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its a great place for an outdoor concert
Spurs eye managing Alamo Stadium
By Tom Orsborn - Express-News
Alamo Stadium's future could be as a pro soccer, entertainment and high school sports facility managed by Spurs Sports & Entertainment, the holding company that owns the Spurs, Silver Stars and Rampage.
Preliminary plans discussed by SS&E and the San Antonio Independent School District last year called for them to enter into a shared-use agreement that would allow SS&E to run the venerable, 70-year-old facility after teaming with the city and county to refurbish it, officials said Friday.
Although talks were put on hold after it was discovered the cost to renovate the stadium and outfit it for a pro soccer team was more than $30 million, SS&E and the district haven't ruled out renewing the discussion.
“We're not interested in selling the stadium, but we are certainly open to shared-use possibilities like the one discussed with the Spurs,” SAISD spokesperson Leslie Price said.
The intriguing partnership would make it easier for SS&E to fulfill its goal of bringing pro soccer to San Antonio while giving the cash-strapped district another revenue source to refurbish one of the state's most historic and beloved high school venues.
SAISD staff recommended recently $1.24 billion in capital improvements to the district's aging facilities. A bond election could be held as soon as November.
“Without voters authorizing a bond issue, we would have a very difficult time finding a way to fund renovations,” SAISD board member Tom Lopez said. “It's going to cost us a lot of money. We can't afford to do it by ourselves.
“The Spurs organization prides itself on being successful, and I feel we could probably formulate a very good venture that would enhance our facilities. I hope we can move forward and utilize their services and talents.”
SS&E vice president Leo Gomez said the partnership would be similar to the one used to finance construction of Pizza Hut Park, a 145-acre multipurpose facility in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.
The $105-million complex is owned by the city of Frisco, the Hunt Sports Group, the Frisco Independent School District and Collin County.
“If we could find a way to partner with a school district, whatever the right one may be, that's the model we hope to replicate,” Gomez said. “For us, it's not just about SAISD. We have talked to a number of school districts. The unanswered question is, where do you come up with $35 million?
“But we're not in a hurry. We want to do this the right way.”
Built during the Depression by the Works Projects Administration, Alamo Stadium is plagued by numerous infrastructure problems.
“The water pressure is so darn low the restrooms don't even operate efficiently,” Lopez said. “Without major renovations that facility is going to suffer even more, and it won't be able to be like it once was.”
Added trustee Ed Garza, “Alamo Stadium is a city treasure, and we cannot let it continue to deteriorate. There are bathroom issues, shower issues, cracks in the original limestone walls. We have to find ways to think outside of the box to make those improvements happen. Any partnership that can bring something creative to improve the facility and allow the district to share the costs is certainly something I'd welcome. We're going to have to make improvements no matter what, but it'd be easier with a partnership.”
But not everybody is enthusiastic about the thought of the district possibly losing control of the 23,000-seat stadium.
“My main concern is we provide a first-class facility for our athletes and the community,” SAISD athletic director Gil Garza said. “It is no secret Alamo Stadium needs a major renovation. It's a city landmark, and we owe it to our cons uents to improve it. But I hope we can find creative funding to make this possible without losing control of the stadium.”
Deputy city manager Pat DiGiovanni said the city performed its own cost analysis and found that the price tag to upgrade the stadium matched SS&E's projection of more than $30 million.
“It's a big number, and it contributed to putting the project on hold,” he said.
its a great place for an outdoor concert
Not a bad idea.
Why can't the Alamodome be used for a pro soccer team?
Too many seats, too much overhead, would require too many workers.
Alamo Stadium would be the perfect size.
Says 23,000 seats, is that about the average for an MLS team?
I'd love to see it happen
I'd love for SA to get a soccer team.
Pizza Hut Park holds about 20,500.
There was some discussion about this. I think the league wants outdoor stadiums, and of course SS&E likes to manage venues instead of renting if it favors them financially.
Not to mention that Red McCombs owns the A-Dome concessions rights.
I do not like the idea of a public school district turning over the management of its stadium to a professional sports franchise.
Forever.Not to mention that Red McCombs owns the A-Dome concessions rights.
Best deal since the StL Spirits owners...Not to mention that Red McCombs owns the A-Dome concessions rights.
Pizza Hut Park is an awesome place to watch a game.
Yeah it is. Frisco is a pretty cool town. They have the baseball and hockey facilities too.
yeah they couldn't possibly manage it better or more efficiently than the government...
Pizza Hut Park just won the FCS football championship game and new D-League team co-owned by Donnie Nelson is going to be playing in an expended Dr. Pepper arena next season.
Anticipation Rising: Pro Soccer in Alamo Stadium
Soccer is a sport that, more than any other, is about atmosphere. It is about anticipation and eventual euphoria.
For San Antonio, soccer all of the sudden seems closer than ever to being a professional reality. And lovers of “The Beautiful Game” in South Texas can only hope that this hopeful atmosphere, this raised level of anticipation, leads to eventual euphoria in the form of a top-flight pro soccer team calling San Antonio home.
A recent article in the San Antonio Express News revealed that San Antonio Independent School District and Spurs Sports & Entertainment have in fact had discussions about venerable Alamo Stadium being placed in the managing hands of SS&E.
Alamo Stadium is a legendary local sports shrine that has fallen into various levels of disrepair as the cash-strapped inner-city SAISD struggles to maintain the facility. In it’s 70 years of existence, Alamo Stadium has hosted high school sports of all kinds in addition to college and professional football.
The beauty of the talks between SAISD and SS&E is that the Spurs organization (which has been itching to get into professional soccer) would not have to build a stadium for any proposed team, but simply would renovate an existing jewel that happens to be just the right size and in just the right place.
Some of the most revered (and well-attended) stadiums in Major League Soccer share a common trait: an urban location.
Seattle’s Qwest Field and Toronto’s BMO Stadium are the two oft-cited urban jewels of the league, each drawing capacity crowds and each famous for an incredible gameday atmosphere. Each also happens to be in the shadow of the their respective city skylines. Alamo Stadium, for those keeping track at home, is a mere 4 miles from the front door of the Alamo.
Unlike stadiums in far-flung exurbs (like Pizza Hut Park in Frisco or Gillette Stadium in Foxborough), Alamo Stadium would be accessible by people from all over San Antonio by a simple 20 minute drive. Supporters from Stone Oak and Southtown would have easy access, as would families from the suburbs and young urbanites in the city. And for that growing number of folks living in the urban core, Alamo Stadium is accessible by public transport, with a VIA ride from Alamo Plaza taking a mere 15 minutes. With plans to add a streetcar line on Broadway in the near future, the booming residential area that is about to be River North will be connected to a refurbished, resplendent Alamo Stadium in a myriad of ways.
So the anticipation rises as the atmosphere around the potential for soccer in San Antonio heats up. SS&E is interested enough in bringing high-level soccer to San Antonio that they have entered into talks regarding management and renovation. SAISD is interested enough in staying solvent that they will bend over backwards to allow someone with resources to take over their historic facility. And San Antonio’s starving soccer fans are one step closer to realizing the euphoric dream of having professional soccer in the city. In Alamo Stadium, the beautiful game is as close as it has ever been to finding itself in the shadow of the San Antonio skyline.
Last edited by CagedMonky; 03-07-2010 at 01:28 PM.
It would be yet another example of a facility built by taxpayers- in this case for use by a non-profit school district- and it being turned into a huge money making venture for a private enterprise. It is not like the Spurs themselves will pay for the renovations. They will just extend the taxes yet again saying it is for community sports facilities, and stupid taxpayers will have no clue that a big chunk is for the Spurs, yet again.
One would think the MLS could work in SA.
"Crocketteers"? Heh.
Hehe yeah like the Musketteers or Mouseketteers.
If spurs do this, our colors will clash with the good ole silver and black.
However, our Battle of Alamo themed supporters group will be right at home in Alamo Stadium.
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