As a UH alum, I hang out on Coogfans.com and a poster there is saying: pip89 Registered Member Posts: 47 (5/31/06 9:04:55 pm) More Stadium Improvements Coming... Another round of funding to improve Roberston Stadium may be forthcoming rather quickly. The MLS Dynamo (Via the Anshutz Company) is looking to make the stadium the jewel of the league with another round of improvements worth $20 Million. My soruces indicate Maggard has not agreed to anything as I am sure the Dynamo want something substantial in return (i.e. all concession/parking revenues of which UH presently receives a heft percentage). If true, and my sources are pretty accurate, this is enough money to get a new press box and improved locker rooms, or fund the endzone facility we've discussed on this board. It will be interesting to see if Maggard will come to terms with them on this deal. ===================================================== Very interesting. Has anyone here heard anything from the Dynamo side? I know this may be / is a rumor but I would love to see AEG team up with UH to build a new stadium on campus. This guy doesn't post very often and seems to be connected to the program at UH based on previous "insider info". UH could give the Dynamo free rent and share the parking/concessions and split the maintenance or something along those lines. If this were to go through, I would expect to see the Dynamo at Robertson Stadium longer than 3 years. This is great news for fans as it keeps the Dynamo in a central location and close to downtown. Go Dynamo! Go Coogs! How awesome will it be to have 32K at the Rob for a match?
oh, never mind, I thought this was a thread about when they were going to fix those broken benches in 213 ...
Am I missing something or does this not make sense? AEG is going to spend $20 million to refurbish Robertson in return for various concessions from UH in the form of lower lease costs, a portion of concession revenue, yada-yada-yada. But AEG are actively looking to sell the team. Once the team is sold, presumably the new owner would look to build a SSS or at the very least move the team out of Robertson since the new owner wouldn't be privy to the agreements AEG made with UH. So AEG is going to spend $20 million to upgrade Robertson even though they are looking to find a local owner? That doesn't make sense to me. The only way it makes even a little bit of sense is if 1) AEG is planning on keeping the team and therefore looking to invest long term into the team/stadium or 2) They reach some sort of agreement with UH that will include AEG getting a share of football ticket revenue in some shape or form so that after AEG sells the team, they still have some sort of return on their $20 million investment. Either way, I don't see AEG spending $20 million on a team that they plan on selling in a few years time.
$20 million does seem like an awful lot for something that is supposed to be a short term solution. If AEG were able to make it up in increased concessions (which I don't think they can unless the deal is extended) then wouldn't UH also be able to make that much? Unless UH would rather get the money up front instead of strung out over a few years. If it happens there would have to be something else involved but who knows what that would be. I don't see them working out a deal for a new stadium with UH due to the conflicting schedule of the Dynamo and UH football. I would hope that they wouldn't build an SSS that would have football lines the last few months of the season.
I really do like Robertson, and it seems fairly convenient, even for those of us an hour southwest of Htown, it's not a real bad trip. And I've complained about the benches, but when I look at the other stadiums and see the people sitting all comfy in their armchairs, I'm liking our place more and more. It somehow seems more real, and they're not at all uncomfortable, esp if you leap to your feet constantly. I wish some of the 20M would go to the scoreboard though. That was the thing I liked best about PHP, the 2 jumbotrons. Ours is barely visible in the daytime and the last game I went to (Dallas; I had to miss Chicago) there were real bad lines across it. Hopefully they've got some of that fixed since I see they're planning a preview of Nacho Libre this weekend. Also they could put some money in the bathrooms and the ramps and concessions, I'm talking about the old parts, the new parts are really nice. And why don't they take down those old UH flags behind the scoreboard, they're really beat up and ugly. Nothing wrong with UH, it is their stadium, it's just that the flags are like prehistoric. Has anybody found out anything about the plans for the field when football starts? Surely they have ways these days to remove lines and replace lines and logos, whatever, without leaving the old marks. Enough rambling. Hope they fixed the benches in 213....
They are going to fix the 213 benches....for the $20 million. You know.....cost overruns, inflation, etc. Benches don't make themselves, no?
This deal makes sense if their attempts to secure land inside the loop has been unsuccessful. They can secure a favorble lease in a stadium that many already consider the jewel of MLS. That's attractive to potential buyers. This makes no sense if this is year 1 of 3 until Dynamo Park opens.
That reminds me, another good reason to stay at Robertson, we don't have to go to Exxon Park, or worse yet, Halliburton Field.