The Quakes are breaking ground Thursday on their new training complex at the FMC (Airport West) site. The $1.2 million training complex is the first development on the 64 acre site near downtown SJ and the SJ Airport. Additionally the stadium's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be going before the SJ city council for final approval in March. The EIR is required in California, like anywhere, to make sure our stadium doesn't squish any birds, etc... http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14283051
An EIR/EIS is required, generally, anywhere public funds are committed to a construction project or raw land is developed for platting
It's the first development on the Airport West property (the stadium land) by the Earthquakes. As for the EIR it should be the last little government hoop to be jumped through. It's not a big one and the odds of any issues are almost nil, but it would be the last one.
Because they can more easily fill a 15,000 seat one. They'd rather have a smaller full stadium than a larger 1/4 to 1/2 empty one. And while it is a 15,000 permanent seat stadium it also has room for over 3,000 temp seats/standing room tickets as well for those times they need/want to pack 18,000 in.
Well it's currently 15k with room for 18k and with the open end can be expanded to 18k permanently some day should the need or desire arise.
Supply and demand. Glad to see the Quakes putting down roots in San Jose. And, with regards to the stadium construction, I thought this was telling: If the option only lasts until 2013, stadium construction should start sooner rather than later.
Well the option goes into effect when shovels start turing earth, specifically on the stadium I believe. So technically they have til 2013 to start construction. That's assuming the practice field doesn't engage the option.
Is the training "complex" or "facility" simply a single grass field? That wording has been a bit strange to me. It seems there will be a natural surface with the potential to build more in the future, but I haven't seen many details. Are there any physical buildings or portable toilets?
Yes, it does seem a bit vague. My impression is the field is a rush job, but that it'll be done well and be a first class field. There are just too many scheduling conflicts with West Valley (which isn't convenient either) and Santa Clara such that they have to build this is fast as is realistic. So, initially probably just a field and bench. I think that for weight room and locker room and such they'll still use the University for awhile because it's close anyway. And then once the field's done they'll keep going with a lighting and a parking lot and in the long run, more fields and actual buildings. I don't we know anything about the time line on that. For now the focus is just alleviating the strain created by the lack of a field where they have sole control of availablity.
A $1.2-million training complex in the San Francisco/San Jose market? What is it, a studio apartment with a treadmill?
The 1.2 million is construction costs, not land costs. The land was previously purchased under the agreement that covered the stadium.
Well we're stuck with Buck Shaw for the time being. This isn't the stadium this is just the training complex. This gets the Quakes out of training on the fake grass training field behind Buck Shaw at SCU and off of the fields at West Valley College and into their own training complex. It's a good thing regardless however and is the first step in developing the stadium site. Also of note is that the training complex is called the "Amway Global Training Center" or something like that. So it has a naming sponsor oddly enough. Hopefully it's a good sign that they may have been making progress on naming rights and other sponsorship for the stadium which is the last thing other than the formality of the EIR certification by the city council that is holding the stadium up.
Buck Shaw is actually pretty nice...and I believe the only "soccer only" stadium in MLS. With that being said, we do deserve more...