The news out of Minnesota is the that state legislature has approved necessary tax breaks for a new stadium. So that makes three new stadia to be completed in 2018 for LAFC, DC United and Minnesota Also United. You are invited to compare and contrast their designs, locations, immediate surroundings, and whatever else you want to comment on. As a DC United supporter I'll begin by acknowledging that our project is on paper the most modest of the three. But as they stay in real estate, location is everything, and our Buzzard Point site projects some attitude.
Don't forget Orlando are also building a new stadium. What is the expected completion date of theirs? Also, has DC started construction yet?
I believe Orlando's is scheduled for completion in 2017. It's capacity will be 26K and supposed to be a nice project. Maybe an Orlando support can update. The LA, DC and Minnesota stadiums are all smaller, in the 19-22K range. In DC the city, which owns the land, is clearing and prepping it and will turn it over to DCU by September 30 for construction. I'm pretty sure the LA and Minn projects will begin construction before the end of 2016 too. In LA the LA Sports Arena must be torn down first.
The stadium might end up being crap, but the DC site will have some sex appeal. It'll be telegenic with shots of the US Capitol and Nationals Park ... The dimensional limitations will make the stadium feel very compact and intimate. And DC fans will give it some decent atmosphere inside.
Minnesota, from February: http://www.mnunitedfc.com/news/2016/02/24/minnesota-united-unveils-stadium-design
Here's the latest DCU rendering. Final plans are not coming until the fall, I think. It's a very small site, about 10 acres. Looking on a DC map, it's right about where the Anacostia River flows into the Potomac, an area know as Buzzard Point. Stadium design is heavily influenced by a power line right of way that runs underneath and parallel to the stands on the right, that prevents the stadium from being further right on the site, thus limiting the size of the stands on the left. I believe that capacity is estimated to be 19K sitting and another thousand standing, lathough that may change with the final plans.
What's the status of Sacramento's expansion bid? That's a nice looking stadium. What's the planned capacity?
Couple questions about LAFC. What's their capacity? And what's that structure attached to the stadium?
If the capacity is only 19k then that is the very definition of a first world problem. Let's be clear about this, DC United have had a great fanbase down the years, but attendance has stagnated whilst the rest of the league moved on. But if there is ever a MLS 1.0 club that is nailed on to regularly fill a modest downtown stadium, it is this one. Their attendance is down to 12-13000 at times, so 19000 would still be a massive improvement.
The SafeTrack work on metro should be completed by then, so I say that will allow for slightly better accessibility
As a DCU season ticket holder I basically agree. Apparently the stadium can be easily expanded to about 22K with additional seats behind the goal(s). I would prefer that it be built at 22k now to permit more outreach to youth clubs with discount tickets, behind the opposite goal to the supporters clubs. My understanding is that at our current stadium the rent is at least partially based on attendance, which discourages discount tickets. Getting kids to the stadium is a good long-term investment, but at 19K capacity I doubt we'll see much ticket discounting for anyone. LAFC stadium capacity is 22K - I'm not sure what the attached structure is.
Status of expansion bid: Still waiting for Miami-Beckham to step on its collective wang enough to convince MLS they're much more trouble than they're worth. Failing that, probably team #25. Stadium capacity ~~ 20K with 2K SRO potential.
Not necessarily. The LAFC stadium will be just east of where the Sports Arena is, so they could demo and start excavation simultaneously. If they choose to.
So that probably explains the late 2016 construction start date. I imagine that demolition of the Sports Arena and site prep for would have taken longer than that. Below is a photo of another impressive demolition project, for the DC stadium, in late April. I think it took about an hour. Follow Steven Streff@streffsoccer
very much looking forward to the 5 new stadiums we'll be seeing in MLS over the next few years. (thinking of Atlanta, Orlando, DC, Minnesota, and LAFC). No longer having to watch games played at RFK is just an added bonus