Mejoras a "La Islandera" Por BoriQa 9 de diciembre de 2008 Según información preliminar recibida de Jorge Pierluisi, Vice-Presidente de Finanzas de los Islanders, se celebró una reunión en "La Islandera" éste pasado lunes 8 de diciembre, coordinada por el Municipio de Bayamón, entre representantes de los Puerto Rico Islanders y consultores contratados para discutir el plan maestro de las mejoras al estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel. El Municipio de Bayamón se dispone a realizar unas mejoras importantes a "La Islandera" para convertirla en un estadio de fútbol de último modelo, y para ello se ha contratado como consultores a las firmas "CMA Architects and Engineers" junto a la de "Positive Impact-Sports and Entertainment Management Consultants". Preliminarmente indicaron que se contempla someter el plan maestro para el estudio y la evaluación del Municipio de Bayamón para finales del mes de enero del año entrante. Este esfuerzo del Municipio de Bayamón reafirma su compromiso con el desarrollo del fútbol en la isla borinqueña, y con el éxito sin precedentes y potencial del proyecto de los Puerto Rico Islanders. Próximamente se ofrecerán más detalles de la tan importante agenda de mejoras al Complejo Deportivo del Municipio de Bayamón. According to this article the City of Bayamon is going to do an extensive remodel of the Islanders stadium. I hope it involves moving the seats closer to the pitch. It seems that they are all about public funding in PR.
I'll put this simply - Not even if they were building it across the street from my house. They can get the money by cutting Fenty and Evan's salary (and if they happen to lose their positions, them the breaks). Or from recinding all the tax credits they have given to big box stores in upscale neighborhoods. Or simply collect the money the Nationals owe.
Yes in PR all stadiums are own by the municipal and state goverment and private investment in sport facilities are almost unheard off. Infact the City of Bayamon is also building the Islanders a tranning facility, with the only catch being that they have to also use it for youth development and some free youth camps activities or something like that. The SSS in Mayagues is gona be big, well big enough for a MLS team atleast, 18k. Bigger than the Islanders stadium. The avrage attendance of the PRSL is around 1k and I would put its level of play around PDL and low USL 2. Its in the second most populated region of the Island and technically its the only region thats out of the Islanders USL territorial rights.
Intru, Do you suspect that Mayaguez will host another USL-1 team? I can't imagine PRSL will survive if they keep renting these huge stadiums and they are only drawing 1,000 fans.
Actually usually the municipalities subsidize the cost of running the stadium for most sport teams. Even for the Islanders they pay a very small check for renting out their stadium, If im correct they rent out the JRL for $1 a year and they just pay the cost of running it (electricity, water, staff). For must PRSL teams the towns pay for most of that. So I don't really see a problem. O and the PRSL league champion gets a automatic spot for the CCL Caribbean qualifiers, you could follow your affiliate through the competition as well.
It was originally a baseball stadium but it hasn't been used for baseball in years. It's also where the PR National team play their matches. And yes, some of the seats are far back but you can easily sit in the front if you want and you're right next to the field. People tend to sit further back because the view is better.
The afilliate would be playing in the PRSL... I doubt that a USL team would be wise to stablish in Mayaguez, i just don't see it happening. People in the west are very proud, and would not like to see a team mostly of Continental Americans playing representing Mayaguez. The demographics in the west are more conservative than those in the Metro Area. A PRSL Div. 1 team is a whole different matter. That would be succesful, since in the west there's hardly much to do, and sports teams are succesful over there. The baseball and volleyball teams in Mayaguez almost always fill their stadiums. Not that football would daw so much crowds but I know a lot of football fans waiting for a Div. 1 team in that area.
Sage no offense but most of your comments are pure speculation and in my opinion are really out of sync with reality. You shouldn't pass off your perception of things as reality, particularly in a thread where most people don't have much information on the subject so they're more likely to not question your comments.
I'm not writing out my own speculation Islanders... I'm writing from my own observations since I've been living in Mayaguez for a year and a half, and from comments I've received in my blog and to my personal e-mail. Also from forums and comments in different Newspapers of the island.
But that itself is usually a hallmark of a stadium not well designed for soccer--as we here at RFK should know.
-=*Huge Bump*=- Does anyone know if this is still in the works or has this been killed off? I was really hoping a MLS franchise would affiliate with a team down here to help spread interest in the sport and give Puerto Rican players a better chance to make it to bigger leagues. Any info is appreciated