Venue News & Notes: Delay for Red Bulls’ Stadium
Story Highlights
Red Bull Arena will not be completed in time to open during the 2009 MLS season, on account of government red tape and development delays. The New York Red Bulls are expected to extend their deal with Montclair State University, which is home to the club’s current temporary practice facility.
…In a setback for the New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena will not be completed in time to open during the 2009 MLS season, which means the Harrison, NJ, stadium will now open next year. Team Managing Director Erik Stover confirmed to ESPNsoccernet that the club will have to wait until the start of the 2010 season to open Red Bull Arena…
…Vancouver’s finance director recommended that the city take over the financing of the 2010 Olympic athletes’ village to save money and ensure that the project is completed on time. Kenneth Bayne suggested on Tuesday that the city borrow the remaining $356 million (EUR 275 million) needed to finish the village and advance the next construction payment due to developers…
…The Kansas City Chiefs this week offered some new specifics about an additional $70 million in improvements to Arrowhead Stadium and common areas at the Truman Sports Complex. None of those costs would be paid by Jackson County, MO, taxpayers, representatives of the Chiefs stressed in a presentation Tuesday before the Jackson County Legislature…
…Voters this week approved a bond measure that would provide $150 million for infrastructure improvements at a 600-acre site near Los Angeles where a stadium has been proposed to lure an NFL team. Voters in Industry, a tiny town about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, passed the measure 60-1, although city officials have yet to certify the plan. The results support a proposal by billionaire developer Ed Roski’s Majestic Real Estate Co. to build an $800 million stadium if an NFL team agrees to move there…
…Billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross has completed his purchase of the Miami Dolphins and their stadium, the team announced on Tuesday. The reportedly $1 billion deal marks the end of an era in South Florida, with H. Wayne Huizenga selling the last of his major-league teams. He once owned a trifecta of the Dolphins, Major League Baseball’s Florida Marlins, and the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers…
…Omaha, NE, Mayor Mike Fahey and several dignitaries broke ground Wednesday just after 4:20 p.m. on the planned $128 million ballpark in downtown Omaha. Construction on the open-air concourse and the suites will begin in late summer, with the five-story stadium scheduled for completion in April 2011. The hope is to have the baseball field laid a year before the first College World Series game is played…
UEFA will decide next week if Wembley Stadium in London is to host the European Cup final in 2011 for a record sixth time. Wembley has long been the front-runner to stage the 2011 Champions League final, but UEFA delayed making a choice until tax issues were resolved with the British government. UEFA does not want players’ earnings from prestige matches to be directly taxed.