Here's a wrap-up of some of the more recent news: LAFC announce plan for new soccer stadium in south Los Angeles Inside LAFC's Stadium Maneuvering: Can Something Come From Almost Nothing? Expansion L.A. soccer team plans new stadium on Sports Arena site (The 2nd one you have to scroll down a lot to get to the real meat of the article, but it talks about the process they went through leading up to the announcement of the Sports Arena site and what still needs to be finalized)
I thought I had seen something that said the Sports Arena was no longer booking new events, but I can't find that now. For now their events page lists only 3 events with the last one being on Sep 29th.
So what else has to happen for the stadium to start construction? Is there a vote or something required?
It shouldn't have to go to a public vote. They are not asking for any direct public subsidies, only tax breaks. But the plans will have to be approved by the Coliseum Commission. The Coliseum Commission, for anyone wondering, is made up of a representative from the city, the county, and the state. Then any tax breaks will have to be approved by both the city and the county.
But wasn't all of those groups at the announcement publicly speaking in support of the project? Also, doesn't the committee essentially rubber stamp what USC wants and they have already come to terms with LAFC? Just wondering if this is really another Minnesota or Miami situation or if it has progressed further.
Well, I know the LA Mayor was there. Not sure if there was any state representative or county representative at the announcement. But it certainly seems like everyone supports the project. I haven't really heard one negative thing about it, except from Galaxy supporters. I think that's basically the case. I see in the other thread you found they had already had their meeting, so I assume in this matter that no news is good news. Since I expect if they had denied it, the news would've reported that. I think this is much much further than those two already. USC already had permission to demolish the sports arena and replace it with something else (it's just the something else that had to be approved). It's a site already used for sporting events, so there can't be a huge NIMBY backlash, and all the parties involved seem to support it. It'll just be a matter of finding what tax incentives they can get, which pretty much every stadium being built nowadays does. But that doesn't really prevent/postpone construction of the stadium, as that cost is being paid up front by the LAFC ownership. I expect we'll see the Sports Arena demolition start before the end of the year. Like I said, they only have 3 events scheduled and the last one is Sep 29th.
That's a great find. It sounds like it's was more of a preliminary meeting, but it's a sign that it's moving forward towards approval. They have to do the standard things like the environmental review and meet some of their requests (such as "details of LAFC’s local worker hire plan" and "include an historic interpretive program"). Unless there's a special meeting, they'll meet again Oct 29th to review the plan. Not sure if it will be up for approval then or require another meeting; hopefully not as that would push approval back to next January, though perhaps it'll be important enough for a special meeting if it comes to that.
60-90 days is infamous time frame quoted by MetroStars management to when changes were occurring. They naturally missed the deadlines and now 10 years + later, we must endure it on any deadline or timeline mentioned on BigSoccer.
Per the #LA2024 Bid Book, new @LAFC stadium estimated to be finished in 2020. Would be used during '24 games as "aquatic center."— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) August 25, 2015 Olympic committee has LAFC stadium open by 2020?? Anyone with more insight?
Considering they have already said they want to start MLS play in 2018, I hope they will have the stadium done by 2020...
Does the Olympic committee have a more accurate timeline, esp since the overall LA plan is pretty detailed?? Or not? I know there are quite a few political entities involved with the coliseum site, one being the state. The state is painfully slow to work with.
Whoops, think the #LA2024 folks have to brush up on their MLS teams pic.twitter.com/wNIuoEzHze— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) August 25, 2015 I'd say not. Also, according to this guy's tweets: #LA2024 Bid Book says it'd budget $100m to create temporary or permanent roof on LAFC stadium, as well as for other construction/overlay— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) August 25, 2015 So, I expect they mean that it will be "finished" in that the roof is added by 2020. Acc to #LA2024 bid book, use of @LAFC stadium as aquatic center would close stadium for 9-10 months prior to games (scheduled for July).— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) August 25, 2015 FWIW, use of LAFC stadium as aquatic center would still need to be signed off by LAFC ownership, per bid book.— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) August 25, 2015 I don't see the team signing off on that...
I wouldn't be so quick to say that, esp over a cut and paste logo. The Olympic plan is pretty detailed, and represents some serious cash. The fact that they included LAFCs yet-to-be built stadium, with an option to add a temp roof, says they did their homework
Not necessarily. If you look at the prior sections it only talks about the Sports Arena being available for aquatic use, which is what I think their original plan was. But since they heard that the Sports Arena was being torn down for a MLS stadium, they did some quick changes. According to the document, they haven't had any discussion with LAFC for any of this. Seriously, where is the team supposed to play in 2024? It'll be impossible to use the stadium for soccer from January through August 24 (the end of the Paralympics) at least, with probably at least few weeks afterwards to remove the pools and install a new field (and how extensive is that gonna be? The more they need to do to put it back to a grass pitch, the longer it will take. They say removing the track from the Coliseum is going to take 12 weeks but don't mention the MLS stadium). They can't use the Coliseum during this time as it'll be in the same scenario. The Rose Bowl and Stub Hub Center will also be in use during the games... But I guess they could use those prior to and after the games and go on a long road trip. Or maybe that mythical NFL stadium will be complete by 2024 and they can play there. (would be especially eye rolling if the NFL went with the Carson site) If they really did their homework, they'd see there is already a swim stadium just down the way. Just refurb it and put a roof over it if the Olympics demand it and you're good to go. Sure, they'd have to redo the pools a bit... but with LAFC's stadium they're gonna have to put brand new ones in anyway just to tear them out at the end. But they could leave them in at the current swim stadium.
I get the question of logistics for displacing LAFC (and Gals) for a season, and am puzzled by it also. But I think you are trivializing or outright dismissing a friggin' Olympic bid. If you honestly feel they just "threw this baby together" without input from the stakeholders, we are too far apart to have a conversation about it. I'm pretty sure they are aware that there is a "swim facility down the way". And as far as stakeholders go, UCS is probably a big player in this process. Guess who controls the property LAFC is building on? MLS is a very small player in this process.
It could be LAFC is complicit in all these plans but it certainly sounds contrary to what we have heard or thought. The aquatic center does certainly explains the original designs that included a pool.
I didn't say they that. I said they had to change their bid at the last minute due to the redevelopment of the sports arena that was recently announced. They are the ones that said they haven't spoken to LAFC yet. I'm just reporting what they said (And remember what I was originally responding to is whether the Olympic comity had a better timeline on LAFC's stadium construction plans than LAFC...). This is not specifically their fault, and I'm not saying they are incompetent because of it. I only mean that their plan for this is highly likely to have to change to meet LAFC's needs. I don't think the Galaxy will be displaced for a season, only during the Olympics (and not for the Paralympics) when their stadium will be used for rugby. But since that just means relining the grass, it doesn't require a 6-9 month lead up time for conversion.
If you really did your homework .... you know that a lot of the big international swim meets are being held in temporary pools - usually built by Myrtha Pools. They've been doing them in major arenas which have the seating capacity and amenities needed only for the huge meets and not really thereafter. So it makes a ton of sense. In some cases Myrtha then resells these pools after their initial short term use to other entities who install them on a more permanent basis but with out all the seating, concessions, and other amenities. I personally would rather see olympic swim meet outside. And a soccer stadium of approx 20k would be ideal. Could it be that talk of a roof is only meant for the seating section? $100M would be plenty for that. LAFC could then design their stadium without a roof but with ability to add it later and not bear that cost now. Then let olympics pay for roof. Win for LAFC other than possible displacement from their stadium for a period of time.
I can't imagine a team being homeless for a whole year. I mean I know KC were in a baseball stadium temporarily, but that was after being in a NFL stadium. Similar with Chicago, SJ and Dallas. Orlando and NYC are basically waiting for their home venues to be built. But has any team built their own grounds then vacated it for a year?