City to eye a way to score soccer for the Alamodome

[Clandestino]

Travis E. Poling
Express-News Business Writer

San Antonio could take another step closer today to Mayor Ed Garza's quest for a Major League Soccer team, but the deal would come with a $6.44 million price tag and the sale of a piece of the city's iden y.

The City Council is to consider a memorandum of understanding between the city and Major League Soccer that calls for the city to spend $2.74 million to complete 14 luxury suites in the Alamodome — bringing the total to 52 — put down a new turf cover and refurbish some offices.

An additional $3.7 million would go for a practice facility that would include two high-quality soccer fields, offices, locker rooms and physical training space.

It also would give team owners the ability to sell the naming rights to the Alamodome, a building that has avoided a corporate moniker for more than a decade.

City officials have had talks with three potential owner groups about bringing a relocated or expansion team here and even building a soccer stadium and mixed-use development adjacent to the Alamodome. The potential owners haven't been identified.

The memorandum of understanding was prepared by Alamodome Director Mike Abington. If approved by the council, it will serve as an outline for drawing up a contract to bring a professional soccer team here.

According to the memorandum:

The team would get the Alamodome rent-free for 20 games a year.

The team would keep all revenue from tickets, parking and concessions.

The team would get half of any revenues from events it co-sponsored with the city, such as an exhibition soccer match featuring teams from Mexico.

The city would receive 5 percent of any advertising signage sold by the team in the dome and 30 percent of the naming rights payments if a sponsor is lined up before the end of 2006. The city's cut would drop to 20 percent of the net revenue from naming rights if the sponsor isn't landed until after 2006.

"Alamodome" would be a part of any name.

The initial five-year lease would include four additional five-year extensions. The only penalty for breaking the lease would be for the team to pay a portion of the $426,000 the city spent sprucing up the dome offices.

Driving the effort to land another big league sport is the desire to get more events in the Alamodome and raise the profile of the city, including attracting soccer fans from northern Mexico.

Garza didn't return calls for comment on the memorandum.

District 4 Councilman Richard Perez said the agreement would generate some revenues and close the gap on expenses.

"The dome is there. We can't bulldoze it. We can't raze it," Perez said. "It's an asset that generates revenues, but it doesn't generate revenues every day."

He said the city's $6.44 million investment to upgrade the dome and build new facilities would be worth it in the long run.

Perez said he has high hopes for soccer in San Antonio and believes it could be a good family spectator sport and even lead to a partnership with a Mexican team.

Dan Courtemanche, MLS senior vice president, said the success of several major international soccer matches in the Alamodome over the past year drew the league's attention even though all existing MLS teams play in open-air stadiums specifically built for soccer.

"This would be an innovative agreement," Courtemanche said of playing indoors.

The average ticket price at the low end for Major League Soccer is $14, Courtemanche said.

Other soccer stadiums recently built or in the works are chasing naming rights dollars, including stadiums in Frisco, Texas; Denver and Chicago. What's more, the league would like to expand to 18 teams from 12 in the next 10 years.


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[MannyIsGod]

I'm all for finding a use for that ugly ass dome. And I LOVE professional soccer. I'm just not convinced this isn't simply flushing more money down the toilet that has become the Alamodome. It's my understanding that MLS does not want to place a team in an indoor facility. If they can get around that, I think the location is definetly ripe for a team.

But, I'm also leary of spending government money on sports teams. As much as I love sports and would love to see an MLS team here, I'm too damn leary to support anything like this unless there is an almost ab e guarntee that the city will recoupe what it spends. I doubt any situation like that is going to come about.

[samikeyp]

I have heard that idea is to eventually build a soccer-only facility but then again, taxpayer money for a staduim...although a lot less costly than the SBC or the Dome.

[MannyIsGod]

I doubt an initiative to build a soccer stadium would ever pass in San Antonio.

[Clandestino]

i don't think so either.. but if we can get someone to take over the dome for a bit it'd be a nice thing.. right now, they should make it a parking garage since it is vacant for like 11 months out of the year... i wonder who would be interested in having the "fill in the blank" Alamodome!

[MannyIsGod]

Rolando's Puffy Tacos maybe

Rolando's Alamodome, home of the MLS Puffy Tacos.

[Clandestino]

Rolando's Puffy Tacos maybe

Rolando's Alamodome, home of the MLS Puffy Tacos.

All-Stars Alamodome! home of the MLS Pink Tacos!

[Useruser666]

Maybe they could build an arena inside the Alamo Dome?

[Clandestino]

Maybe they could build an arena inside the Alamo Dome?

maybe they rip the top off and just call it the alamo! problem solved.. stadium for a soccer team since they don't want a domed place! or we could spend a couple million and add on a retractable dome like at reliant.. that place is awesome!!!

[bigzak25]

The team would get the Alamodome rent-free for 20 games a year.

The team would keep all revenue from tickets, parking and concessions.

The team would get half of any revenues from events it co-sponsored with the city, such as an exhibition soccer match featuring teams from Mexico.

The city would receive 5 percent of any advertising signage sold by the team in the dome and 30 percent of the naming rights payments if a sponsor is lined up before the end of 2006. The city's cut would drop to 20 percent of the net revenue from naming rights if the sponsor isn't landed until after 2006.

so they get free rent, all revenue, half the revenue from co-sponsored events,
while the city gets 5% of any advertising signage, and 30% of the naming rights payments, possibly 20%.

i realize i don't know anything about this, but it sure sounds like the city is getting ed on this deal, and i don't trust Garza and this council....however i do like the idea of putting some money into the dome and having a tenant....

[timvp]

Soccer? Why not just plant grass and charge people to watch it grow?

[samikeyp]

For 2005 there are currently 41 events scheduled in the Dome over 41 days. This doesn't include the Alamo Bowl or any high school football games that will be scheduled. The months of June and July were completely empty. At the end of August will the Texas Football Classic and saturdays throughout Sept-Dec. high school football will be played. Most of these events are tractor pulls, home and garden shows, and HS graduations (which are free to get into). I know the Alamo Bowl brings in money but I can't imagine these other events generating huge revenues. I guess they make it up in consessions and parking. Still, a permanent tenant would be nice to help pay the costs of maintaining the facility.

[Clandestino]

41/365= occupied 11% of the time..

[SequSpur]

Soccer. We need a mayor that has the balls to pursue an NFL team.

Soccer is for s.

[jcrod]

They're willing to spend 13 million for a soccer team, but not 40+ to update the dome and get a football team. Stupid!!

Soccer would do ok here, but football would be awesome, I don't think we'll ever get a team here.

[samikeyp]

41/365= occupied 11% of the time..

again, doesn't include the Alamo Bowl or HS football but even with every saturday from Aug. 27 (the Texas Football Classic) until Dec. 17 (assuming they play a state le game there) that is 17 more saturdays which would push the total to 58. You also can't use the full 365 days in a year because there are very few events in major venues scheduled in the middle of the work week (pro sports franchises being the exception and even those are mostly on weekends) So with HS football that would fill most of the weekends. The issue, at least for me, is are all these events enough to generate the revenue needed to maintain the facility? I know that it is paid for but the electricity bill alone for that thing has got to be huge.

[Jimcs50]

SEE my thread in Football Forum.

NFL, baby.

[spurster]

This is a losing proposition, unless the city is going to have to spend the money to update/maintain the Alamodome anyway. Then soccer is a somewhat better excuse than none. However, this proposed contract is way too one-sided. We don't seem to have anybody in city gov't that can negotiate their way out of a paper bag.

[samikeyp]

I saw that. I would be all for it. Only 8 home games (plus maybe 2 preseason) but definetly revenue producing!

[jcrod]

SEE my thread in Football Forum.

NFL, baby.

Nope, Red said it wasn't true.

[CosmicCowboy]

We don't seem to have anybody in city gov't that can negotiate their way out of a paper bag.

they nearly negotiated the Spurs out of town in 1998...If it hadn't been for a ballsy county government Spurs would be long gone from San Antonio...

[samikeyp]

^^^very true

[Duff McCartney]

I'll bring the road flares.

[TheWriter]

You people are not looking at the big picture here. All you guys are focusing on is: A. The contract. B. The money the city will make/lose. C. Getting an NFL team. D. How much soccer sucks.

The bigger picture is this.

Bringing in another pro sport to the city is a plus in the long run. This isn't the triple A league of soccer. The MLS gets publicity. And the more publicity the MLS gets, the more San Antonio gets. This gives San Antonio more credibly in the "sports realm" of Are they a sports town?

If the plan calls for a new Soccer only stadium to be built with a mix use development next to it... that's just awesome for downtown. It just makes it stronger.

How can you guys about the contract and whether its one-sided. The city is losing tons of money anyway. So it's, lose money with an empty Dome. Or lose money with a pro-sports team that could help in the long run.

Soccer is the biggest sport in the world. The biggest sport in Mexico. Soccer is going to do very well here.

I think if we can get a owner with good money and who loves the NFL. Then maybe if the city (fans) shows tons of support for the MLS team that could then result in an NFL team finally becoming a tenant at the Alamodome.

I believe if a new soccer stadium is built the plan is to build it next to the Alamodome on one of the three parking lots. I say build on all of the parking lots with a stadium and then a mix-use development and build a 15-20 story parking structure.

[MannyIsGod]

If the plan calls for a new Soccer only stadium to be built with a mix use development next to it... that's just awesome for downtown. It just makes it stronger.

Thanks Henry Cisneros, but you sold that to the city once already. It was called the Alamodome and we're still waiting for the NFL team to come.

Call me a skeptic, or just someone who remembers the past, but there are better things the city can spend money on instead of gambling on what a professional sports leauge may or may not do. I don't want done unless it's pretty much guaranteed