At the moment, there is no plan B. But it's also way too early to panic. Wait until fall of next year. By that time AFC will know better when the new stadium will be finished. UT supposedly asked for an arm and leg to use their facilities so that was part of Precourt being willing to sell the Crew. He wanted to start fresh in his new city and stadium.
News in nashville "Save Our Fairgrounds" wins in appellate court. they now have to go back to lower court. This could affect the MLS Stadium timeline which has already been pushed back. https://www.wsmv.com/news/save-our-...cle_3a0fe100-aa30-11e9-8473-870a9bb2f64e.html
So an interesting article came across my news feed with potential impact on AFC's stadium access. The Phily Inquirer reports on major initiatives of Philadelphia's largest developer of commercial office space, which also has a major presence in Austin, named Brandywine. They report that Brandywine is redeveloping the IBM complex between Burnet road and the Commuter rail line north of the new stadium site. Huge project. The report indicates that Brandywine is working with the city to move north to their property the Kramer St. rail station currently to their south. That is the rail station that is supposed to serve the new stadium. We are talking about a move of a quarter mile further away from the stadium. The report also indicates that the rail line is going to be upgraded and improved -- which is great news. While it is possible I guess (what they heck do I know?) that they could move the Kramer station North then put in a new station at the stadium I don't know it that is possible or what. If they move Kramer and don't build a new station at the stadium -- then the rail line is completely lost as a reasonable transportation method to the stadium.
I know it's been a goal of the local transit authority in Austin to make their rail line double tracked. They don't really need a station at the stadium, just a platform since the cars would probably only stop there on game days. If they ever get double tracks, they could run trains in both directions and increase capacity dramatically (assuming sufficient demand and rolling stock).
station = platform. I get your point that it would not take a normal station. A small minimal one would do. Good point. Do we know whether they would consider that? Are planning that? Or is Brandywine diverting the stadium platform to their property leaving the stadium without train access. While I expect the city would not do that we have all seen this city to stupider things than that -- especially when a powerful private interest is involved. And Brandywine is as big and powerful as it gets around here. Precourt loses in a tug or war with them.
The city wanted a full station at the stadium. But it would have cost 13 mil and they wanted PSV to pay for it. The PSV counter offer was to make space for a station in their stadium plans but the transit authority could pay for it. So no meeting of minds there and now Brandywine is asking for the Kramer station to be moved. PSV is probably counting on trains as part of their ingress/egress plans for McKalla. So they may object to moving from Kramer or put up money for a platform. A barebones platform for a single line should be less than 1 mil. Platforms for 2 lines would require a below grade crossing to get to the far side.
Not necessarily. The light rail line just opened here in Denver has no below (or above) grade crossing for people to access the other platform. They just allow people to cross the tracks when a train isn't present.
The Austin light rail is on an embankment above grade next to McKalla. Apart from 2 lines meaning more rail traffic is possible, it would be hard for ADA compliance. If they add a second set of tracks, they will needs ramps and stairs to get across and it's more likely to be under than over the rails.
A quarter mile isn't a terrible distance for a transit rider to walk. In San Jose most of the stadium parking lots are more than a quarter mile away. But I don't know the geography in Austin. How far away is the station if it isn't moved?
The move would make it 1/2 mile away .. but that is as the crow flies. Your going to have to walk closer to a mile by walking West to Burnet road, South on Burnet, then back East a bit to the Stadium site. I’m assuming walking down the railroad right-of-way is not really an option. More realistically, I guess we are talking about a shuttle bus.
A station at brandywine (which has been approved last I remember) would make the travel from rail a mile away, which i assume would be too far for most to consider it convenient. This was talked about during the stadium conversations. Future plans for a small rail station were put into the design, but not acted on by Precourt and Cap Metro. I doubt a rail at McKalla gets built anytime soon, because of the current close proximity of Kramer. However, when Brandywine inevitably starts developing and then moves the Kramer station, that makes a station at Mckalla more feasible. Instead, Precourt elected to give 3 million to the transit authority to use how they see fit. That will definitely include new bus stations and extended routes, which CapMetro planned on doing anyways.
REPORTER: “Matthew, as a new co-owner of Austin FC, what do you have to say about the misleading numbers that were released regarding their initial MLS season ticket deposits?”McCONAUGHEY: pic.twitter.com/H2WHjnCsin— Mike Pendleton (@phat7deuce) August 23, 2019
"Austin FC breaks ground on $242 million stadium, set to open in 2021" (MLSsoccer.com - Monday, 9/9/19) (Austin FC) -G