City of San Jose to add soccer facility to Earthquakes stadium location
By Robert Jonas · February 9, 2010
According to a story in the Mercury News, the city of San Jose hopes to build a new soccer complex adjacent to the proposed Earthquakes stadium project. Using bond money approved by voters in 2000, the four artificial turf fields would take up 10 acres of city-owned land just to the north of the Earthquakes’ recently started Nutrilite Training Facility. Both projects, and the proposed new stadium, border on the Caltrain corridor to the west and the airport to the east.
After lengthy delays on all three projects mentioned above, it is a great sign to finally see these project moving forward. However, the centerpiece of this San Jose soccer epicenter remains the proposed stadium. With a potential construction finish prior to the 2012 season looking out of the question due to financial constraints, there are still steps that need to be done in order to start construction in the first place.
The next important step in the process toward land-issue approval occurs tomorrow with the first of two city reviews towards passage of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Earthquakes stadium project. On February 10, the San Jose Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the EIR at San Jose City Hall. If that panel approves the report, it then goes to the full city council on March 16.
Local group Soccer Silicon Valley, known for their involvement in bringing the Quakes franchise back to life in 2008, have urged all Earthquakes supporters to attend both EIR review meetings to show their support for professional soccer in San Jose. Past city council meetings with Quakes fans in attendance have garnered much local media coverage, and have been instrumental in encouraging city leaders that professional soccer is important in the community. So dry clean those replica uniforms, press your crumpled supporters’ scarves, and take the opportunity to practice your best Quakes cheers this Wednesday and March 16th.
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Has that been officially confirmed or is that just speculation at this point?
After all, it generally takes about 18 months to construct an MLS soccer-specific stadium. So considering that there’ll embarrassingly be even LESS to build for this one as currently planned (only $40-$60 million total construction cost, only 15k permanent seats, no suites, an open end with a small grass lawn in place of seats, etc.) and factoring in any kind of winter weather delays, it should be ready by Opening Day 2012 if shovels hit the ground no later than mid-summer 2010.
My last post was a response to this part of the article:
“However, the centerpiece of this San Jose soccer epicenter remains the proposed stadium. With a potential construction finish prior to the 2012 season looking out of the question due to financial constraints, there are still steps that need to be done in order to start construction in the first place.”
blah, blah, blah…..no disrespect to you robert(thanx for all the work!) but like goodsport said their not breaking the bank on this stadium. at this point i’m over all the bs. that’s going on w/ this. Lew just needs to open up his wallet and build this rigidink stadium once and for all. at this point you can’t really blame folks from other teams saying that if the quakes can’t build this stadium give the chance to some other city. i certainly don’t want that, but it’s really getting old. i’ve been hearing about this or that , yet NOTHING has happend in many, many yrs.
This is good news for the earthquakes but also for local soccer fans in general. Having a real soccer complex adjacent to a real soccer stadium will only strengthen the local (bay area) soccer market.
Now, speaking of strengthening local soccer, how much longer will Yallop and Doyle continue ruining things? The Quakes need a revolution, starting with these two dudes.
Great move by SJ to build a bunch of fields there, “San Jose Soccer Epicenter” - I like it, but the stadium delays are so very lame. Two seasons with the new team behind us and still no ground broken - where is the commitment?
Commitment is action, not talk.
And the more we talk about it, the more MLS pales compared to top leagues… $40-60M is just a single player transfer fee elsewhere. Build it now so we can stop thinking about that
I brought up the Earthquakes stadium situation in this posting to put into context the different plans that are being followed toward the three projects at that location. The Earthquakes training center needed approval from the city planners, separate to the EIR required for construction of the stadium. This path of less resistance made it possible to get that going on January 28th. The more laborious pathway being followed for the stadium itself was supposed to be run in conjunction with fund-securing efforts by team ownership, as outlined by Lew Wolff at last Fall’s SSVCF banquet. I agree, there doesn’t seem to be any rush along that pathway, both toward city approval and financial goals — I can’t imagine a stadium could be finished in time for the 2012 season at the current pace of progress.
The news I really wanted to touch on was the City of San Jose’s apparent choice of an adjacent 10-acre plot of land for a long-planned soccer field complex. Ever since voters passed the bond measure 10 years ago, the desire by planning officials for such a facility has been clear. With the land now available, and already owned by the city (huge cost savings for the overall project right there), they felt confident enough to announce the plans for the facility.
I see a synergy between the Earthquakes private venture and the city’s public project. Both can benefit financially from the increased visitation to the area, possible field rental revenues at both facilities, and the visibility that such a project brings to soccer in San Jose. Even without an Earthquakes stadium in the near future, or ever for that matter, does not diminish the worth of the city facility alone. To me, that makes this news worthy for all local soccer supporters.
as an adult player in a league where quality fields are always hard to come by (and usually only after the kids have been given first choice) i’m all for the city project. I’m not a huge fan of turf, but i understand that these city fields will get far more use and over-use that makes a regular grass field too expensive.
Frank, it’s not fair or accurate to say that “NOTHING has happend in many, many yrs.” For example, the final Environmental Impact Report for the stadium — a document which has taken approximately a year to create, at significant expense — is up for approval tonight before the San Jose Planning Commission and is expected to go before the San Jose City Council on March 16.
Even if they had all the sponsors lined up right now — and they might, I don’t know — the EIR would need to be approved before groundbreaking. Just because things are happening out of public view doesn’t mean they’re not happening.
I too am frustrated with the stadium.. You see Phily, KC moving forward… More meetings…etc…. Get it done and I’ll bring my shovel to dig!