* Kroenke Sports Enterprises has just "purchased" the Colorado
Rapids, and
plans to have a purpose-built stadium in place for the start of the 2006
season. Press reports have suggested a possible location in proximity
to
the Pepsi Center or elsewhere in downtown, but no plans or further
details have
been released to this point.
* On Friday, September 19th, The N.Y. State Legislature approved a
$15 million dollar grant to build the Rochester Rhinos their own,
soccer-
specific stadium at a total estimated cost of $22 million dollars. The
stadium
will have an initial capacity of 17,500, expandable to 20,000 should
the
city be bumped up a division to Major League Soccer. There's been talk
of
ground-breaking in the next few weeks. A stadium rendering may be seen
here:
http://www.rhinossoccer.com/images/thumbs/PaeTec%20Park1.JPG
* Peter Wilt and the Chicago Fire have received financial proposals from
the
communities of Bridgeview, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estate and the City of
Chicago
to build a soccer-specific stadium. The Fire will reportedly announce the
winning proposal
in the next one to two months. The stadium would possibly be built in
time for the 2006
season at a proposed cost of close to $70 million, capacity being in the
neighborhood
of 20,000-plus.
* New renderings of the 20,000-seat Frisco Stadium have recently been
circulated
by Dallas Burn supporters as they look to make a move to their own
soccer-specific
stadium for purposes of the 2005 season. Images can be seen through those
links below:
It's been suggested that some preliminary work on the stadium site may
already
be underway and that an "official ground-breaking may occur within
the month." Total
estimated cost of the project is $65 million dollars. Nice touch that
seems to be part
of (this particular) design proposal: different-colored seats that spell
out "DALLAS" and
"BURN" much like what's common in European stadia.
* The Seattle Sounders as of August, were looking to bring an MLS
expansion franchise
to Kent, WA. A soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of 18 - 20,000
would be built
as part of a complex featuring eight to ten additional soccer fields,
this at an estimated
cost of around $35 million according to published reports. MLS is also
lending assistance
with proposal planning, this also according to a published report. If
everything works out,
Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer would like to have things in
order for an MLS
team to being play in 2005 or 2006.