Apparently the stadium deal is inching forward according to Ives's article today at http://www.northjersey.com
Interesting note: "........the MetroStars have consistently stepped up to the plate and offered more money to try and make this work," said DeGise.
It could become a scenario where we start the season on the road (like the Galaxy) and open the Harrison stadium during the summer (say June). While this scenario is ideal, it's far better than playing at GS for the entire 2006 season. I'm getting excited for the start of the season. However the thought of watching games in that stadium on the turf definitely diminishes that excitement. The turf wasn't too bad initially but definitely played differently as the season wore on. Not sure what the Jets and Giants did to it - but it didn't play like a grass field.
for whats been going on in NJ the Nets are leaving the Devils are going to be moving to newark so who plays ni the arena? seton hall? why not take it out and we build a stadium right there like it or not we are kind of identified with the swamp why live it wouldnt be the same if we win the cup and have to go celebrate somewhere that isnt the swamp
While it's nice for DeGise to say nice things about the plan, we have not reached the next step: the HCIA floating the bonds. We have been on that step for about six months now. If / when that happens, then and only then will we be on a path from which it will be hard for anyone to turn back. And just in case anyone thinks DeGise thinks it's OK for Hudson County to possibly eat any of these costs: That review of how much money they expect to get out of the parking garages remains absolutely critical to this. If anyone knows anyone who works for whatever Big Four accounting firm is doing that study, forward a name to Nick so that he can figure out who to pay off next.
No. This idea has been floated by the NJSEA and rejected by AEG because the whole purpose of building these things is for AEG to control the new venue and gain ancillary revenue from it. If we allow the NJSEA to build us a stadium, there is no way in hell that the state is going to (a) give it to AEG, (b) allow AEG to be the sole promoter for the venue, or (c) allow AEG to collect more (anything?) from parking and concessions. The Harrison deal is quite simple: the town owns it, but AEG runs it. AEG will promote every event in the stadium, whether it's Metro games or Bjork concerts. AEG sells the boxes / club seats, picks the concessions, runs the parking garages, sells the t-shirts, everything. Harrison gets a percentage of revenue through taxes plus a bunch of free dates in the calendar so they can hold Harrison High graduation or whatever they want. That deal fits Phil's business model. Partnering with the tight-pursed, no-handout-minded, Zoffinger-controlled NJSEA doesn't.
Seton Hall has said previously that if a Newark arena goes up than they move there. They expect attendence to be better at their games in that case because of the train and the closer location to the campus.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! If this was to happen that would mean that the opening game would be held somewhere around the time of the world cup. For some of us die-hards it would be "almost" impossible to be in Germany and Harrison at the same time. (considering US makes it to WC2006 of course).
Re: Re: Stadium announcement in 28-42 days? Ground breaking by summer? We're getting way ahead of ourselves here, but... The opening match of WC'06 is June 9th. If they pull of the financing and are able to keep the building schedule tight, the Harrison opener could be a two-day Memorial Day weekend affair (May 27-28) with Metro opening on Saturday and the USMNT sendoff match on Sunday. Two guaranteed sellouts on national TV to kick the place off would be tremendous fun. Daydreaming, perhaps? Sure, but it beats working.
I'd settle for playing the first half (pre-WC) in GS (or even Rutgers if that's a problem), have MLS take the WC off, then open the stadium for the post-WC portion of the season. Not that that will happen, but why let that stop me...
thats great i hope they built this soon really its getting annoying but it would be sweet for it to be ready in april of 2006, but i still think we should go to a nice plain 30,000 seat stadium , just to beat out LA and Chicago and have bragging rights of having higher attendance, plus with a 30,000 stadium we could hold more international games, because seriously 25,000 is a tiny bit small, i know metros can sell out a 30er most of the time.
As soon as the stadium is up, many fans will no longer have an excuse not to be a season ticket holder. Like me! I think 30,000 is ideal!
I think ground breaking this summer is for the project not the stadium. If ground breaking for the SSS is this summer then why would it not be ready some time in 2005.
Grant Wahl SSS article I can't believe I haven't seen any mention of this in your forum or the MLS Stadiums forum http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/grant_wahl/02/20/dallas.stadium Now more bricks and mortar are on the way in Frisco; in Bridgeview, Ill., where city planners recently approved a financing deal for the Chicago Fire's new home; and in Harrison, N.J., where the MetroStars are finalizing plans for a new stadium that (if the drawings I saw this week pan out) will be a gem. Or is this old news for you guys in the "Will believe it when I see it" category?
Re: Grant Wahl SSS article Sure the plans look great. But after 4 years of being in limbo, I guess some people won;t beleive it untill the ground is finally broken. Probably wth good reaosn too. I just hope the stadium is not another clone. The AEG stadium plans look rather similiar to each other. Here's hoping for a stadium with 4 unique stands, each having a roof over it. Not a fan of the bandshell on one end at all.
Re: Re: Grant Wahl SSS article You know the hodgepodge look is usually the result of the stadium being a hodgepodge of different stands built at different times. And by now you also know that the stadium isn't going to be fully enclosed and fully roofed - so why go on and on about it? There are other good stadiums in the world besides the ones you carry on about. At least you didn't say 'ground'.
Re: Re: Re: Grant Wahl SSS article Nor did a mention 'terrace' ...... a sure sign of my growth and development.
Re: Re: Grant Wahl SSS article English stadiums look very similar to each other, and most have 4 stands, with 2 of them being bigger then the other two. I don't really see how that makes them all different. In my opinion they actually all look the same.