Funding from a Spanish Bank BBVA Compass Bank is helping to get the stadium deal done for the Houston Dynamo. Hey why not as they are involved in Spain’s La Liga.
Team President Oliver Luck spoke about it last night on Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis among other topics on the radio show.
Luck mentioned that the deal is close and they want to lock in prices at a time when it is cheaper to build a stadium.
I can see the first goal being scored in the new stadium already coming from ……..
The Dynamo apparently will pay 60 million of the cost of an 80 million dollar stadium which makes this sound as though it will be a stadium with suites but not too many bells and whistles.
“We need to build a functional building that serves the need of our fans first,” said Luck.
The stadium will have 32 suites according to Luck and will be positioned with the other great stadiums of Houston, Texas.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall and will take 18 months to complete. The stadium will also be the home Texas Southern University football games.
“We’re delighted the BBVA Compass Bank has stepped up to the plate an given us and the city and the county a term sheet that we think makes sense,” said Luck.
“Its a big step for us. We’re very happy we’re one step closer to getting the stadium deal finalized.”
This is wonderful news for soccer fans especially coming after the vivid example of the poor conditions of the field at UH this past weekend when 16,000 plus fans entered a Robertson Stadium to see what looked to be dying grass and sand. I have extended an invitation to UH Athletic Director Dave Maggard to come on the radio show this Monday to explain UH’s position on the their facilities.
Still with politics involved I am a man in wait on the stadium and I have not yet popped my bottle of Veuve Cliquot.
To hear Oliver Luck on the stadium issue go to 790thesportsanimal.com, click on podcasts, click on Glenn Davis and go to the first hour of the podcast. Remember you heard it first on Dynamo All Access.
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Hooray!
It’s about time! Hey since it’s cheaper to do it now, they should be able to get a roof on there shouldn’t they?
Please, please, please, please give it a middle entrance ala Camp Nou, San Siro, Old Trafford, and other great stadiums around the world, just ask Chicago what they think of Toyota Park?
They have a roof to give it that modern European/Asian look and the middle tunnel which plays perfectly into the whole fair play deal before the game and stuff!
Glenn, can we write to anyone from the Dynamo, about these two design issues and other concerns about the stadium. like no Football lines till season is over etc?
You think I should join mydynamo to talk to people about it, would they accept a Galaxy fan who use to live in Houston and just want to see the sport grow and Houston to get a worthy venue for the beautiful game?
yes! i hope everything else goes smoothly from here on out! – I also hope there won’t be that wierd curve in the middle of the field at some football stadiums… i wish we could see any of the proposed designs for the stadium!
Luis, go to google and look up Houston new soccer stadium images, you’ll get the first draft of the design, is very plain and not even close to finished, and there will be a pic of a rendering a fan did, it’s pretty much the Home Depot Center colored to look like a Dynamo field, but the concept of orange seats which are easy to get in that color, looks amazing!
If not go to Houston channel 11’s website, they should have the drawing, but I’m warning you is very premature and not too pretty, there’s a video on the channels website that shows it, and then shows another version that has a mesh type of layer around it!
Quick question what are you talking about when you refer to the werd curve in the middle of the field?
Glenn, as happy I am about this, I am still shocked at how many people treat it as if the sports is anti-american and how the league will fold etc etc.
You should read some of the comments, although most of the bad ones are gone already, they have caused me to lose it.
I read on BF’s follow up that now Lee is acting like he isn’t sure about it at all. What’s up with that? You think he is just covering his image for those who oppose the stadium so they won’t trun against him come re-election time?
Edwin: Ol Trafford does not have a center line entrance. The entrance is in a corner.
It sounds like to me, that the Dynamo have there ducks totally in a row while the city and county are still dragging their feet. I’ll believe it when I see it. It a shame when the city will help facilate a beer joint, night club, dance hall, resturant, “House of Blues”, but can’t get moving on something that everyone can enjoy, in a new stadium.
This doesn’t look very good for the team. This latest turn of events is definately an eye-opener. Oliver Luck seems like an smart, thoughtful man who has been down this road before (with the old Houston Sports Authority). He knows how these things work. And being the smart man that he is, he would have made sure that stories like yesterday’s wouldn’t have come out. If they had, the team would have been in front of it and tempering our expectations.
Of course, that means that El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia are either a) posturing to those who are strongly opposed; b)have changed their minds; c)weren’t really interested in a project like this in the first place. In any event, it looks like they’re playing games. Having said all of that, my gut has one nagging thought in all of this.
The worst case scenario; basically the city and county drag their feet on this- no deal gets done- and the team is sold to other investors (the St.Louis group comes to mind) and the team leaves town at the end of this year.
Yes, its very pessimistic on my part. I certainly hope I am wrong.
Jon, I certainly do as well. We can hope it is more posturing than anything else but you never know, right? The Jobs created and the investment and improvements in the East End alone should make this attractive, especially in times like this. I could just see these two complaining if all the money was provided by the Dynamo and they built the Stadium themselves and in doing so hired all out of State contractors, suppliers and what have you. Then the Dynamo would be accused by these “Public Servants” of not providing employment, business or what have you to the local economy. This process is more and more frustrating at every turn, we think we make progress and then turn around immediately take a step back because someone with aspirations to higher office wants to grandstand. May just be my vote, but you bet your bottom dollar that I will campaign and vote for anyone that ever runs against these people, no matter what the office is.