Venue News & Notes: The Final 37

The USA Bid Committee has narrowed its list of 70 possible host stadiums for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup to 45 venues in 37 U.S. cities. FFIA’s 24-member executive committee will study the bids — which include the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey and college-town markets like Fayetteville, AR, and Knoxville, TN — conduct site visits, and name the two host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December 2010. California leads among U.S. states with five stadiums in consideration, followed by Texas and Florida with four each.

FedEx Field in Landover, MD, RFK Stadium in DC, and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore all made the short list of possible host cities and stadiums for soccer’s World Cup in 2018 or 2022, the USA Bid Committee said Tuesday. Forty-five stadiums in 37 U.S. cities were narrowed down from 70 stadiums. The committee issued Requests for Proposals on Monday to officials representing the cities, seeking more information on tourism, climate, security, transportation, and promotion…

…The new 49ers Stadium in Santa Clara, CA — if it happens at all — would bring more of the regular fans closer to the field, offer “party decks” to watch the game in an outdoor sports-bar atmosphere, and feature field-level club seats where high-rollers could watch players sprint past onto the turf. There would be a half acre of solar panels, a “green roof” made of living plants, and office space for a Silicon Valley company that wants a high-visibility address. The technology could let fans order food or watch replays through their smart phones, and the open, “airy” construction would be unlike the retro brick ballparks and metallic domes that have dominated recent sports architecture…

…Detroit’s Old Tiger Stadium may soon be a memory, but $3.8 million in federal funding earmarked for the ballpark’s renovation may still be available for use in the Corktown neighborhood. After the stadium demolition resumed this week, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) e-mailed the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, saying the earmark he inserted in the federal budget was for the “preservation and redevelopment of a public park and related business activities in the Corktown Neighborhood…”

…The first pitch was set to be thrown out at Winston-Salem, NC’s new baseball stadium in April, but construction at the park is now at a standstill. “Unfortunately, some things have changed since we started construction of our stadium,” explained Dash owner Billy Prim to the Winston-Salem City Council this week. “The credit crisis in this country has had a real effect on the financial industry and the ability to attract private capital and bank debt.” He said the money will be paid back with interest. But some people say it shouldn’t be the city’s problem…

…The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX, may be big, but the marketing opportunity is even bigger — at least that’s the message Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones conveyed to area business leaders at a recent luncheon. He was the featured speaker at the June 15 Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Leaders in Business luncheon held at the Petroleum Club in Fort Worth. Besides giving attendees an update on the $1.2 billion stadium, which is set to be fully completed for the 2009 football season, Jones also highlighted the marketing opportunities associated with the structure.

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