Dynamo Stadium (Houston)

Houston Dynamo stadium
Location	East End Houston, Texas (USA)
Coordinates	29°45′N 95°21′W / 29.75°N 95.35°W / 29.75; -95.35
Broke ground	February 5, 2011
Opened	May 12, 2012 (projected)
Operator	Anschutz Entertainment Group
Construction cost	~$110 million
Architect	Populous
Project Manager	Harris County - Houston Sports Authority/Icon Venue
Main contractors	Manhattan Construction Co.[1]
Capacity	22,000[2][3]
Tenants
Houston Dynamo (MLS) Texas Southern Tigers (NCAA)

Houston Dynamo stadium (tentative name) is a planned soccer specific stadium in Houston. The 16–18 month project is planned to be completed during the month of June in the 2012 Major League Soccer season and is expected to cost $110 million.^[4] The Houston Dynamo plans to play the first two months of the 2012 season on the road, and possibly play a couple of home games at Reliant Stadium before its own stadium is completed.^[4] The stadium will have a capacity of 22,000–30,000.^[3] The primary tenant will be the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.^[2] The venue will also host Texas Southern University football games.^[4] The stadium will be located southeast of Minute Maid Park—within East Downtown and east of Downtown Houston.

History

In June 2009, negotiations and financing began to fall into place with construction of the stadium originally beginning as early as Fall 2009. Banks and investors were in the books to finance the project and only minor details were being worked out.^[5]

On January 26, 2010, the Houston Dynamo franchise had expressed an interest in a proposed 30-acre (120,000 m²) parcel for the stadium location at South Rice Avenue and Westpark Drive—adjacent to Bellaire's city limits, and near the southwest corner of the U.S. Highway 59 and the Interstate 610 interchange.^[6] Two days later, the Mayor of Bellaire, Cindy Seigel, said that she would use whatever power she could to oppose the possible new location and is in communication with the developer to dissuade him. She acknowledges that considering that the land is in Houston's city limits and only abuts her city, the odds are slim and said in an open letter to Midway:

Fans on the north and east side of Houston will have difficulty in getting to this site. Additionally, this site does not have the infrastructure in place to serve it that already exists at other athletic facilities downtown or at Reliant Park.^[7]

A former Council member Pam Holm commented and had a retort the Bellaire Mayor: “To position this as a Hispanic sport and say the stadium has to be in proximity to Hispanic neighborhoods doesn’t do it justice, the Dynamo is something that all citizens of Houston have so embraced.” The paper goes on to mention that the highly populated and heavily Hispanic area of Gulfton is within proximity.^[8]

On April 7, 2010, The Houston City Council unanimously approved an agreement that was expected to pave the way for a new stadium for the Houston Dynamo and the Texas Southern University football team, which was expected to be on a tract of land bordered by Texas, Walker, Dowling and Hutchins in East Downtown and east of U.S. Route 59 and Downtown Houston.^[9][10]

On April 13, 2010, Harris County commissioners voted unanimously to begin construction of the new Dynamo stadium east of downtown,^[11] clearing the way for construction sometime in February 2011.

Oliver Luck, at the time President and General Manager of the Dynamo, announced the financing, architect, and project manager for the new stadium. He announced Populous had been chosen to design and build the stadium. Populous, one of the world's leading sports architecture firms, had previously built three other major venues in the city—Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium, and the Toyota Center.^[12] and internationally designed soccer stadia including Wembley Stadium (London), Emirates Stadium (London), Soccer City (Johannesburg) and Aviva Stadium (Dublin).^[13]

On February 5, 2011, the Houston Dynamo, led by Houston mayor Annise Parker and Harris County Judge Ed Emmitt, broke ground on the Houston Dynamo Stadium site. Houston Dynamo President Chris Canetti strongly expressed that the stadium will be ready by April 2012.^[14]

Design

The Stadium will have a capacity of 21,600-seat, 34 Private suites, Premium Club, dedicated supporters stand and food court. The stadium is designed to accommodate MLS and FIFA standard international soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, and concerts. Architecturally the stadium will feature a faceted facade of expanded metal mesh with orange polycarbonate enclosed entrances and spectator facilities. The stadium architect, Christopher Lee of Populous, stated that “We set out to design the perfect urban soccer stadium: tight, atmospheric, and intimate.” ^[15]

Financing

The city purchased the land for $15.5 million in March 2008. The Houston Dynamo will pay $60 million for the construction with Texas Southern University also contributing an estimated $1-2 million. The city will supply an additional $20 million for infrastructure improvements and the county agreed to pay for half of the land in exchange for the ability to jointly own the stadium after its expected completion date in June 2012.^[16] BBVA Compass financed a portion of the loan that will be paid for by the TIRZ.^[12]

Accessibility and transportation

Once the METRORail Green line is completed, fans will be able to access the stadium from the Bastrop Station, Taxi, Buses, street and garage parking nearby.

References

1. ^ Manhattan Construction to build Dynamo stadium
2. ^ ^{a b} Fallas, Bernardo "Dynamo pushing ahead with stadium." Houston Chronicle. (2009-05-03). Retrieved 2009-05-03.
3. ^ ^{a b} Populous Website
4. ^ ^{a b c} Berman, Mark "Dynamo's New Stadium to Open June 2012." MyFoxHouston.com. January 28, 2010. Retrieved on January 28, 2010.
5. ^ Barr, Greg. "Dynamo stadium deal gets closer to goal." Houston Business Journal. Friday June 19, 2009. 1. Retrieved on January 29, 2010.
6. ^ Shay, Miya. "Dynamo looking at stadium site near Galleria." KTRK-TV. Tuesday January 26, 2010. Retrieved on January 29, 2010.
7. ^ Aguilar, Charlotte. "Bellaire mayor challenges Dynamo stadium plan; others on board." Memorial Examiner. January 28, 2010. Retrieved on January 28, 2010.
8. ^ Aguilar, Charlotte. "Who knew? Dynamo private stadium deal was privileged info." West University Examiner. January 28, 2010. Retrieved on January 29, 2010.
9. ^ Olson, Bradley. "Council approves deal for new Dynamo stadium." Houston Chronicle. April 7, 2010. Retrieved on April 9, 2010.
10. ^ "Welcome to EaDo." East Downtown Management District. Retrieved on August 1, 2009.
11. ^ County approves Dynamo stadium deal
12. ^ ^{a b} Dynamo Choose Stadium Architect, Project Manager
13. ^ Populous Stadia
14. ^ Dynamo break ground on new East End stadium
15. ^ Populous selected to design Dynamo stadium
16. ^ Council approves deal for new Dynamo stadium

External links

	Houston portal
	Texas portal

• Stadium Web Page
• Stadium plans
• News segment from KIAH Channel 39 Houston