Venue News: Houston Approves New Dynamo Stadium

The Harris County Houston Sports Authority has approved the agreement to build a new Houston Dynamo Stadium. Harris County commissioners approved the agreement for the stadium in April, and this week’s announcement is another step in the process. The proposed $95 million project is scheduled to be opened in April 2012 and will also serve as the home field for Texas Southern University football games. The agreement calls for the city and county to contribute land and for the Dynamo to pay for construction and maintenance on the 20,000-seat facility. The Sports Authority will serve as landlord…

…The Texas Rangers have been working for months to try to get the right deal for a videoboard and other visual components in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for the 2011 season, but they weren’t going to rush it if they didn’t get something they were completely pleased about. But managing general partner Chuck Greenberg was asked by a fan on his Facebook page whether a “new scoreboard plan for 2011 was doable.” Greenberg’s response: “Major announcement should be coming by the end of the week…”

Three Minnesota counties are exploring a plan to build a new Vikings stadium at an abandoned munitions site. Ramsey, Washington, and Anoka counties are discussing a joint proposal to build the stadium on a 430-acre parcel in Arden Hills. Among the ideas on the table is using liquor taxes or racino revenue to help fund the project. The Minnesota Vikings have played in the Metrodome for 28 years. But team officials say they won’t renew the Metrodome lease and have been exploring options for a new stadium…

…Athletics directors can’t help dreaming of bigger, better stadiums. So it comes as little surprise that the University of Kentucky’s Mitch Barnhart is talking up a $150 million-plus facelift of Commonwealth Stadium. The idea that Kentucky’s financially strapped state government could divert tax dollars into a sports stadium is ridiculous, as Barnhart acknowledged. That would leave only football ticket-buyers to pay off Commonwealth renovations.

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