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Just want to point out an urban soccer stadium (capacity 20,000) that the Portland Timbers uses: http://www.flickr.com/photos/totalnerd/5595920511/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/totalnerd/5536422462/

This stadium is integrated with the street grid in downtown Portland and has no surface parking. It's a renovated incarnation of a pre-war stadium. Plenty of tax revenue and neighborhood vitality around it.

The Portland Timbers are in MLS, DC United's league.

MLS as a league has learned through trial and error that its does better in small stadiums (about 20,000 capacity, small enough to fit in 1-2 city blocks) stadiums in urban cores that are proximate to public transit. DC United has wanted to self-fund the stadium for over 10 years. They've only asked the government for municipal bonding (to get the better municipal rate; they'd still be on the hook to pay the bonds) and infrastucture like on an apartment or office building.

In the same time, the owner of the Redskins has gouged fans whenever possible, and launched a lawsuit against the City Paper. And the Gray Administration is ready to publically fund (not just issue bonds at a better interest rate but pay 100% for it like Nats Park) for a practice facility for the Redskins. How much sense does that make?!?!?!?

I'm partisan because I'm a DC United fan and a member of the Barra Brava. I also live in downtown Silver Spring so I technically don't have a say in D.C. government affairs. However, I can see fair and unfair. While that seldom has anything to do with anything in D.C. city government affairs, one would think that at least the dollars and cents arguments that David and I (in my post linked in the above piece) might make a difference.

by Cavan on Nov 4, 2011 3:33 pm • link • report