I thought exactly the same thing. Even the folks sitting in the upper corner with the perspective of the lens are watching the game from what feels like miles away. I hope our engineers and architects get it right with optimal sightlines for all.
Stadium Discussion
- Thread starter Gene
- Start date
Last five years average attendance is:
2011: 4793
2012: 4463
2013: 6277
2014: 4663
2015: 6498
That's a shade over 5300 per game.
They'll sell 9000+ tickets if there is demand, like for the final game this season.
"Import lower-cost Chinese labor" for only "1/2 of the typical US cost", huh? My oh my...
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/...referral&utm_content=News&utm_campaign=Unpaid
Well Becks beat us to it. And Overtown is a great location. Not too far from the AAA they originally planned, I wonder if it's on the water... How many more clubs will get a stadium before we do? 1.San Jose 2. Orlando 3. Miami 4. Sacramento. And then... 5. Minnesota? 6. LA? 7. Atlanta? It could get very frustrating.
Well Becks beat us to it. And Overtown is a great location. Not too far from the AAA they originally planned, I wonder if it's on the water... How many more clubs will get a stadium before we do? 1.San Jose 2. Orlando 3. Miami 4. Sacramento. And then... 5. Minnesota? 6. LA? 7. Atlanta? It could get very frustrating.
The more that I think about it, the more I think the stadium situation for NYCFC is only going to end in one of two ways:
- Stadium share at Red Bull Arena
- SSS somewhere in Westchester near a Metro North stop
Take your pick.
The stadium share option is obviously unappealing for those wanting their own ground, but for CFG it gives them an option where the entire facility is already built, its accessible by public transit and you can park there. Renting out RBA would be much cheaper than building a new stadium, and the design is what you want your soccer stadium to be. Just drape some NYCFC signage along the walls and you're set. As for the big Red Bulls seat logo, maybe the team will sell and the future owner will replace the seats. But the location would put a big dent in the NYCFC fan base as the idea of traveling outside of the city (even if its just 20 minutes) to support the club is foreign to most fans, judging by the sparse amounts that traveled to Red Bull Arena this year.
The other option is Westchester because a soccer specific stadium isn't going to get built within NYC city limits. That's because real estate is at a premium here and the public and politicians aren't going to get behind building a new stadium for a team that belongs to a fringe league. Let's face it -- MLS is just not as big as we want to believe. And if the NFL can't get it done, then the MLS sure as hell can't get it done.
Any SSS within city limits would sit empty for 95% or more of the year. Pro-stadium people like to tout that it would bring jobs and events, but the only jobs a new stadium would bring are temporary construction jobs and low-income fulltime food service positions. As for events, no one would bother. There are already a wealth of indoor arenas and outdoor spaces in NYC to hold concerts and shows of all varieties and sizes. Small business owners would love it, but are there any businesses in the places that NYCFC are looking?
Manhattan is automatically out. Staten Island is isolated, so that's out. Bronx and Queens -- if you tried to build in the Yankee Stadium or Citi Field areas, opponents would say 'why not just have the team play in the baseball stadiums next door? Why build a stadium that's going to sit empty when we could reserve this space for things that people will make more use of?' Brooklyn for the same reason is probably out. I just can't see the public or politicians anywhere rallying to get a soccer stadium built. Again, it has less to do with NYCFC and more to do with MLS being a fringe sport and there being an overabundance of sports facilities already in NYC.
Which leaves you with Westchester.
It's still growing. It's accessible by metro north. You can find or build parking. You have public support in Yonkers. You have less competition for land. It's not NYC, but beggars can't be choosers and it may be your best bet to build your own stadium. NYCFC will stay in Yankee Stadium for the long-term future but eventually the Yankees are going to kick the team out. The stadium was made for the Yankees only.
- Stadium share at Red Bull Arena
- SSS somewhere in Westchester near a Metro North stop
Take your pick.
The stadium share option is obviously unappealing for those wanting their own ground, but for CFG it gives them an option where the entire facility is already built, its accessible by public transit and you can park there. Renting out RBA would be much cheaper than building a new stadium, and the design is what you want your soccer stadium to be. Just drape some NYCFC signage along the walls and you're set. As for the big Red Bulls seat logo, maybe the team will sell and the future owner will replace the seats. But the location would put a big dent in the NYCFC fan base as the idea of traveling outside of the city (even if its just 20 minutes) to support the club is foreign to most fans, judging by the sparse amounts that traveled to Red Bull Arena this year.
The other option is Westchester because a soccer specific stadium isn't going to get built within NYC city limits. That's because real estate is at a premium here and the public and politicians aren't going to get behind building a new stadium for a team that belongs to a fringe league. Let's face it -- MLS is just not as big as we want to believe. And if the NFL can't get it done, then the MLS sure as hell can't get it done.
Any SSS within city limits would sit empty for 95% or more of the year. Pro-stadium people like to tout that it would bring jobs and events, but the only jobs a new stadium would bring are temporary construction jobs and low-income fulltime food service positions. As for events, no one would bother. There are already a wealth of indoor arenas and outdoor spaces in NYC to hold concerts and shows of all varieties and sizes. Small business owners would love it, but are there any businesses in the places that NYCFC are looking?
Manhattan is automatically out. Staten Island is isolated, so that's out. Bronx and Queens -- if you tried to build in the Yankee Stadium or Citi Field areas, opponents would say 'why not just have the team play in the baseball stadiums next door? Why build a stadium that's going to sit empty when we could reserve this space for things that people will make more use of?' Brooklyn for the same reason is probably out. I just can't see the public or politicians anywhere rallying to get a soccer stadium built. Again, it has less to do with NYCFC and more to do with MLS being a fringe sport and there being an overabundance of sports facilities already in NYC.
Which leaves you with Westchester.
It's still growing. It's accessible by metro north. You can find or build parking. You have public support in Yonkers. You have less competition for land. It's not NYC, but beggars can't be choosers and it may be your best bet to build your own stadium. NYCFC will stay in Yankee Stadium for the long-term future but eventually the Yankees are going to kick the team out. The stadium was made for the Yankees only.
An essay to tell us about reb bull fans' hopes wasn't necessary.
We're not beggars in the sense that Yankee Stadium actually works in the meantime.
And I disagree it will never get done in the city. Look at Beckham's search. Each successive site he gave up more and more. In the end, he threw his hands up, compromised on everything but the near-downtown location, and bought it outright. No fancy government deals, no partnerships, nothing. Just a guy buying land and building a stadium on his own dime, and paying property taxes.
Eventually we'll get to that point. It might take a few more years of due diligence, but that's how I envision it getting done.
And as a side note, I know the entire Miami process was corrupt af, but good for them to not budge to the demands of a rich ownership group. This is really the way all sports stadiums should be built in the future - they aren't public goods, they shouldn't get special treatment.
CFG (and MLS) would keep us in Yankee Stadium forever than share RBA.
Etihad Island is still a possibility. It's more plausible than Pier 40.
But honestly, a plot of land can come up for sale within the next couple of years that we don't consider now. Maybe the Jacob Javits Center becomes condemned for some inexplicable reason and they move that somewhere else and we built an SSS.
Etihad Island is still a possibility. It's more plausible than Pier 40.
But honestly, a plot of land can come up for sale within the next couple of years that we don't consider now. Maybe the Jacob Javits Center becomes condemned for some inexplicable reason and they move that somewhere else and we built an SSS.
Just my opinion. I disagree with with this entire post.
I don't know that Westchester is as easy as you think. Yes, there is more land available in places up here, but the spots near Metro North are already very built up. You'd need to pick a place (like Yonkers Raceway) that is more than walking distance from the train or go farther out from the city - north of White Plains at least. Neither would really work.
As for Red Bulls Arena. Dream on. That is never going to happen. They've built the entire fan base on the theme of differentiating themselves from the New Jersey option. Might as well shut down the franchise, because that move would kill it.
As for Red Bulls Arena. Dream on. That is never going to happen. They've built the entire fan base on the theme of differentiating themselves from the New Jersey option. Might as well shut down the franchise, because that move would kill it.
Westchester defeats the whole purpose of NEW YORK CITY football club...the stadium will be in the 5 boroughs and they are fully committed to that
Sorry, haven't been on in a while. To clear up some confusion with my post about Fordham/NYCFC...
1) Wouldn't want NYCFC to build on the Fordham campus. I would think that linking up with Fordham would possibly make it easier to make a deal with NYC/De Blasio administration on building on 153rd St parking lot.
2) Someone questioned why Fordham would want to build a 20,000+ seat arena if football only draws 7,000 people. Jack Coffey's capacity is only 7K. Many Fordham alums have wanted the university to increase capacity.
1) Wouldn't want NYCFC to build on the Fordham campus. I would think that linking up with Fordham would possibly make it easier to make a deal with NYC/De Blasio administration on building on 153rd St parking lot.
2) Someone questioned why Fordham would want to build a 20,000+ seat arena if football only draws 7,000 people. Jack Coffey's capacity is only 7K. Many Fordham alums have wanted the university to increase capacity.
I'm sure it's already been discussed here, but 187 pages of posts is too many to look through..... does anybody know what (residential?) is supposed to be built on the three blocks south of the United Nations and when it's supposed to take place? It's where the former massive ConEd building was located (so the Zoning should have some sort of attached variance unless it's since been rezoned). Those lots have been vacant for so long (years) that they've got a nice layer of green grass/weeds, so something isn't adding up with the development of it.
Green Grass growing (old photo)
All I have found is that it's 6.4 acres owned by developer Sheldon Solow.
Original development circa 2007
that seems dead now according to this:
http://ny.curbed.com/tags/first-avenue-mud-pit
It seems a bit small to build a stadium, but nothing is impossible when a little cash is thrown at the solution to expand over the FDR and into the water (pier).
Green Grass growing (old photo)
All I have found is that it's 6.4 acres owned by developer Sheldon Solow.
Original development circa 2007
that seems dead now according to this:
http://ny.curbed.com/tags/first-avenue-mud-pit
It seems a bit small to build a stadium, but nothing is impossible when a little cash is thrown at the solution to expand over the FDR and into the water (pier).
Easy walk from my office. Can we get an all weeknight schedule?
