RSL'ians, can you educate me please?

[Matrim55]

Meanwhile, Anderson Geneva Inc., in Vineyard, Utah County, has re-offered 30 acres of former steel-plant land for a giant stadium, with promises to build without asking for money from Utah County taxpayers.

"We realize that Real Salt Lake is homeless," said Michael Hutchings, co-owner of Anderson Development. "We would try to build them a really nice home on the Geneva property in Utah County."
From this article. (http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660191513,00.html)

I don't feel like wading through 25 pages on the MLS: N&A forums, so someone please explain here: What's the catch? Why won't this work?

[Paul Schmidt]

Having read some of those 25 pages, and living a mere 350 miles away...

(1) It's Utah County, home of Brigham Young University, much more likely to restrict alcohol sales... or at least give that impression.

(2) 30 miles from Salt Lake City. While the proposed location has good freeway access, it's THE freeway for the Wasatch Front, a bit busy for weeknight matches.

(3) Testimony I hear is that Ken Horowitz was more flush with money than this wannabe buyer. Of course, it's obvious that this man sees the possibility of developing the remainder of the 1,700 acres around it to make him money.

[Blitzz Boy]

What if RBNY moved to Carteret? (I worked in Carteret for 3 months. I liked it! It was kinda cute.)

And what if Carteret had extremely strict liquor laws and the city council might not allow their shiny new stadium down there to sell beer?

I'd rather drive to Happy Valley than to St Louis. So I would go to every weekend game down there but no work night games.

[Arelius]

It actually about 45 minutes from SLC. If SLC is MLS' smallest market, imagine what Orem is like...

[TheRightHandofDoom]

Steel Mill = Brownfield.

[santeroatomico]

It actually about 45 minutes from SLC. If SLC is MLS' smallest market, imagine what Orem is like...

Orem has an expansion basketball team for the NBADL
I know it does not have anything to do with soccer.

[CyphaPSU]

Here is the area in question.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7135/aerialjz2.png
Yellow denotes approx. location of proposed stadium site.

[Kaiser]

Having read some of those 25 pages, and living a mere 350 miles away...

(3) Testimony I hear is that Ken Horowitz was more flush with money than this wannabe buyer. Of course, it's obvious that this man sees the possibility of developing the remainder of the 1,700 acres around it to make him money.

BINGO!

I see this as the problem too. The Fairpark is and always was the solution numero uno, but Checketts sees this as a way to cash in.

[Kaiser]

do you mean brown field???

Steel Mill = Brownfield.

[SoccerPrime]

Unfortunately it maybe be Utah County or move the team out of state.

If you were MLS, whats the best thing for the League?

Moving the team 30 miles from core of current metro or to Cleveland?

[leg_breaker]

Salt Lake County mayor Peter Corroon is my new hero. He is a guy who finally stood up for his city and told a rich man who wants to gamble with our money, "No."
...
I don't understand people who are rich enough to buy sports teams, private jets and various vacation homes, but they can't - or won't - finance their own arenas and stadiums.
Time and again, cities are the biggest losers in stadium deals involving public money.
Citizens get saddled with a bunch of taxes to pay for a huge chunk of the arenas. Inevitably, the same owners demand newer arenas or threaten to move the team because the arena is suddenly outdated or doesn't meet their needs. The answer: more taxes.

Can't really disagree with that.

[SoccerPrime]

Can't really disagree with that.

I can. RSL and its investors were planning to spend over $90 million on an $120 million project. The County would use taxes from Tourists/Hotels (not residents) to pay their $30 million, and for their 30 mil, they would have gotten land, a parking garage, oh and a first class soccer facility.

But if they don't want it, thats fine. Good luck dreaming of luring a MLB or NFL team any decade soon.

[M]

I can. RSL and its investors were planning to spend over $90 million on an $120 million project. The County would use taxes from Tourists/Hotels (not residents) to pay their $30 million, and for their 30 mil, they would have gotten land, a parking garage, oh and a first class soccer facility.


In my book, fleecing tourists to pay for facilities used overwhelmingly by locals is even more unacceptable. Why should they have to help pay for a flippin' stadium? I realize this is a favourite trick of many places in the US, but that doesn't make it any more acceptable.


But if they don't want it, thats fine. Good luck dreaming of luring a MLB or NFL team any decade soon.

Yeh, fancy somewhere choosing to put principles ahead of being bribed by a wealthy sports team owner...

[SoccerPrime]

What planet are you on?

This is the way 99% of stadiums/arenas in the US get built.

Only in Canada its different, where the Federal gov't kicks in some money too.

RSL was offering to pay 3/4 of the money through private means. Find a deal like among any stadium deal in the US?
Plus I forget to mention that RSL was also going to pay $7.5 million for youth soccer complex in downtown SLC.

[M]

What planet are you on?

This is the way 99% of stadiums/arenas in the US get built.


I'm aware of that. Doesn't make it any more acceptable. That's why it's so refreshing to find somewhere not willing to play the bribe game with taxpayers' money.


Only in Canada its different, where the Federal gov't kicks in some money too.


Here's a clue. There are countries beyond the US and Canada.

[SoccerPrime]

Here's a clue. There are countries beyond the US and Canada.

Well we are in the North America, so thats where we draw comparisons. If not, we would be talking about relegation and promotion.

You may see it as fleecing a tourist, but to most Gov'ts its a way for the residents to benefit from the tourist money that a community comes into contact with.

I live in a very heavy tourist area, tourist taxes go to education, health care and sports areans.

Also, SLC is competing against other US cities for sports franchises. If they want to send a message that they won't deal with sports owners, thats fine. They just have to realize that by doing this, they will no longer be a viable market for said sports owners.

[Poqui Moqui]

Orem is too far from metro Salt Lake and it is at the southern end of the Wasatch Front. This creates a few problems:

(1) Reduces the possibility of the venue being used for other events because it is not centrally located.

(2) May be too far for fans from the northern end of the Wasatch Front (north Davis and Weber counties) and a large group of supporters.

(3) The hotel and restaurant associated with the stadium will not get as much business (except for BYU graduation and Education Week).

(4) Traffic into Utah County is terrible between 4-7 pm weekdays and always heavy on the weekends. Any traffic accident will lock up traffic for hours.

(5) Most influential players and coaches live near Park City making this one hour drive (minimum) each way.

[wolfp10]

Here is the area in question.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7135/aerialjz2.png
Yellow denotes approx. location of proposed stadium site.

I can just feel the pollution from that image.

[texgator]

I can just feel the pollution from that image.And I can just feel the delays that come with Environmental Impact studies, EPA regulated clean up and needing Federal and State agencies to approve the quality of the site at every step of the process. Basically....Harrison, NJ times 10.

Oh yeah...and the costs associated with all the above adding to the stadium's price tag.

[Dan Loney]

Maybe there's a polluted site closer to SLC that could work, sorta like Carson. Polluted sites work fine for stadiums - no one's actually gonna LIVE there, so the only people at any kind of risk to prolonged exposure are fans, and we get what we deserve, really.

In fact, the more we pollute, the more places we can build soccer stadiums. God, if we hadn't passed those environmental laws in the 70's, we'd have forty teams in the league now.

I hope you're happy, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. If you hadn't been so dainty about your air and water, you'd have MLS teams now.