Flight 19's Lockhart Stadium 5.0 +Schlitterbahn Stadium Design By : Zach Reese Stadium Seating Capacity : 8,920 Stadium Concert Seating : 7,720 Estimated Stage 1 Renovation Cost : $10 - $15 Million https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741836.191655890862812&type=1&l=4e331acaee
That^ is a very simple design I did for if/when Schlitterbahn and the FAA come to an agreement. Your world class water park with some very simple upgrades to Lockhart. The most obvious being a roof over all the seats and redesigned end line seating. The rumor is that the $15 million that Traffic Sports has set aside for a new Strikers stadium would go towards the Lockhart renovations and that a deal would be worked out to where the Fort Lauderdale Strikers would run the facility and receive all game day revenue and some, if not all, of the event revenue from the venue.
The folks I talked to in the Strikers FO Saturday night had confidence that the Strikers can survive if: 1) the Strikers get the new stadium, and 2) ClauBecks builds the stadium in or near downtown Miami as MLS wishes. They feel the distance between the 2 would be great enough for each team to have it's own fan base and the a location in central to south Miami-Dade County would be a turn off for fans north of Miami-Dade County. They said, once again, that come what may the Strikers intend to be around "for the long term". We'll see. The nice people from Traffic USA were not at the game Saturday night. We could not ask them what they intend to do when a strong competition for "fannies in the seats" is on the scene. Traffic USA calls the shots far more than what the locals in the Strikers FO do.
Last week on Twitter, local sportstalk radio host, and the Strikers in stadium PA announcer on game days, Big O, said that he heard Lockhart was closing down, and that the Strikers were going to have to move. Don't know how well souced he is on the matter, but it remains to be seen. Meanwhile a Strikers FO employee told me they were 90% sure the team would be back at Lockhart next season. The team continues to provide no info to fans about where they are at with regards to stadium. Season's over, time to start on next year already, because they have tons to work on, and new problems on the horizon to the south.
An employee told me they WILL be back at Lockhart next year. Period. His 1st name starts with a T. No comment on anything after 2014, but then, I did not ask. I asked this person because the coach & all of the players I spoke to were not sure what was going on & said that they'd not know until the end of this month. I'd just spent my $$$ on a discounted season ticket for 2014 & I wanted to have some idea about this. Although I do not trust the attorney that heads Traffic USA as far as I can throw him, which, with my bad back isn't very far, I do buy into what this person says. Big O is supposed to be on Ultras Alive tonight. Maybe Pieter or Ed will ask about where the Strikers will be in 2014. Or we could call in to ask. Just to add: since the Mayor of Ft Lauderdale said earlier that he'd know what was going on with the FAA by the end of November, hopefully that is what is causing the confusion. If the supposed close down is to build the water park and rebuild Lockhart stadium, I'm all for it. I'd certainly like to hear something about a Strikers stadium before Mr Beckham makes his announcement.
There are those of us who love the Strikers dearly and will remain loyal no matter what comes to the south. But if the team is going to secure its survival, they need to be able to attract casuals from Broward and Palm Beach as well. The best way to do this considering what is coming is to get the stadium situation upgraded to give fans a much better gameday experience, still at an affordable price. And they've got to win. If people in Broward and Palm Beach can go to an improved stadium and watch an entertaining, competitve product, they will have a closer, more affordable option for soccer than schlepping down to Dade for a more expensive, but only marginally better product. But they need to get underway or the risk losing even more fan interest when Becks makes his inevitable announcement.
Water park and Lockhart renovation approved? http://www.reddit.com/r/NASLSoccer/comments/1rqvon/possible_good_news_for_the_strikers_lockhart/
Our fingers are crossed on this passing. If all goes well the Strikers could have a permanent home for several decades after all construction is finished.....
Is the renovations just limited to building the water park or will there be stadium improvements as well?
Both. It is supposed to be modernized and have a smaller seating capacity. We'll see how this all plays out.
Unfortuntely we still have nothing more concrete than the voiced committment of the Strikers FO that they continue to work on the stadium situation. My opinion is that they aren't doing much of anything until the Schlitterbahn situation gets a final yay or nay. If the FAA gets their craniums out of their rectums long enough to sign on the dotted line for Schlitterbahn, I think that the Strikers will be in a great position to be the main tenant with a good deal at a completely rebuilt Lockhart. It is by far the cheapest option for Traffic, so undoubtedly they will continue waiting for an outcome. If it doesn't happen....your guess is as good as ours.
Yeah, that is what I was wondering, if the FAA had made any decision on the Schlitterbahn deal. Good to know the gov't is quick to react when it involves taking things away from the public, but glacial slow to give anything back.
Nothing concrete yet. Always just talk and speculation. The Schlitterbahn Water park is always discussed and Tim Robbie last said, I think about a week ago, that this is the best he has felt about the deal between Schlitterbahn/The City Of Fort Lauderdale and Traffic USA. We'll see. The Schlitterbahn Water Park is the only hope because Traffic USA is useless
You compliment Traffic USA.... They won't spend, they won't sell. I've no idea what plan, if any, they may have.
Sorry for double posting, this is where I wanted to put it. For those who missed the Tailgate Show last night, Dave Brousseau Sports writer for the Sun Sentinel, dropped some big news about The Fort Lauderdale Strikers Stadium situation dealing with Schlitterbahn Water Park, FAA and the City of Fort Lauderdale. Incredible news. Hopefully all works out and the deal gets done. Great news for Strikers fans!! Listen in at the 1:25:25 mark. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/954tailgate/2014/05/08/the-tailgate-show-s3e6-dave-brousseau
A quick summary from what I can remember listening to the podcast yesterday: 1. Schlitterbahn deal basically done. 2. Schlitterbahn people would own the stadium, looking to remodel/rebuild it. 3. Lease from the city would include a 10-year deal to keep the Strikers. 4. The final stadium would be as big, or even bigger, to facilitate host large concerts, events, and international matches. 5. Several parties very interested in buying into Strikers ownership, could be a big deal in moving the team forward. 6. Writer's speculation: If all goes to plan, the final stadium would be completed at roughly the same time Beckham would be fed up with the inability to get a stadium in Miami. The Strikers could present a turn-key opportunity if he still had exclusivity to South Florida for MLS.
Checked with some that have decent access to what Camp Becks thinks and does. The word seems to be that becks is far too committed to downtown Miami, or anywhere Miami, to even think of moving to Ft Lauderdale. he'd lose sponsorship deals that are dependent on being in Miami and a move to one of Miami's "suburbs" is out of the question........ Plus, Ft Lauderdale does not seem to be sexy enough for Becks or MLS. Not known internationally, no glamor, no glitz, no glitter. I'm fine with it, personally. New state-of-the-art stadium - which Lockhart is not at present - with a minimum 10 year lease, plus some "partners" investing some much needed cash into the team and our beloved Strikers have a pretty good future. As long as they can win...