I thought I read somewhere earlier in the summer about some small stadium work in the off season to slightly expand capacity. Is that the case or just an over active imagination on my part?
It's been said a couple times that during the off season they would replace the east end seats and build it up more like the grandstand so that in the future they can connect the two in the corner. Apparently the east end seats were only seen as temporary (and having sat there they sure do feel cheap). This will bring that section up from 502 seats to 2,000 - 2,500. No clue when this is supposed to start though. Highmark Stadium has been hosting high school and college soccer / football this fall. Maybe when that's done in November / December they'll get to work.
Thanks for the update. That would be great. So really a potential 2k increase in seating and take the over all seating over 5k. If they continue with the current demand, that should help their bottom line. Hopefully going to make it back for a game next year. I ended up being back in the summer when they were out of town.
Riverhounds press conference today - Terry “Tuffy” Shallenberger now majority owner - Competing with MLS/USL Pro for players MLS the plan?
MLS has always been mentioned, but it seems like now we're starting to see some actual concrete plans and moves to get there. I'm not sure if they'll be able to squeeze into the current MLS expansion with all the push Atlanta, Miami are getting. If they can't I think they'll be in whenever the next expansion wave is
RIVERHOUNDS MAKING MOVES WITH MLS EXPANSION IN MIND http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...nership-with-MLS-in-mind/stories/201310300041
It sounds like more good news for my home town team. They get some stronger ownership that can help them keep the good players they have and hopefully add to the squad. They expand their youth set up and their stadium. Sounds pretty good. Although I think the whole mention of possible move to MLS in the distant future is kind of a pipe dream. But then again, a few years ago you would say the same thing about having a down town stadium and tripeling attendance.
In the game day program last week it mentioned the plan is to expand Highmark Stadium to around 8,000 over the next few years. Probably go to along with the D2 push. I'm not optimistic they'll actually fill it though.
https://pittsburghsoccerreport.com/...yes-d-ii-status-riverhounds-must-up-the-ante/ “At this time we have currently met the expected league minimums for next season in regards to seat capacity and plan this upcoming fall to begin construction on meeting and exceeding the league minimums for seat capacity for the 2018 season,” said Anthony Meier, Riverhounds Director of Communications.
The expansion wouldn't be on the river side. There's no room. There was a small get together with the Hounds FO last night and we talked about the team and their plans. I don't think I can really say anything, and it's a little far off, but there is a strong chance of some major stadium related announcements within the next 18 months or so.
Get more fans in the seats and things will happen. Take a friend to a game. Take the family, the neighbors, whoever. Get them out there supporting the team and they will invest more. The building blocks are there (great little stadium in an awesome (if not dramatic) location) for something really cool. When I was in Burgh last summer, I made sure I went to a game - It was a good time. From afar, I'm wishing continued growth and success.
Also posted in the USL news thread- http://www.bgn.fm/2017/01/31/mon-goals-tuffy-shallenberger-interview/ Now that it's out there (around 5:30 in the interview), the Hounds have been talking that Highmark Stadium isn't in their long term plans anymore. What we've heard, and what's implied in the interview, is they're going to get it up to D2 standards and then that's it. From my understanding besides the physical space limitations there was a lot of corner cutting during construction that makes it extremely expensive to expand. In addition the Hounds own the building but not the land it's on, and they've been hemorrhaging a lot of money because of it. (I've been in some of the meetings with Stadium Square and they are quite the hard asses about their little fiefdom). All the deals and construction were done before the current ownership came in, and they feel they've inherited a lot of bad decisions. He mentioned in the interview that they're going to look for somewhere else to go inside the city limits. I'd guess the time line is 3-4 years.
The Almono development in Hazelwood could probably hold a 15K seat stadium. Easy to get to from the universities, but not sure how much of the club soccer family crowd will want to drive through Greenfield & Hazelwood and miles of surface roads. Quick look at google maps, there seems to be some brown space along the south shore of the Allegheny between the Sunoco tanks and the zoo. Again, access limited to miles of surface streets. If only there were a large chunk of land right off an exit of I79 that has been talked about as a soccer site for years that the Riverhounds could get involved with.... http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/10515552-74/county-complex-hurley
They said they still want a city view, but there's not a lot of land around downtown now a days. My personal pie in the sky dream is the old Mellon Arena site. The Penguins keep dragging their feet with it. The Montour project is moving forward but it won't be a stadium. Just a bunch of fields and maybe an indoor thing like Cool Springs.
The old igloo site would be amazing - upper parking lots. Pipe dream! What about over by Heinz plant next to Veterans bridge? Or other side of Alleghany in Strip district? - probably too expensive. Parking lot on other side of Smithfield at Station Square looks bigger(wider) than where stadium sits now. Might have been better option to go bigger. Lots of land out Second avenue along the Mon past tech bus park. - Gets you real close to Oakland (Pitt). There's options, but at what cost?
I fear that the cost will be too much, and the club goes. I'd love to keep the team in town - easy for transit.
This is a dream I can get behind. What would they do with Highmark? Use it for the academy? The city's only turf concert venue
Size isn't everything: 7 hidden-gem soccer stadiums in the U.S. Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/featu...r-stadiums-usa-small-size#GrTDyA6vvkGAm836.99
FT Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3 - 3 New York Red Bulls II half-time: (2 - 2) match details: 6' 0 - 1 Florian Valot 9' Corey Hertzog 1 - 1 16' 1 - 2 Vincent Bezecourt 39' Kevin Kerr 2 - 2 76' 2 - 3 Vincent Bezecourt 81' Corey Hertzog 3 - 3
Pittsburgh needs to step up efforts for MLS team. Listening to that interview Riverhounds leadership not strong and on survival mode. New team and new investors and stronger movement from the local soccer community.