Jump to content

Shell Energy Stadium


Subdude

Recommended Posts

so are you invisioning this to the west or east of 59?

If it's to be east of MMP, it pretty much has to be east of 59. I hope this happens. That would be great to have the stadium on the edge of downtown. Much better than somewhere outside the loop. AND, I 'd love to see the demise of those parking lots.

The Dynamo is going to build it or is the city going to build it? I just want to be ready if I'm going to get screwed with my pants on...again [MMP, Toyota, Reliant.]

That sounds a bit like AftonAg talking about MetroRail. In both cases, the projects were voted on and passed by the local taxpayers. Some people seem to only like democracy when they agree with the result.

Edited by Houston19514
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds a bit like AftonAg talking about MetroRail. In both cases, the projects were voted on and passed by the local taxpayers. Some people seem to only like democracy when they agree with the result.

Really? How do you figure? Because this is from the sports authority's web site:

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, the "Sports Authority" is charged with the responsibility of rejuvenating the infrastructure for our community's professional sports as well as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Sports Authority completed its initial project on Opening Day for the downtown baseball ballpark (Minute Maid Park) on March 30, 2000, on time and under budget. The Sports Authority began its second project with the groundbreaking for the new Reliant Stadium in March, 2000, and the stadium was officially opened on August 24th, 2002. Our third project, the downtown Toyota Center, broke ground on July 31st, 2001, and opened its doors on October 6, 2003. Additional projects for The Sports Authority would each require voter approval. Examples of such additional venues would include other community projects such as those benefiting the performing arts.

Was there a vote I missed? ;)

Edited by nmainguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And if the Dynamo stadium isn't built there but is still east of Minutemaid, then they're going to have to do the same process of eminent domain and demolition that they had to with Minutemaid, but in the warehouse district.

There is that old, abandoned midrise warehouse with several acres surrounding it off of McKinney, I believe. I suppose the stadium could go there.

I'm wondering what sort of symbiotic retail a soccer stadium would support. A few restaurants and bars, no doubt. Parking lots, of course. I'm curious who goes to these soccer matches.

I tend to think of the Warehouse District as a young and promising residential zone and, as such, had an initial negative reaction to the idea of a raccous soccer stadium going in but , once again, I forgot that Houston doesn't develop "pure" zones of any type. So, adjusting my thinking, I can see a nice, new stadium being a fairly positive thing where the roads will likely be improved, some badly needed street trees and landscaping might take place, and the reinvention of the area will take a leap forward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? How do you figure? Because this is from the sports authority's web site:

Was there a vote I missed? ;)

Unless I missed a post announcing that construction of the Dynamo stadium has started, I think you kind of made my point for me there...

At this point, so far as I know, all we have is a totally unsubstantiated and unsourced posting on an internet forum regarding construction of a Dynamo stadium. And even that post did not say it was to be funded by the HCHSA. If construction of a Sports Authority-funded stadium begins without a vote being first taken, THEN and only then is part of your point made. (I don't think a vote is required prior to any rumor being passed around the internet.)

And even IF, a Dynamo stadium were built without another vote, your post and my response were regarding your claim to have been "screwed with your pants on... by MMP, Toyota Center, and Reliant Stadium", which, if you had not noticed, were passed by votes of Harris County taxpayers, JUST as was the Metro Solutions rail plan. (By a 60+% majority for Toyota Center; 51-49 for MMP and Reliant, similar to the MetroRail margin). That "screwed with your pants on" by projects that were in fact approved by the taxpayers is remarkably similar to AftonAg's screams of having rail shoved down his throat, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And even IF, a Dynamo stadium were built without another vote, your post and my response were regarding your claim to have been "screwed with your pants on... by MMP, Toyota Center, and Reliant Stadium", which, if you had not noticed, were passed by votes of Harris County taxpayers, JUST as was the Metro Solutions rail plan. (By a 60+% majority for Toyota Center; 51-49 for MMP and Reliant, similar to the MetroRail margin). That "screwed with your pants on" by projects that were in fact approved by the taxpayers is remarkably similar to AftonAg's screams of having rail shoved down his throat, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.

well...when it takes more than one vote to pass you wonder just how much everyone is FOR it. When they lost the first time, the money is poured into commericials, ads, etc to show how good it is for the city. Then it wins by a narrow margin. hopefully now that data has been gathered regarding the inability to repay the bonds, voters will think twice about a new stadium next time. .....well maybe they won't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well...when it takes more than one vote to pass you wonder just how much everyone is FOR it. When they lost the first time, the money is poured into commericials, ads, etc to show how good it is for the city. Then it wins by a narrow margin. hopefully now that data has been gathered regarding the inability to repay the bonds, voters will think twice about a new stadium next time. .....well maybe they won't.

I think you have your history wrong. I believe the vote on MMP and Reliant passed the first time. The vote on Toyota Center failed the first time, but passed the second time BY A 60% MAJORITY.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you have your history wrong. I believe the vote on MMP and Reliant passed the first time. The vote on Toyota Center failed the first time, but passed the second time BY A 60% MAJORITY.

no i know some passed the first time but i know all didn't. i attended a couple of dynamo games at UH and i liked the setup...cept how much they charged for stuff. but since no vote has happened yet, this is still speculation.

Edited by musicman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

no i know some passed the first time but i know all didn't. i attended a couple of dynamo games at UH and i liked the setup...cept how much they charged for stuff.

Read my post again. That's what I just said. MMP and Reliant passed the first time. Toyota failed the first time. (It was a totally separate vote a couple years after the MMP/Reliant vote). And Toyota passed the second time. BY 60%, not exactly a small margin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Read my post again. That's what I just said. MMP and Reliant passed the first time. Toyota failed the first time. (It was a totally separate vote a couple years after the MMP/Reliant vote). And Toyota passed the second time. BY 60%, not exactly a small margin.

that's why i began with "no i know" i understood your post. i didn't say that that ALL took more than one vote. i just knew that they all didn't pass of the first vote. so the HSA put big bucks into the system in order to change voters' perceptions. that's all. :) i'll stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unless I missed a post announcing that construction of the Dynamo stadium has started, I think you kind of made my point for me there...

I seriously don't care what your "point"-if any is. I've never voted to build a sports stadium for millionaire and billionaire team owners and I don't forsee doing so in the future. Your METRO/stadium analogy is meaningless to the discussion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seriously don't care what your "point"-if any is. I've never voted to build a sports stadium for millionaire and billionaire team owners and I don't forsee doing so in the future. Your METRO/stadium analogy is meaningless to the discussion.

Actually, it is a very sound analogy. The same thing had occured to me when I'd read your initial response, but I didn't want to be the agitator for a tangential discussion.

BTW, I never voted for a bus-replacing light rail system and I don't forsee doing so in the future...of course, I also wouldn't plan on voting for a soccer stadium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seriously don't care what your "point"-if any is. I've never voted to build a sports stadium for millionaire and billionaire team owners and I don't forsee doing so in the future. Your METRO/stadium analogy is meaningless to the discussion.

Just wanted to point out your rank hypocrisy when it comes to accepting the votes of the democratic process. ;-) I don't really care whether you ever have or ever will vote for such stadia, nor is that particularly meaningful to the discussion. (Nor was your initial post particularly meaningful to the discussion, for that matter.) Whether you voted for or against them does not affect their legitimacy.

Back on point, if this proposal is real (and keeping in mind that the rumor does NOT even include anything about who is paying for it), what does everyone think of the location?

Edited by Houston19514
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to get the thread off-track again...

What's wrong with the current set-up?

Why build a taxpayer funded or subsisized stadium, when Robertson serves perfectly well?

I've never been to a Dynamo game, but I've been to nearly every game at Robertson since UH moved out of the Astrodome, and I think Robertson Stadium is a great facility in a great location. (Much better than the Astrodome experience, that's for sure).

Do Dynamo fans agree? Do you enjoy the Robertson Stadium experience, or are there significant complaints about the facility?

If you enjoy it at Robertson, why spend taxpayer money on another stadium?

If it's 100% privately funded, then build away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do Dynamo fans agree? Do you enjoy the Robertson Stadium experience, or are there significant complaints about the facility?

If you enjoy it at Robertson, why spend taxpayer money on another stadium?

If it's 100% privately funded, then build away.

robertson is great. The game feels more intimate than it would at a larger faciility. At this point, there has been no vote, therefore no stadium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just wanted to point out your rank hypocrisy when it comes to accepting the votes of the democratic process.

Nice try but unlike AftonAg, I accepted that the voters approved the stadiums because that's how things work. Please don't lump me in with AftonAg and his gang who seem to be prepared to go to court to overturn the referendum. There's a huge difference in disagreeing with an outcome vs. trying to overturn the outcome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I have heard from a couple solid sources is that it might be a joint venture with HISD. The stadium will be just east of MMP or just north of DT. HISD will use it for football games, track meets graduation ceremonies etc... So I assume our school taxes will help build this stadium and the Dynamo and the teams sponsors will cover some of the cost.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I have heard from a couple solid sources is that it might be a joint venture with HISD. The stadium will be just east of MMP or just north of DT. HISD will use it for football games, track meets graduation ceremonies etc... So I assume our school taxes will help build this stadium and the Dynamo and the teams sponsors will cover some of the cost.

i think robertson seats about 30 thousand since all the renovations were completed. Either high schools are a LOT bigger these days or I just have a hard time believing HISD needs such a large facility that frequently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I thought I'd share a few bits so you know what the Dynamo's angle is and have some of the questions posed in this thread answered. And yes, that's Houston's soccer team. :P

Houston is seeking a stadium for the following reasons, and roughly in order from least important to most:

5) Permanent football lines are distracting and a little irritating at a soccer game.

4) 30k seats is a little larger than what the Dynamo want. They'll try to buld 20-25k.

3) They're currently paying U of H $1.8 Million for their three year lease

2) They're not getting all the revenue they could from parking and concessions

1) They don't have access to luxury suites, stadium naming rights, etc to sell

1a) They can't control other events (the company that owns them, AEG, also owns a concert promotion company) in the stadium

So, the Dynamo are looking to build something fitted a little smaller, one where they keep all the revenues they generate, and one that can double as a outdoor concert arena (judging by how this has been done lately, a permanent stage at one end is not unlikely). I'm not surprised they are teaming up with the schools to provide a high school football venue as well. The new stadium for FC Dallas, PIzza Hut Park in Frisco (where the Dynamo will be playing the MLS Cup Final) is a model in that regard:

http://pizzahutpark.com/

http://pizzahutpark.com/Home/TheStadium/Se...05/Default.aspx

In last night's playoff game (the Western Conference finals, which the Dynamo won 3-1 in front of 23,000), team GM (and former Sports Authority exec) Oliver Luck said they were considering 6 or 7 potential sites. I would assume both downtown and Delmar are on that list. (The football lines in that case wouldn't be a problem because they'd be washable).

Edited by Stan Collins
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see a couple things:

1) The new Dynamo stadium built across the freeway from MMP, and the Dynamo, GRB, Astros, and City of Houston to push for a revitalization of the area around that Dynamo stadium, because a positive developmental atmosphere on both sides of 59 could only do wonders for all entities, and perhaps give convention and concert promoters another reason for people to host events in Houston to their resume.

2) I want to see the Dynamo extend their stay at Robertson Stadium 2 extra years, and hold off on the actual stadium design plans. First, purchase the land by downtown, and then work and focus on increasing the already growing fanbase. 23,000 at Robertson tonight was GREAT, but it shouldn't be considered the peak; it should be considered a stepping stone. I think season ticket sales are going to increase dramatically from last year because of the Dynamo's on-field success, and as a result, maybe our local news will give Dynamo the respect they deserve (all of 'em STILL had the Texans losing tonight as the top story even though our Dynamo won the Western Conference Finals <_< ). If they can create a 25,000+ game or two next season and keep increasing the popularity, maybe a 30,000-35,000 seat stadium plan wouldn't be unreasonable if announced in four years instead of 2007.

3) Instead of pulling off a Dallas Burn and having all those practice fields around their stadium, the Dynamo should instead have their practice fields at a high school site at a different location than the stadium, like in Alief. It would give Dynamo a larger fan-outreach. There's a lot of Dynamo fans here, so having practices with the stars here and not too far from Sugarland, Katy, and HISD would create a larger fan-base, and youth and high-school teams could learn and benefit from the players at the central location between Elsik and Hastings (which are only 3 practice fields apart.) Alief would probably be willing to spend the money for those kinds of fields instead of another $3 million ad campaign to make the area more noticed.

4) Have the new stadium soccer and concert-based, with football games held there only on special occasions like bowl games or high school playoffs. Instead of worrying about watching that football paint obscure the soccer lines, rent the stadium out to youth, high school, and college soccer tournaments. Kids would LOVE to play sports with a beautiful city skyline in the background. Let the stadium be paid out with these kind of comunity-oriented events. If Houston puts up money for this stadium, we can use this stadium to give back to our kids.

5) Lastly, eventually find an owner willing to do what it takes to make a dynasty once the stadium is in play. This team would be by far the highest-worth soccer team in America and Canada (Toronto FC's joining MLS next year), if we were the only MLS team to have a soccer-only 30,000+ stadium with high attendance. We need an owner who could get the Dynamo much better tv play (like Fox Sports SW, ch51, or MY20 for most games instead of FSC that not many people have), and a local spanish tv station as well. With good tv coverage and more professional cameras and a stadium that helps with camera sightlines for a soccer field, viewership could be much higher, and the team could be the Manchester United of the MLS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see a couple things:

1) The new Dynamo stadium built across the freeway from MMP, and the Dynamo, GRB, Astros, and City of Houston to push for a revitalization of the area around that Dynamo stadium, because a positive developmental atmosphere on both sides of 59 could only do wonders for all entities, and perhaps give convention and concert promoters another reason for people to host events in Houston to their resume.

I couldn't agree more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quick question:Are the ChivasUSA the same team/players that play in Mexico's league?

It is not.

Chivas USA is owned by Antonio Cue and Jorge Vergara who also own Chivas of Guadalajara in Mexico but it is not the same team or players. Chivas USA entered MLS last season and tried to field a team mostly made up of developmental players from the CD Guadalajara organization. That team finished last in the Western Conference of MLS. This year the team integrated itself more into MLS and brought in experienced players with much less regard to ethnicity. They moved up to 3rd place in the standings this season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now on ABC 13. They announced that 3 towns looking at a possible home for the Dynamos. They are...

Webster, Sugarland and Pearland, TX.

Perfect for practice fields, but the stadium itself needs to be across from Downtown or across from Reliant Park to be most successful. Our NFL, MLB, or NBA stadiums are there for a reason: Reliant and Downtown are a better conveniance for our fans than a fan in Pearland having to drive to Webster or vise-versa. Why would anyone think MLS would be successful if the stadium were not in a central location like our other professional teams? That's just nuts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...