Stadium news and updates

Discussion in 'Pittsburgh Riverhounds' started by ButlerBob, Oct 2, 2013.

  1. ButlerBob

    ButlerBob Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 13, 2001
    Evanston, IL
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought I read somewhere earlier in the summer about some small stadium work in the off season to slightly expand capacity. Is that the case or just an over active imagination on my part?
     
  2. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    It's been said a couple times that during the off season they would replace the east end seats and build it up more like the grandstand so that in the future they can connect the two in the corner. Apparently the east end seats were only seen as temporary (and having sat there they sure do feel cheap). This will bring that section up from 502 seats to 2,000 - 2,500. No clue when this is supposed to start though. Highmark Stadium has been hosting high school and college soccer / football this fall. Maybe when that's done in November / December they'll get to work.
     
  3. ButlerBob

    ButlerBob Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 13, 2001
    Evanston, IL
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the update. That would be great. So really a potential 2k increase in seating and take the over all seating over 5k. If they continue with the current demand, that should help their bottom line. Hopefully going to make it back for a game next year. I ended up being back in the summer when they were out of town.
     
  4. SoccerPrime

    SoccerPrime Moderator
    Staff Member

    All of them
    Apr 14, 2003
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  5. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    MLS has always been mentioned, but it seems like now we're starting to see some actual concrete plans and moves to get there. I'm not sure if they'll be able to squeeze into the current MLS expansion with all the push Atlanta, Miami are getting. If they can't I think they'll be in whenever the next expansion wave is
     
  6. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...nership-with-MLS-in-mind/stories/201310300041

     
  7. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #7 msilverstein47, Oct 31, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 31, 2013
  8. ButlerBob

    ButlerBob Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 13, 2001
    Evanston, IL
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It sounds like more good news for my home town team. They get some stronger ownership that can help them keep the good players they have and hopefully add to the squad. They expand their youth set up and their stadium. Sounds pretty good. Although I think the whole mention of possible move to MLS in the distant future is kind of a pipe dream. But then again, a few years ago you would say the same thing about having a down town stadium and tripeling attendance.
     
  9. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    In the game day program last week it mentioned the plan is to expand Highmark Stadium to around 8,000 over the next few years. Probably go to along with the D2 push.

    I'm not optimistic they'll actually fill it though.
     
  10. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
  11. Nacional Tijuana

    Nacional Tijuana St. Louis City

    St. Louis City SC
    May 6, 2003
    San Diego, Calif.
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmmm...well...I'll kind of miss the "River".

    But, Go Hounds.
     
  12. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    The expansion wouldn't be on the river side. There's no room.

    There was a small get together with the Hounds FO last night and we talked about the team and their plans. I don't think I can really say anything, and it's a little far off, but there is a strong chance of some major stadium related announcements within the next 18 months or so.
     
  13. Pittsburgh Contrarian

    Jul 25, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Lot of interesting news last night. They are talking a good game; just need to see it in action.
     
  14. catfish9

    catfish9 Member+

    Jul 14, 2011
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Get more fans in the seats and things will happen. Take a friend to a game. Take the family, the neighbors, whoever. Get them out there supporting the team and they will invest more. The building blocks are there (great little stadium in an awesome (if not dramatic) location) for something really cool. When I was in Burgh last summer, I made sure I went to a game - It was a good time. From afar, I'm wishing continued growth and success.
     
    Nacional Tijuana repped this.
  15. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    Also posted in the USL news thread-

    http://www.bgn.fm/2017/01/31/mon-goals-tuffy-shallenberger-interview/

    Now that it's out there (around 5:30 in the interview), the Hounds have been talking that Highmark Stadium isn't in their long term plans anymore. What we've heard, and what's implied in the interview, is they're going to get it up to D2 standards and then that's it. From my understanding besides the physical space limitations there was a lot of corner cutting during construction that makes it extremely expensive to expand. In addition the Hounds own the building but not the land it's on, and they've been hemorrhaging a lot of money because of it. (I've been in some of the meetings with Stadium Square and they are quite the hard asses about their little fiefdom). All the deals and construction were done before the current ownership came in, and they feel they've inherited a lot of bad decisions. He mentioned in the interview that they're going to look for somewhere else to go inside the city limits. I'd guess the time line is 3-4 years.
     
  16. Pittsburgh Contrarian

    Jul 25, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    If Tuffy is talking about within the city limits, what is realistically feasible?
     
  17. CoachP365

    CoachP365 Member+

    Money Grab FC
    Apr 26, 2012
    The Almono development in Hazelwood could probably hold a 15K seat stadium. Easy to get to from the universities, but not sure how much of the club soccer family crowd will want to drive through Greenfield & Hazelwood and miles of surface roads.

    Quick look at google maps, there seems to be some brown space along the south shore of the Allegheny between the Sunoco tanks and the zoo. Again, access limited to miles of surface streets.

    If only there were a large chunk of land right off an exit of I79 that has been talked about as a soccer site for years
    that the Riverhounds could get involved with....

    http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/10515552-74/county-complex-hurley
     
  18. Vesty

    Vesty Member

    May 8, 2007
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    They said they still want a city view, but there's not a lot of land around downtown now a days. My personal pie in the sky dream is the old Mellon Arena site. The Penguins keep dragging their feet with it.

    The Montour project is moving forward but it won't be a stadium. Just a bunch of fields and maybe an indoor thing like Cool Springs.
     
    Pittsburgh Contrarian repped this.
  19. catfish9

    catfish9 Member+

    Jul 14, 2011
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The old igloo site would be amazing - upper parking lots. Pipe dream!

    What about over by Heinz plant next to Veterans bridge?

    Or other side of Alleghany in Strip district? - probably too expensive.

    Parking lot on other side of Smithfield at Station Square looks bigger(wider) than where stadium sits now. Might have been better option to go bigger.

    Lots of land out Second avenue along the Mon past tech bus park. - Gets you real close to Oakland (Pitt).

    There's options, but at what cost?
     
  20. Pittsburgh Contrarian

    Jul 25, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I fear that the cost will be too much, and the club goes.

    I'd love to keep the team in town - easy for transit.
     
    Nacional Tijuana repped this.
  21. CoachP365

    CoachP365 Member+

    Money Grab FC
    Apr 26, 2012
    This is a dream I can get behind.

    What would they do with Highmark? Use it for the academy? The city's only turf concert venue :)
     
    Nacional Tijuana repped this.
  22. Pittsburgh Contrarian

    Jul 25, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I'd actually like to see it be the home for the WPIAL football championships.
     
    Nacional Tijuana repped this.
  23. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pittsburgh Contrarian repped this.
  24. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    FT
    Pittsburgh Riverhounds
    3 - 3
    New York Red Bulls II
    half-time: (2 - 2)

    match details:

    6'
    0 - 1
    Florian Valot

    9'
    Corey Hertzog
    1 - 1

    16'
    1 - 2
    Vincent Bezecourt

    39'
    Kevin Kerr
    2 - 2

    76'
    2 - 3
    Vincent Bezecourt

    81'
    Corey Hertzog
    3 - 3
     
  25. ameg4u

    ameg4u New Member

    Bayern München
    Germany
    Mar 19, 2017
    Pittsburgh needs to step up efforts for MLS team. Listening to that interview Riverhounds leadership not strong and on survival mode. New team and new investors and stronger movement from the local soccer community.
     

Share This Page