Conventional wisdom seems to be the shift to an NFL venue rather than a SSS will hurt Detroit's expansion bid, but I'm not so sure. That stadium has already hosted US international games 4 times. Regulation FIFA pitch fits perfectly and they can use any number of different seating configurations depending on the size of the crowd, using branded curtains to close-off the upper deck (and the mezzanine if necessary) to create an intimate environment for soccer. It's already in a great location, right near the downtown business district, the stadium is quite nice, they already have the parking and mass transit issues worked out, and they don't have to wait several years for the stadium to be built. Plus, adding a deep-pocketed, highly-committed, local owner to their ownership group can't hurt either. I realize playing indoors on turf is not ideal, but Detroit may actually benefit from selling themselves as the next Atlanta or Seattle rather than the next Chicago. In fact, as MLS grows, they could come full-circle on this issue. NBA and NHL teams share arenas. The main reason for not doing so between the NFL and MLS is that historically, MLS couldn't come close to filling the building. But Atlanta and Seattle have proven it can be done. And sharing a venue creates a situation where the owners can spend on other things like training facilities, development academies, and DP salaries. Plus, the fans benefit from all the amenities of a $670 million venue (one that has seen an additional $100 million in upgrades just in the last year). As a side note, being able to play indoors has its advantages too, especially for a stadium in a cold-weather climate like Detroit. Just the lower bowl... All but the upper goal sections open... You can fit a 75X120 soccer pitch in that space perfectly. They also have huge windows to let in natural light.
I guess they'll have a few months to convince MLS that they will be the next Seattle/Atlanta in terms of local media presence, sponsorships and 40K+ average crowds. Possible I suppose, but that's a big ask.
26,000 in just the lower bowl. But they said they could use up to 4 different configurations depending on the expected crowd size for a given event: Lower bowl only - 26,000 Lower bowl plus luxury suites and mezzanine open on one side - # not disclosed but presumably around 35,000 Lower bowl, plus mezzanine all the way around, plus luxury suites - # not disclosed but probably 40,000+ Full stadium open - 65,000 In this pic, you can see how the mezzanine and luxury suites are only on one side. The other 3 sides are upper-deck seating. By opening the lower bowl plus the mezzanine and luxury suites on one side, they would most likely seat about 35K and that could end up being their primary configuration for soccer (see the rendering below). But if they get enough interest, they could open the mezzanine level all the way around or even open the full stadium a couple times per year like Atlanta and Seattle do.
You would think it would be option #2, Lower bowl plus luxury suites and mezzanine open on one side (35,000). I couldn't see how the luxury suites wouldn't be open. If they can't get 35k, then tarp off the mezzanine seat below the suites (making it 26k capacity plus luxury suites).
I came from Toronto area and watched USMNT play CMNT a few years ago. I thought the lower bowl was a good venue for soccer, plus the area around the stadium has a lot of clubs, pubs, and a great cigar bar, which I frequented. I hope Detroit gets a team as it would be a fun road trip from Toronto. Good luck, guys!
We dont need any more lame nfl stadiums..proper football is played on grass not plastic like in NE SEA..VAN....MLS Needs to start insisting on sss with natural grass..only