April 24, 2005
San Antonio puts $21M down payment on soccer
The San Antonion city council has approved $21 million in city bonds to fund renovations to the Alamodome and 13 new youth soccer fields, as part of an attempt to lure an MLS team to town. San Antonio Express-News columnist Carlos Guerra points out that the enticements would also include free rent for the team, 80% of naming-rights money, and all revenue from tickets, concessions, parking and merchandising. And given that MLS officials have insisted that its teams need soccer-specific stadiums, not multipurpose domes, Guerra wonders: "Will we get an MLS team that will lock up the Alamodome for a sweetheart price and call it home as it builds a loyal fan base? And then, will the franchise demand its own publicly funded soccer-specific stadium and all its revenues if it is to survive?"
Reportedly San Antonio considered a socccer-specific stadium but figured it'd compete with the Dome. There are risks here that down the line the team will want to play outside on grass in a smaller stadium, but I think the dome will work. --------------------
They pull curtains to reduce the capcity and provide a better atmosphere like with the Spurs. It will be rennovated to be soccer-specific as soccer with be the prime and only tenant. MLS will control the stadium and that's the biggest part of a "soccer-specific stadium". It also won't have light yellow soccer lines painted over a football field like in several current venues. AEG will likely put concerts through the dome during the winter.
MLS is a summer league so having a dome for a team in Texas isn't the worst thing in the world. Playing on FieldTurf isn't great but it's happening. Rochester and probably Toronto will have soccer stadiums with it. Right now Giants Stadium and Salt Lake City have it. FieldTurf wears out but installed for soccer and not football it's better than what's used in SLC and NJ.
Most of that 21 million is going towards the youth fields. The cost of rennovations is around 6.5 million from what I've read. The AlamoDome isn't getting a better tenant. NFL, MLB, and obviously NBA and NHL aren't interested. It opened in 1993. They lose money right now operating it so short of bulldozing it I think giving soccer a try is worth a chance.
Posted by swedcrip on April 24, 2005 04:42 PM
Plus for the most part, the Aladome is a vacant building anyway. They might as well start using it for MLS games. Surely the NFL ain't coming there. Here's a good name for the new MLS team. San Antonio Spurs FC.
Posted by Bertell Ollman on April 25, 2005 01:00 PM