Stadium Discussion

[Kenny]

As I've said elsewhere (on the NYCFC Facebook group): "I think what the Yankees really want is the revenue from the rest of the development plan (the rents, etc.) and to leverage the enhanced value of the real estate. Maybe utilize the stadium when we're not playing, too. Those are the real reasons for their reluctance to move to Willets Point."

They look at us as a supplemental revenue stream. We're not a priority for them (notwithstanding all the sunshine getting blown around between them and CFG). And as long as they look at us as a sideshow, and our stadium as just a side piece of a bigger plan, we're not going to get there with them as a dance partner. Either they change their view or Ferran Soriano bigfoots them and brings in his own team to get it done or CFG buys them out or has someone else do it (hello Steve Cohen), or we're stuck.

As to the surrounding community, I think the general view of the Yankees is they're just in the way. Every time community concerns come up the answer is always "but look at what we're doing for you" followed by a lot of numbers. Which is the hallmark of lousy business. No one does anything for anyone in business. You're either in a deal for mutual interest or someone is getting screwed (and it's always the guy getting done "for").

Great post, especially the last bit, and I heartily agree that the best thing CFG could do is buy out the Yankees (or hit up the Mets...? or some other partner to buy them out) and head for Willets Point. Have you seen Flushing Meadows Corona Park on any given weekend day? Literally hundreds of soccer games going on and people wearing jerseys from every league in the world. It's the epicenter of NYC soccer.

 

[DeGrozz]

I watched this video a week or two ago and forgot to put this here, but could this be one of the reasons that the Yankees are being such pricks? (Starts 8:40ish if my time stamp doesn’t work)

 

[Kjbert]

lol I just wrote a response off the top of my head but yours is so much better, with actual data. I'll post mine anyway, with a couple of updates from those articles:

The Yankees made all kinds of promises in exchange for getting massive tax breaks and taking away public parkland, and reneged or half-assed on all of them. They said they would replace all the parkland (they replaced some, looks like the rest will never be replaced); they set up a 28 million $ trust fund to invest in the community and distribute season tickets every year to "local youth" (this fund infamously became a slush fund for political favors and whatever else they needed it for and supposedly very little ever made its way to the community); getting the massive tax breaks and occupying all that land that in the community's view, if it were anything else but a stadium and empty parking garages, would be generating business, street life, and property tax income for the neighborhood.

Thank you for that summary. Some of this is very bad. And I understand better. The park land would be frustrating to me mostly. But to assume that the land the stadium uses would be thriving businesses flatly ignores the reality of that neighborhood. Isn’t that the poorest neighborhood in NYC now?

 

[Kenny]

Thank you for that summary. Some of this is very bad. And I understand better. The park land would be frustrating to me mostly. But to assume that the land the stadium uses would be thriving businesses flatly ignores the reality of that neighborhood. Isn’t that the poorest neighborhood in NYC now?

I mean ultimately you're probably right, from an outside perspective, but from the perspective of the local BID or community board, they can't or wouldn't assume that. So I can't really blame the guy for responding like that.

 

[Kjbert]

I mean ultimately you're probably right, from an outside perspective, but from the perspective of the local BID or community board, they can't or wouldn't assume that. So I can't really blame the guy for responding like that.

That’s fair. Just think they’re overly optimistic about what the land would be without the stadium. How many jobs are made available because of Billy’s, the other bars, McDonald’s, the garages, the gameday staff and the police?

 

[Bane]

Can someone remind me again why we're all so confident that a stadium deal is imminent? I am not trying to be a party pooper, just how did this all blow up so fast?

 

[Kjbert]

Can someone remind me again why we're all so confident that a stadium deal is imminent? I am not trying to be a party pooper, just how did this all blow up so fast?

I don’t remember how much info I shared on who told me this, aside from some things I shared with SoupInNYC in a PM. Im too lazy to go back 10 pages.
A partner of mine at work is a somebody in NYC politics. He told me done deal. Wait until Adams is sworn in. So that’s why I’m in the “deal is imminent” camp.

 

[Kenny]

Can someone remind me again why we're all so confident that a stadium deal is imminent? I am not trying to be a party pooper, just how did this all blow up so fast?

I've known since the spring that the parties were going to bide their time until the new administration. No sense lobbying and planning when there will be a whole new set of people. Now, not only is that imminent, but with Adams' win (over other candidates who might have been less stadium-friendly), then the Cup win, and then Adams' pledge to build a stadium....

 

[KevinJRogers]

I don’t remember how much info I shared on who told me this, aside from some things I shared with SoupInNYC in a PM. Im too lazy to go back 10 pages.
A partner of mine at work is a somebody in NYC politics. He told me done deal. Wait until Adams is sworn in. So that’s why I’m in the “deal is imminent” camp.

Is that a done deal for the South Bronx or are we moving, K Kjbert?

 

[Kjbert]

Is that a done deal for the South Bronx or are we moving, K Kjbert?

His words to me…

By Citi field
Hudson Yards
South Bronx

 

[ezbeezy214]

His words to me…

By Citi field
Hudson Yards
South Bronx

3 stadiums!

 

[adam]

3 stadiums!

guess they don’t want to make too many changes to the current STH plans.

 

[KevinJRogers]

His words to me…

By Citi field
Hudson Yards
South Bronx

Hudson Yards is a stretch. So in all probability either they worked out the parking in the South Bronx or we're headed for Willets Point.

A late Christmas present would be dandy, oh yes it would.

 

[Kjbert]

My guess would be an announcement along the lines of “the Adams Admin, in close partnership with all stakeholders, is fully behind the development of a stadium for NYCFC. We will work closely with NYCEDC, etc etc and use all resources to make this happen.”

Something right out of the gates from the mayor.

 

[KevinJRogers]

My guess would be an announcement along the lines of “the Adams Admin, in close partnership with all stakeholders, is fully behind the development of a stadium for NYCFC. We will work closely with NYCEDC, etc etc and use all resources to make this happen.”

Something right out of the gates from the mayor.

In other words, the same limp biscuit Sims pulled out of the oven at our City Hall celebration.

At the risk of stating the obvious, obviously until they can say where they're not saying anything.

 

[Kjbert]

In other words, the same limp biscuit Sims pulled out of the oven at our City Hall celebration.

At the risk of stating the obvious, obviously until they can say where they're not saying anything.

I think/know this is different. It’s an important “win” for Adams out of the gate. Guy has no strong political beliefs. Just a politician with his hand out. He’s a black Rudy Giuliani circa 1995.

Progressives in the city are going to hate him. He wants shiny new buildings, population growth and crime/homeless off the streets. Much different priorities than BDB.

 

[CCMore]

I think/know this is different. It’s an important “win” for Adams out of the gate. Guy has no strong political beliefs. Just a politician with his hand out. He’s a black Rudy Giuliani circa 1995.

Progressives in the city are going to hate him. He wants shiny new buildings, population growth and crime/homeless off the streets. Much different priorities than BDB.

Other than the stadium sounds like I already hate him

 

[Kjbert]

Remember - they don’t (at least as far as Adams is willing to tell) have a site secured. SoupInNYC can better explain how simple it is to “procure” each of the three sites. I would imagine GAL is a rubber stamp from CB4 and the mayor signing off on the payment. Willets Point another rubber stamp? Hudson Yards a bit different.

 

[Kjbert]

Other than the stadium sounds like I already hate him

Big fan of the homeless above ground again?

 

[KevinJRogers]

Remember - they don’t (at least as far as Adams is willing to tell) have a site secured. SoupInNYC can better explain how simple it is to “procure” each of the three sites. I would imagine GAL is a rubber stamp from CB4 and the mayor signing off on the payment. Willets Point another rubber stamp? Hudson Yards a bit different.

Just did some checking and there's an agreement in place (which could mean a few things) for the GAL site, so let's just assume it's been acquired since nothing can actually happen without that piece of the puzzle. The big problem seems to be the parking lot situation.

Looking this over, I just don't see how GAL gets done with the Yankees involved. I'm sure it's all been gone over ad infinitum around here, but it seems to me serious businesspeople operating in good faith should be able to work this one out. They put the right mechanism in place by splitting the leases. After that it's just stupidity.

Hudson Yards seems a nonstarter to me. As awesome as it would be, I just don't see where they can squeeze us in. But from a financial and legal standpoint it might be the easiest.

Willets Point is probably the best available option, and for a lot of reasons. On the business end it means bringing Related into the picture but that shouldn't be a problem. They're the big dogs. Everybody knows everybody. Come correct with the check and they're good to go.