MetroStars News Release Contact: Matthew Chmura, (201) 583-7006, MChmura@MetroStars.com TOWN OF HARRISON, ADVANCE REALTY GROUP AND THE METROSTARS TO MAKE STADIUM ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY AT 10:30 a.m. ET SECAUCUS, NJ (Wednesday, June 30, 2004) The MetroStars, in conjunction with the Town of Harrison, the Harrison Redevelopment Agency and Advance Realty Group, will be hosting a round table discussion at their offices in Secaucus, NJ to make a major stadium announcement on Thursday, July 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET. MetroStars President and General Manager Nick Sakiewicz, Town of Harrison Mayor Raymond McDonough, Chairman of the Harrison Redevelopment Agency, Peter B. Higgins III, and EVP of Advance Realty Group Joe Romano will all be on hand to speak to the media. Members of the media are invited to attend the call at the MetroStars offices, or they are invited to join the call by following the calling instructions below. To RSVP and for directions, please call the MetroStars Communications Department at (201) 583-7006. WHO: Nick Sakiewicz - MetroStars President/General Manager Raymond McDonough - Mayor of Harrison Peter B. Higgins III - Chairman, Harrison Redevelopment Agency Joe Romano - EVP, Advance Realty Group WHAT: MetroStars Stadium Round Table WHEN: Thursday, July 1, 2004, at 10:30 a.m. ET. WHERE: MetroStars Front Office, One Harmon Plaza, Third Floor, Secaucus, N.J., 07094.
well Nick was sure blunt. "...it's a done deal." This is what was MOST needed for expansion. With the swamp rent out of the way as of 06, getting more investors will be much easier. Instead of losing massive cash in NY, MLS will now be earning hard cash. Good for Metro, good for MLS. Of course, a shovel in the ground was what we all have to see to believe.
Awesome news ! I'm so happy for you guy's. I can't wait to get up to Harrison for some games. It's going to be great watching the Metros from a soccer specific stadium. Thank's Phil.
Finally..... This looks like the real deal with the approval to float the bonds, and represents a major turning point in the history of MLS. Wowwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think our worries about MLS being viable now are gone. 100,000 game in rent x 15= $1.5 million in payments they're erasing and turning it into a profit with ticket sales, parking, concessions. that's what a $ 2.5 million swing total?
Well its on the front page of Mlsnet.com...so I guess its for real. A 25,000 seat stadium that will be ready for 2006...outlook is good.
I guess if they're going to start construction in a few months, that's a pretty solid representation of what it's going to look like. So, here's the tally, folks: Existing Columbus - Crew Stadium Los Angeles - Home Depot Center Coming Soon Dallas - Frisco comes online 2005 Chicago - Bridgeview comes online 2006 MetroStars - Harrison comes online 2006 More Than Talking About It Colorado - plans to build one, at least Talking About It DC United - still talking about it Hoping for It San Jose - know they need one, don't know if it will happen Unlikely New England - well, it ain't gonna happen, we realize that Kansas City - doesn't look like it As for potential expansion cities: Rochester - PaeTec Park opens (hopefully) 2005, could join MLS 2006 Salt Lake City - apparently they plan an SSS Seattle - Seahawks Stadium for now, but Garber had said long-term there was "a chance" they wouldn't have to play there. I don't put a lot of stock in that one. You'd have to say things are looking up. Every shovel in the ground is a shovel of dirt off the top of the coffin.
So the ($100 million) stadium will be owned by the town of Harrison, but AEG is contributing $30 million. Do the Metrostars get the right to collect ticket, concessions, and parking receipts until the end of time? What is the situation in Columbus and LA?
this is a good place to ask the question: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2748333#post2748333
Very well put. A poignant image that certainly sums up how I feel right now about MLS. Reading these boards recently, there was more comments like, "If MLS is still around by then," than there were crazy newbies imagining what the league would be like in 2030 with thirty teams, an SSS in every backyard, pro/rel, etc. It's nice to see some optimism creep back into everyone's hearts again. Amazing what taking those concrete shoes off can do to put the zip into someone's stride (or swimming stroke might be more appropriate)
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ Footying the bill Major League Soccer, the only sport where most teams don't have new taxpayer-funded facilities, is working hard to remedy that situation. Last week, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars put forward a plan for a $160 million soccer-only stadium in Harrison, N.J. (across the Passaic River from Newark), all but $30 million of which would be paid for by the town. Under the plan, which still must be approved by Hudson County officials, the public costs would be "repaid" by tax revenues from an accompanying privately built $300 million complex of stores, offices and apartments - sound familiar?
I suggest we all leave this site alone. Their sole focus is in stopping stadium/arena projects. They probably don't care as much about soccer and the $$$ at stake are less. So let's hope they keep their attention elsewhere instead of organizing rallies and contacting politicians to prevent SSS. They clearly don't know what they are talking about with MLS (HSG is stated to own SJ, AEG to own 5.5 teams). Starting an argument with them will mean more posts against MLS on their site. I hesitated and stopped before correcting their mistatement.