend millions less overall. One facility would be for the Marlins; the other would be a football stadium that could be used to attract a professional soccer team.

Ok, this makes more sense in terms of soccer, Miami would never build an SSS. But this makes no sense in terms of Miami. Exactly how will they build a baseball and football stadium for less than $500 million?

[SoccerPrime]

Good find Wufc.
Interesting idea. I think most of you know that the Mayor of Miami is strongly trying to convince Real Madrid to bring a pro soccer team back to South Florida. Of course they only want it at the Orange Bowl, so this articles(s) have some merit.
I hope it happens.

[denver_mugwamp]

If little blurbs like this were actual soccer teams, we'd have enough teams to set up a pretty decent pro/rel system in this country. Oh wait, that's another thread...

[SoccerPrime]

True, but there is no other soccer related news coming out of Miami.
Beggars can't be choosers.

[texgator]

Sounds like it would be a small football stadium for high school ball that could double as a SSS. There isn't a ton of land around the OB, but its not like it would be hard to condemn the crack houses it has as neighbors.

[MiamiAce]

Good find Wufc.
I think most of you know that the Mayor of Miami is strongly trying to convince Real Madrid to bring a pro soccer team back to South Florida.

Do you have any links on that exact suggestion?

Or are you rearranging the story of how Real Madrid is trying to negotiate with the Mayor to bring a "Real Madrid Theme Park" or "RM Soccer School Academy" to Miami? Anyways, I would love to see it happen, but it's just so trivial at this point, just like in 2003 when Florentino Perez, President of Real, said he would bring an MLS team to Miami in 2010 as his "Final Frontier" plan. Nothing has developed since. I think another setback (my personal opinion at least) is that the Mayor of Miami, Manny Diaz, is a Cuban... and Cubans are not known as soccer enthusiasts. So somehow, I don't see a Cuban, with his Cuban-majority staff, working diligently and aggressively to make a pro soccer team in Miami happen. I think he would rather see the Florida Marlins stay in South Florida. However, if he's smart, Mayor Diaz would know that Miami County's Latin population is very close to 50% non-Cuban, and mainly from soccer countries. Not to mention, estimates of 150,000 Brazilians living in Miami County.

MLS is due to be in Miami. And NO, not in North Ft. Lauderdale (which is outside Miami County) and stamp the team name "Miami" Fusion. That was a big joke. Have a team close to the Miami metro area, and there will be tons of support. Soccer is the most participated organized sport in any age bracket in Miami. Flag football is about the same level among 18-24 yr olds. Hopefully Florentino Perez pushes this hard until his time is up, it would be an incredbily genius investment considering Miami's ever-increasing Latin American population and culture, and nicknamed the "American capital of Latin America".

[fclalala]

Exactly how will they build a baseball and football stadium for less than $500 million?

For reference, the new St. Louis Cardinals stadium cost around <a href="http://cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stl/ballpark/stl_ballpark_newpark_factsheet.jsp">$346 million</a>. If the "football" stadium is a SSS type 25,000 seat stadium built for $60 to $80 million then you are at a cost of $400 to $425 million and that is without any contribution from the Marlins.

[wufc]

For reference, the new St. Louis Cardinals stadium cost around <a href="http://cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stl/ballpark/stl_ballpark_newpark_factsheet.jsp">$346 million</a>. If the "football" stadium is a SSS type 25,000 seat stadium built for $60 to $80 million then you are at a cost of $400 to $425 million and that is without any contribution from the Marlins.
I was assuming that the new "football" stadium was a new Orange Bowl.

[fclalala]

I was assuming that the new "football" stadium was a new Orange Bowl.

Maybe that is true, as the baseball + SSS stadium for under $500 million only comes from combining information from both articles. I assumed the plan would be to move the other proffesional football team (U of M) to Dolphins stadium and have just one stadium for each sport (Dolphins Stadium, New Marlins park, New Soccer/football stadium)

[SoccerPrime]

When the articles came about Real's interest in Miami as a host to their "theme parks", I emailed the 1 reporter who initially reported it in Miami (AP had sent out the other ones). He emailed me back and said:
1-Theme parks were really soccer academies
2-Mayor Diaz of Miami was trying to get Real to not only get this academy going but also establish a pro team in Miami
3-Diaz wanted that pro team to play at the Orange Bowl
4-Diaz was also trying to get Real Madrid to play an international friendly some time this year.

Now, after this news about the Marlin's stadium falling apart, I emailed all the reporters who have covered this so far.
I got various responses, but basically they all said:
1- If Miami can convince the Unv of Miami to play at Dolphins then the Orange Bowl may be razed to build a Marlins baseball stadium AND a soccer stadium on the same grounds.
2- If Marlins don't want the Orange Bowl area, they would use the money which has already been approved to remodel the Orange Bowl. The idea here is that they would update the stadium, make it still a primarily American Football stadium (capacity over 60,000) but the field fit international soccer standards.
Miami officials seem to think a team like Real would place a pro team in Miami at a new Orange Bowl if it was updated.

FYI we did discuss some of this in the Real Miami thread, available somewhere in the MLS Expansion forum.

[wufc]

Maybe Miami residents can help me with my conjectures, as I'm pretty much guessing. But it seems like the OB site is quite a desirable area, since it's located in "downtown Miami," and Dolphins Stadium is just out there. I would guess that the Marlins would want this area. At the same time, I don't think U of Miami would have any motivation to move out of Orange Bowl, because colleges don't care about playing in rickety stadiums, and especially if the move were out to Dolphins Stadium. Also, if the OB is renovated for soccer, Real Madrid and MLS would want favorable rent. It looks like the city is willing to give them that, but it could also mean they would want RM to take a hand in construction, which would be very unlikely since they'd be secondary tenants.

[SoccerPrime]

I don't know, I think the Orange Bowl area is kinda a dump, but maybe thats just me.
I know the Hurricanes prefer the OB to the Dolphins/Joe Robbie/ProPlayer stadium. But at least they have the option.
Of course besides the soccer side of the arguement, ie Miami convincing Real that MLS and the OB are a "good deal"; Marlins might just move to Las Vegas or Portland.

In any case it "seems" one of the follow will happen:
1-Marlins and Miami build ballpark on OB site, thus opening up the possiblity that Miami will also build a SSS.
or
2-Marlins reject OB deal and Miami still uses the already gathered public funds to renovate the OB.

Both seem good for MLS prospects.
Of course there are more possibilities.
Marlins could reject OB site and convince Miami to use the money appointed to the OB to be used elsewhere to build new baseball park.
:(
Who knows.

[soybostero]

The Hurricane fans won't accept the team move to Dolphins stadium. Who cares about the Marlins (get rid of them). I hope they rennovate the OB and bring in a MLS team. The Miami Fusion was horribly planned, being put in Ft. Lauderdale was idiotic.

I guarantee if there is an MLS team in the Orange Bowl there will be an insane amount of success for MLS. I read that LA Galaxy season tickets were $100, if that's the case, I know I'd buy season tickets for a Miami team in the OB.

[SoccerPrime]

It does seem that the Canes will not be playing at Dolphins Stadium.
So right now the whole situation is in Pause Mode.

There are 2 Miami soccer plans in play at this time:
#1-Rogers and Hudson's plan to return the Strikers to Lockhart in 2007, albeit in the USL1.

#2-Mayor Diaz trying to convince Real Madrid to invest in MLS at the Orange Bowl. No date mentioned.

We'll see.

[liverpoolsc]

On the Galaxy website you can apply for a 2006 season ticket with a $100 non-refundable deposit. I would guess that the least expensive season ticket would well over $250. I think that most MLS tickets range between $15 and $30 per game. Therefore, 16 home games would be much more than $100.

I still think it's a good deal, though, when you compare the cost to an NFL game. You can easily spend over $100 for one game.

[soybostero]

I'd be willing to spend upwards of $300, price doesn't matter. Having a real local team to root for, having a large group of regulars to cheer with, and a succesfuly "Major League" team in the area is priceless. I'm very confident that a MLS team in the OB would draw, and would have the best fans in the MLS. Miami is TOO abundant with a S.American crowd not to draw.

On top of that, if they were to bring a S.American legen at the backend of his career (i.e. when Valderrama was brought) it would be a great idea.

Is there any way a petition could be signed, OR season tickets could be sold before a team was established to PROVE there would be a large fan base?

[SoccerPrime]

Is there any way a petition could be signed, OR season tickets could be sold before a team was established to PROVE there would be a large fan base?
Probably only if one of us pro-Florida MLS fans start it.