http://www.crocketteers.com/2009/04/28/soccer-stadium-deal-stalling-spurs-sports-entertainment/ Please fill out your response to the poll at the bottom on the blog post.
Alamo Stadium: Pros: Great Location, 23,000 seat(MLS level) full bowl stadium, Ed Garza running for SAISD Board Cons: Old, Owned by SAISD (Alcohol sales?), Track, AstroTurf?? (My fave option btw)
Future UTSA Complex: Pros: New construction, soccer specific Cons: Location, soccer stadium looks like a high school stadium (more interested in the American Football Stadium in the far back) Haven't found much detail about UTSA's complex and seating numbers.
Verano Village Stadium: Pros: Multi-Use Stadium, from the looks of it MLS level stadium quality and seating numbers, architecture unique to the area (San Antonio, South Texas, Missions) Cons: Just an idea(sketch), no financial backing, timetable? Location is south side of town (Loop 410) to be next to Texas A&M University - San Antonio. The area is supposed to be revitalized with an open market, and maybe future rail lines. Verano Village will be a 20 year plus project. Links: Slide Show of Sketches - http://www.mysanantonio.com/slideshows/The_Verano_village_around_AM_campus.html
Heroes Stadium: Heroes Stadium will be located on 58 acres at the old Longhorn Quarry at Thousand Oaks and Wurzbach Parkway. The athletic facility will include the football stadium and soccer field with track, discus and shot-put rings. Designed to seat more than 11,000 spectators, the new stadium will be complete with offices, ticket booth, locker rooms, concession stands and public restrooms. The district also plans to include other facilities at the site, such as a new baseball field, but will need to pass bond packages to fund the construction." Pros: New Stadium, 11k seating (USL-1 Level) Cons: Share with District, Football Lines, Location, Not MLS level
I would like Ed Garza in some fashon affiliated with Crocketteers. Maybe he wants to be a member. Definitely, we should do an exclusive interview with him. Or maybe he wants to contribute somehow. A cousin of mine is good friends with his sister or sister in law I believe.
SA Football fans, know that those of us up in Waterloo...er...Austin are behind you 100%. We're actually in the same political discussion with the current race for Austin mayor, in trying to convert a former mall in Austin (Highland Mall) to house in some part a soccer specific facility. We're also hoping you get a USL squad as we'd love to get a friendly rivalry between Austin and San Antonio, with easy road trips for all. I also find it hard to believe, but have no inside info, that USL would require a purpose built stadium before admitting a team. The Aztex were admitted this year to USL1 with quite a bit of fanfare, and we're playing on a false pitch with gridiron lines on it. So keep the faith, and if any of you would like to come to Austin for a match, please let me know as Chantico's Army (the oldest Supporters Group for the Aztex) would love to host you.
There isn't. But USL is going to have to upgrade its facility requirements at some point, not only for the sake of its own professionalism, but for its clubs to take the same steps forward that MLS has discovered its teams need to take financially. SA would be fab now that Austin's in the league. I had heard about USTA building a new facility. Should be nice. What is Heroes Stadium being built primarily for/by? High school use? I wouldn't worry about it being "MLS level" or not. SA had a chance for MLS years ago, don't know that I'd sweat it now that their pattern is filling up.
With that location, it must be NEISD. Crap, it's been a long time since I've driven home that way. I knew they were building something there. Had no idea it was a HS stadium. ...so, what's the plans for the rest of that land? It'd be a REALLY easy drive down from Austin for derbies!
Hope this helps you out http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/884 http://soccerblogs.net/tags/bannister_mall/2009/
That one is just leveling a mall and making a bunch of strip malls and soccer fields. With the location of Highland Mall, we're more likely to end up with something denser. But we really have very, very little info on the possibilities that are being discussed. We just know that it's being discussed.
I guess the best thing SSE can do for now, if they do acquire a division 1 USL franchise ready to start play next season (April 2010) is to...... 1. Play at the new 4,000 seat USL-grade CIBOLO MULTI-EVENT FACILITY and pay a relatively small rent to the City of Cibolo for the first 1 or 2 years (2010 and 2011) 2. If the francise was succesful BOTH at the field and at the gate.....then SSE can seriously try to: 2a. Work with MLS on a possible expansion or relocation franchise for SA starting with the 2012 season at the soonest (best case scenario) 2b. If successful in aquiring a franchise.....SSE can now push for a 20-25k SSS from preferrably the county government since they already built their ATT Center and even recently county voters approved more $ for future maintenance and renovations to it. 2c. By 2011, the Cibolo stadium is projected to be expanded to 10,000 seats.....great for USL-1 but not even close enough for MLS standards so by then SSE can start looking for their new SSS location much closer to downtown and the SA center of population which is in the Alamo Stadium area next to McAllister Freeway (281)
To put it in few words... ask the people in St. Louis how "easy" it is to get an MLS team. San Antonio should focus on an USL team and then see what happens after that.
To put it in few words... ask the people in St. Louis how "easy" it is to get an MLS team. San Antonio should focus on an USL team and then see what happens after that. Yes, you are right on that......but have you even thought how "easy" it will be IF THEY DON'T EVEN TRY?
Calm down, that's the goal but we have to walk before we think about running. St. Louis has been trying to get an MLS team for many years and they are empty handed and almost hopeless. Let's focus on an USL team and then if that "dream" comes true, we can think about moving from there.
Sorry if this is old news but I just heard on the Aztex radio show, from the mouth of the Gaffer Adrian Heath himself, that it has been confirmed that SS&E will be bringing a "USL" franchise to SA in no more than 2 yrs. Again sorry if this is old news.
We knew about SS&E but nothing about a time frame. Thanks for the update. Would you by chance have a recording or podcast of that interview or know how we can get one?
I hunted around for the one last week but couldn't find one. They're a little spotty about posting audio on their website. Don't be surprised if you can't find it.