Stadium locations for future MLS SSS..

The NE corner of 441 and Hillsboro is a Super Walmart. The land I was referencing was just east of it. Used to be a big trailer park, but they shut it down. I don't know how far back it goes (to the north) as there is a big wall out front (facing Hillsboro). I'ts probably too small, at least when you consider how much parking a 15,000 - 20,000 seat stadium would need.

I actually think an absolutely perfect spot would be part of the project going on in the huge section of land surrounded by Wiles to the north, Sample to the south, 441 to the west, and Lyons to the east. So far they've built the Promenade shopping center and the Seminoles are going to expand the casion to a much larger scale, more like the Hard Rock in Hollywood. There's still lots of land, but I know there are already other projects on the drawing boards for townhomes and condos, more retail outlets, and such.

I think it's all moot though. Lockhart is going to get a very nice makeover from Schlitterbahn in the water park deal, and I don't foresee the Strikers going anywhere. And as we all know the Strikers are the only way MLS is coming to South Florida.

 

I think that a future Miami team would have to play in a dome do to the weather. I think that's one of the reasons why the Fusion relocated.

 

I think the new Marlins Stadium kills any shot of a government-funded stadium project, unfortunately.

It will be something to see when the stadium opens and the new brand can see if it's really the Miami brand that packs the seats...

That will tell us if the Strikers would be just as successful as any Miami-based team...

 

<Sigh> I wonder when people are ever going to get the facts about the Fusion situation straight. The Fusion didn't relocate. They didn't fold because they didn't play in a dome. There is never going to be a Miami pro soccer franchise. If someone is ever foolish enough to try that, it won't last very long, and it will effectively kill any chance of MLS being here long term forever.

Your first sentence is 100% accurate. No pro sports team is getting public funding for a stadium anywhere in South Florida for a LONG time. Sentence 2...don't hold your breath. Sure there will be the new novelty factor in the beginning. But eventually, you'll be able to hear someone sneeze in there just like you can now at Sun Life.

Not sure what you're talking about in that third sentence. You're trying to find some correlation between Marlins attendance in a new downtown Miami Stadium and Strikers attendance? Not sure where you're going with that, but let me clear it up for you - there is no correlation you can draw at all between MLB attendance and pro soccer attendance really, especially in South Florida.

 

Since the Fusion, Miami-branded, performed weakly in Lockhart, and many claimed it was because the stadium was in Fort Lauderdale, not Miami. Maybe if/when attendance performs weakly again the Strikers promotion to MLS will be more realistic for this area's MLS bid than a Miami based team playing in Miami.

I think that you're right and the difference will wear off and the attendance will go down to pathetic levels again.

We don't know yet for sure.

 

The Marlins attendance will go up, then probably back down again. It's the same shady organization running the team, and winning is a big factor in drawing fans, and they've been going downhill ever since the lucky WS title in Loria's second season as owner.

The "Miami" brand is only a factor when it comes to soccer. Broward fans have no problem supporting the Heat or Dolphins. It doesn't seem to work the other way around, and Broward fans don't seem too keen on supporting a "Miami" soccer club with the tradition of the FTL Strikers they have. That being said I know there are more than a few Marlins fans, including myself, who are not happy at all about the name and color change for the Fish, not because it sounds bad or because we are against a Miami team, but because they are tossing the history of the Florida Marlins out the window, a tradition which FAR outweighs that of the various old minor league Miami Marlins teams that preceded them in my opinion.

I don't think a dome is necessary at all for a SSS down here, and it certainly was not a reason for the Fusion being disbanded. A retractable roof and grass field would be tremendous, but it's unnecessary. They didn't need a roof in the 70s and 80s to draw fans. A soccer game goes by fast, the heat/rain is not as big a factor as it is for baseball down here.

They will however need at least partial roof over the seats for the fans. Something like KC or NYRB has. They won't stop the game for rain, but more fans will come out if they know they'll stay dry.

 

As always DR says it better than I. LOL The reason you didn't see stronger numbers for the Miami Fusion playing in Ft. Lauderdale at Lockhart Stadium is simple - it took a big crappola on the tradition of the Strikers. If they wanted so badly for the team to be the Miami Fusion, they should have found a way to play their games in Miami. Of course that would have just killed the team off before things got to the point they did with the league and the especially the owner though.

However, if they had decided the team had to play at Lockhart, and then done the proper thing and resurrected the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers name, this conversation would not be happening, because the team would still be alive and well in MLS today most likely.

Anyway, we're off track here. The only realistic choice for a future MLS stadium in South Florida is a renovated Lockhart. For one because it makes the cost of startup far less significant, even more so if the Schlitterbahn deal goes through and they're the ones actually pcicking up the tab for a lot of what would need to be done. And secondly, and most importantly, because the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers are the only hope South Florida has for MLS someday. If 305ers would support the Strikers the way 954ers and 561ers support the Dolphins, we'd double our average crowds, and that is what will have MLS salivating.

Look, it's no secret, MLS wants to be here. In t he not too distant future they are going to finally get a tv contract worth real $$$$. When they do, they need to have this market to be part of it. All we need to do is prove we're passionate, we love pro soccer, and we're willing to support it. 4,000+ in year one we need to accomplish. Next year we need to push it over 5,000, maybe even up to 6,000 if we have a championship contending team on the field. No flash in the pan, no one year wonder turn around, we need to do it year over year. If we do, maybe Traffic, maybe someone partnering with Traffic, or maybe an outside third party, someone will bewilling to take the risk if it looks viable here with the Strikers. Then we are a shoe in for #21 or #22.

 

Where do you live that you know the area?

I don't think it would work because of how difficult it would be for most of the metropolis to get there. The only shot it has is if the Casino paved the way for it to up their business. I'm not sure how the casino got that land to begin with, most of it is still the only farm (at least by metropolis standards) in the area and there are plenty of power lines running through...not to mention Monarch High on the north end.


Lockhart is the only venue that really has a shot. The land needs to b purchased from the FAA, then it needs a makeover from a team's new owner (unless the owner wants to flat out build a brand new stadium after purchasing the land). From there, someone needs to figure out a way to shuttle Miamians up.

 

The title wasn't lucky. They hit on the trades of the 1997 team. Had they not messed up the Miggy, Beckett and subsequent trades as bad as they did, 2009 would have been the year.

First, Miami and Miami-Dade payed for the team. I was upset at first, but they had every right to request the name change. I'll take it to keep the team down here and my tax dollars away from the fiasco. The color change is another story. Blue is guaranteed to be part of the color combination, I'm just hoping teal finds a way in there...though they realistically got rid of it a long time ago. I don't think they're throwing the history away by any stretch of the imagination.

As for soccer, the simple solution is to call any team South Florida ____. Unfortunately a women's team already owns the Strikers in that blank.

They just need to cover the stands, this isn't baseball where any rain delays a game. I'd love to know how much it would cost to put it in at Lockhart.