Dynamo Stadium -- Updates & news about timing, politics, funding

flippin269 · Jul 15, 2007

Word-on-the-street, of course

(mods, always feel free to move the topic)

I didn't know which category to put this under, but I thought everyone here would like to know how the new stadium talks are going, so here's an update...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/4968890.html

Oliver Luck, the Dynamo's president and general manager, said the team and the city have agreed to extend an exclusive negotiating period that was to have expired today.

"We believe we have made some substantial progress, and we're going to continue talking," Luck said Saturday.
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Luck said the Dynamo and the city are considering several potential sites, including several in downtown Houston to the east of Minute Maid Park and other sites elsewhere in the city. AEG would contribute an undisclosed amount toward construction of the proposed $70 million stadium.
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Also goes on to discuss the chances of a Dynamo sale (which looks unlikely anytime soon)...

"Would we sell Houston? I don't think we're really challenged at this point to get beyond two," he said. "Considering the growth of the league and the fact we've gone backward (in number of franchises owned), I think it's OK if we end up with two long-term."
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nobius · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

September is the new time to look for a stadium announcement.

flippin269 · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

nobius said: ↑

September is the new time to look for a stadium announcement.
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60 to 90 days, huh Nobius?

Alright; more word-on-the-street. Mlsnet.com, yo...

STADIUM TALK IN HOUSTON: Dynamo's big success, parlayed with the continuing national clamor over David Beckham, can only help the club's efforts to develop its own facility.

Dynamo general manager Oliver Luck said the team is making steady progress with the city of Houston, exchanging financial information and narrowing site possibilities. The goal of opening the 2010 season in a dedicated soccer stadium looks within reach, he said.

"There's still a lot of work do to, but I'm confident," Luck said.

It's a good time to retain the initiative. Not only is the team surging on the field, and not only are folks talking about Beckham, but recent events and matches still to come are keeping a steady awareness and focus on soccer in the nation's fourth largest market.

Two nights of Gold Cup games in June at Reliant Stadium drew crowds of more than 68,000 and 70,000. That attracted some local leaders' attention, Luck said. And the upcoming SuperLiga matches inside Robertson Stadium are expected to be well attended, too.

Suddenly, multiple events in Houston are attracting significant media exposure and large crowds.

"And that's helping people realize this is a very viable sport here," Luck said. "That's not something people would have necessarily said five or 10 years ago."
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60-90 Days · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

read this with a parrot voice in your head....

60-90 days

60-90 days

60-90 days

Ollie wants a cracker.

60-90 days

dustcowpoke · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

Dammit we won't have stadium until 2011!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!

anderson · Jul 15, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

Let's keep this thread as the official news & updates thread about the timing of the stadium, as well as the politics and funding.

Remember that we already have a really good thread going on the design issues - things like roofs, capacity, seating, etc.:

Dynamo Stadium -- Design discussion (capacity, roof, stands, stage, etc.)

And we have a thread about issues related to the location - things like access, parking, security, etc.:

Dynamo Stadium -- Location discussion (site, access, parking, safety, etc.)

dustcowpoke · Jul 15, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

If the Crew rumors are true I hope we don't build a stadium that will only last us 10 years before requiring renovation. I guess that is why theirs was $29 million.

60-90 Days · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

dustcowpoke said: ↑

Dammit we won't have stadium until 2011!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!
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it will be finished promptly between 2060-2090 !!!

quit being so impatient....gosh (said like Napoleon Dynamite)

or we could send in Craig Waibel to negotiate !

dustcowpoke · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

atpag96 said: ↑

it will be finished promptly between 2060-2090 !!!

quit being so impatient....gosh (said like Napoleon Dynamite)

or we could send in Craig Waibel to negotiate !
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Don't worry about me being impatient. Worry about AEG getting impatient. Whenever St. Louis comes to the league offering a $90 million stadium and the expansion fee to go along with it, we might become St. Louis Dynamo 1812.

DonJuego · Jul 15, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

Hey all Dynamo fans and supporters. We have to fight for our Stadium!

The Chronicle comments are loaded up with soccer haters opposing any public assistance for a soccer stadium.

The story is here. If we can crash a pachuca poll we can load up this story with intelligent positive comments.

Go Orange!

flippin269 · Jul 15, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

DonJuego said: ↑

Hey all Dynamo fans and supporters. We have to fight for our Stadium!

The Chronicle comments are loaded up with soccer haters opposing any public assistance for a soccer stadium.

The story is here. If we can crash a pachuca poll we can load up this story with intelligent positive comments.

Go Orange!
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Dude, after I click "comments", it takes me to the bottom of the page where the terms and conditions are. Where do you click to actually view the comments posted?

DonJuego · Jul 15, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

flippin269 said: ↑

Dude, after I click "comments", it takes me to the bottom of the page where the terms and conditions are. Where do you click to actually view the comments posted?
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In my browser the comments, and a place to enter your own, are at the bottom of the page where the article is.

Perhaps just go to www.chron.com and navigate to the article.

etastic · Jul 15, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

dustcowpoke said: ↑

Dammit we won't have stadium until 2011!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!
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san jose will prolly have one by 2010. peace.

DrLudicrous · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

etastic said: ↑

san jose will prolly have one by 2010. peace.
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Would you like a cookie?

dustcowpoke · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/lopez/soccer/4970151.html

You have to wonder how much McLane is rethinking just how much he wants to support a new downtown sports venue that would sit on property currently operated by his Astros enterprise.

If you don't think the thought has crossed McLane's mind that a top-notch soccer stadium with all the latest bells and whistles, luxury suites and assorted amenities would cut into his profit, you're wrong.
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McLane could be the reason the SSS deal has stalled so much.

DrLudicrous · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

dustcowpoke said: ↑

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/lopez/soccer/4970151.html

McLane could be the reason the SSS deal has stalled so much.
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What makes you think the deal has stalled, did you expect them to have a contract signed two days after starting the negotiations?

Wildcatter Orange · Jul 16, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

I think Lopez is on to something ...

The media might have caught Drayton off-guard when they asked if he would like to have the Dynamo has neighbors.

But even if he was prepared, what is he going to say? No, I don't? Of course not.

The fact that AEG and Luck are now talking about sites other than downtown means that the Astros parking lot wasn't a slam dunk. Is Drayton the reason? It certainly is plausible. I always thought it would be Les Alexander who would gum up the works but McLane didn't get where he is today by giving in to the competition.

Lieweke and Luck no doubt purposely gave the "other sites" info to reporters to ensure that there isn't a big surprise among fans if that's how things go down.

flippin269 · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

DrLudicrous said: ↑

What makes you think the deal has stalled...
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Two reasons:

1) The negotiating table was pushed back from July to September
2) Most important; listen to Oliver Luck and the Chron journalists. They went from "we're negotiating the site that's currently the Astros parking lot," to "we're discussing multiple sites". This is either really good, or really, really bad. Anything other than in or around Downtown Houston puts Dynamo's growth at some kind of risk, and that might actually be a good thing for some of the owners of teams that aren't winning but are trying to sell their teams to the public

60-90 Days · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

flippin269 said: ↑

Two reasons:

1) The negotiating table was pushed back from July to September
2) Most important; listen to Oliver Luck and the Chron journalists. They of teams that aren't winning but are trying to sell their teams to the public
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and even worse for us, this gives Rickker hope that Pear Land might be back in the running !!!!!!!!!!!!

time_drifter · Jul 16, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

atpag96 said: ↑

and even worse for us, this gives Rickker hope that Pear Land might be back in the running !!!!!!!!!!!!
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God help us all!

The Prophet · Jul 16, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

wait a minute I want the stadium in downtown but I had a bad feeling about his draydon guy most baseball hardliners hate soccer because they are afraid. I bet he is the one that is agains the stadium because he feels that the dynamo are going to steal his clients well if you team sucks ass like the astros its not to hard.

flippin269 · Jul 16, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

rickker20 said: ↑

wait a minute I want the stadium in downtown but I had a bad feeling about his draydon guy most baseball hardliners hate soccer because they are afraid. I bet he is the one that is agains the stadium because he feels that the dynamo are going to steal his clients well if you team sucks ass like the astros its not to hard.
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I'm not ready to say that anyone's "against" us persay because for all we know, Lopez's article is mere speculation, and it could be a number of things that's holding the project back announcement wise.

But if it DID come out to the fact that another sports team held back Dynamo from growing after having a championship run, can you imagine the backlash?

brahmafutbol · Jul 16, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

flippin269 said: ↑

I'm not ready to say that anyone's "against" us persay because for all we know, Lopez's article is mere speculation, and it could be a number of things that's holding the project back announcement wise.

But if it DID come out to the fact that another sports team held back Dynamo from growing after having a championship run, can you imagine the backlash?
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Judging from the comments in the Chronicle, there might not be so much of a backlash as support for the Astros.

I'm going to post this in the Media thread too, but tonight I was all excited watching Channel 39's sports segment, they had a long report about the Dynamo, with highlights, footage from the game, talk about the goalless record, interviews with Clark and Dom, lots of stuff, but what got me excited was that underneath the pictures was the caption "New Playing Field." I kept waiting for some breaking stadium news, but there was none. I don't know what that was about, maybe they were going to run with a story then backed off? I really don't understand where that came from.....

3VIL L33T · Jul 17, 2007

Re: New Dynamo Stadium update

DrLudicrous said: ↑

What makes you think the deal has stalled, did you expect them to have a contract signed two days after starting the negotiations?
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because the deal is open and shut
the city owns the land
the Dynamo want the land
Mclane has the lease to the land

the negotiation should be simple

the mayor and Mclane tear up current lease contract
(under the condition of new fancy parking garage)

mayor sells/leases land to dynamo

THE END!!!!!

The fact that they are starting to vaguely mention other locations is bad news.

flippin269 · Jul 17, 2007

Re: Official thread for Dynamo stadium updates & news about timing, politics, funding

http://houstonist.com/2007/07/16/city_dynamo_sta.php

An article on the articles.

The Dynamo and the city are reportedly still looking at a few potential stadium sites, including the one we talked about in May: the six-square-block, Sports Authority-owned parking lot bounded by Chartres, Preston, Bastrop and Texas, on the other side of Highway 59 from Minute Maid Park. The Chronicle says there are "several [potential sites[ in downtown Houston to the east of Minute Maid Park," though, as well as others elsewhere in the city — but we're not sure where those are. One thing we assume hasn't changed is the preliminary financing plan: According to the Chron, Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Dynamo, will contribute some money toward the $70 million stadium price tag, and Mayor Bill White has said that taxpayers won't be saddled with the burden of the cost. "The mayor has made it clear that this will work only with a substantial private investment," Luck said in mid-May.
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