Downtown Soccer Stadium (11th & Millwork Ave)

[JDirte]

The rendering doesnt even seem to line up with the site plan in the document and it doesnt show 100% of what the stadium has from the pictures.

1. There are 2 grand stands on the opposite side of the press box/suites. Not one. There are 2 with space in the middle and "fan experience zones" on the corners.

2. There is a bar with a canopy and open fan area behind the jumbotron. There are also synthetic turf areas, mini pitches, and looks like fan gathering areas.

3. Opposite of the video board, is that building apart of the stadium? That looks like it is the coaches office, support staff, locker room, weight room, etc.

IF the site plan is what the stadium is actually going to be, I think people would be a less stressed about it. NOt able to link picutres, but site plan is right above the renderings int he original doc

[thenewguy]

no, i know there are two sides, i'm just saying that this



doesn't feel much different than this (i just couldn't find an image that included both home and visitor sides)



I know there are other things going on with the stadium, like i said in my previous post. I'll get off my soapbox, i just think they didn't fully connect on what's possible with $130M when you compare it to the size and scope of Schwab just 15 years ago with a similar price tag. $130M in 2011 is around $190M today, so even an apples-to-apples comparison on the dollar makes it seem like we aren't getting nearly the bang-for-our-buck.

#endrant

[omaha79]

As a supporter of Union, soccer in general, and this project, I'm concerned. I missed the initial discussion of this, but those new renderings made me do a double take.

This certainly looks different from what was initially promised. i feel like that's the way it always seems to go these days in modern stadium design. it's always over sell and under deliver. Cost and inflation overruns always seem to be a thing. I look at multiple soccer and baseball stadiums over the last decade coming back way more underwhelming than initially promised.

I do have some questions?

1. What is the actual now projected seating capacity on this? It was initially promised as 8,000. I remember that number specifically because people were saying 8,000 was too small as USL is trying to move to the Premier format and you'd have to be at 15,000 to get to Premier. Now, I'm seeing people in this thread talking 5,500 and 6,000. Union crowds haven't warranted 8,000, but it feels like a tough sell to spend $120 million, or whatever it is on a 6k seat stadium where it appears one side of stands don't even run the length of the field.

2. How is Des Moines proposing a similar sized stadium for half the price? It can't all be site remediation as their site needed plenty of remediation and was causing the city to push back on financing.

3. When will this be done? The team is still supposedly pushing 2027 as the last season at Morrison. They have been sending out marketing flyers and emails stating that if you buy in now for 2027, you'll get priority ability to purchase for 2028 at the new stadium. But, while I haven't read the whole proposal, it sounds like people are saying this is now being pushed back to end of 2028 and team not playing there until 2029? Is that right?

A big portion of this feels like a bait and switch if both 1 & 3 are what I'm reading in this thread.

This stadium is starting to feel like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds current facility (and they are doing a big renovation), which for USL isn't inherently bad, but not what we were promised and sold on. I think some accountability and answers need to happen here.

Here is what is giving me Pittsburgh vibes...

[jomaha9]

As a supporter of Union, soccer in general, and this project, I'm concerned. I missed the initial discussion of this, but those new renderings made me do a double take.

This certainly looks different from what was initially promised. i feel like that's the way it always seems to go these days in modern stadium design. it's always over sell and under deliver. Cost and inflation overruns always seem to be a thing. I look at multiple soccer and baseball stadiums over the last decade coming back way more underwhelming than initially promised.

I do have some questions?

1. What is the actual now projected seating capacity on this? It was initially promised as 8,000. I remember that number specifically because people were saying 8,000 was too small as USL is trying to move to the Premier format and you'd have to be at 15,000 to get to Premier. Now, I'm seeing people in this thread talking 5,500 and 6,000. Union crowds haven't warranted 8,000, but it feels like a tough sell to spend $120 million, or whatever it is on a 6k seat stadium where it appears one side of stands don't even run the length of the field.

2. How is Des Moines proposing a similar sized stadium for half the price? It can't all be site remediation as their site needed plenty of remediation and was causing the city to push back on financing.

3. When will this be done? The team is still supposedly pushing 2027 as the last season at Morrison. They have been sending out marketing flyers and emails stating that if you buy in now for 2027, you'll get priority ability to purchase for 2028 at the new stadium. But, while I haven't read the whole proposal, it sounds like people are saying this is now being pushed back to end of 2028 and team not playing there until 2029? Is that right?

A big portion of this feels like a bait and switch if both 1 & 3 are what I'm reading in this thread.

This stadium is starting to feel like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds current facility (and they are doing a big renovation), which for USL isn't inherently bad, but not what we were promised and sold on. I think some accountability and answers need to happen here.

Here is what is giving me Pittsburgh vibes...

Agree 100%. For the price, I would expect something that seats north of 10K and has the potential for a secondary purpose (such as concerts or UFL games).

[omaha79]

As a supporter of Union, soccer in general, and this project, I'm concerned. I missed the initial discussion of this, but those new renderings made me do a double take.

This certainly looks different from what was initially promised. i feel like that's the way it always seems to go these days in modern stadium design. it's always over sell and under deliver. Cost and inflation overruns always seem to be a thing. I look at multiple soccer and baseball stadiums over the last decade coming back way more underwhelming than initially promised.

I do have some questions?

1. What is the actual now projected seating capacity on this? It was initially promised as 8,000. I remember that number specifically because people were saying 8,000 was too small as USL is trying to move to the Premier format and you'd have to be at 15,000 to get to Premier. Now, I'm seeing people in this thread talking 5,500 and 6,000. Union crowds haven't warranted 8,000, but it feels like a tough sell to spend $120 million, or whatever it is on a 6k seat stadium where it appears one side of stands don't even run the length of the field.

2. How is Des Moines proposing a similar sized stadium for half the price? It can't all be site remediation as their site needed plenty of remediation and was causing the city to push back on financing.

3. When will this be done? The team is still supposedly pushing 2027 as the last season at Morrison. They have been sending out marketing flyers and emails stating that if you buy in now for 2027, you'll get priority ability to purchase for 2028 at the new stadium. But, while I haven't read the whole proposal, it sounds like people are saying this is now being pushed back to end of 2028 and team not playing there until 2029? Is that right?

A big portion of this feels like a bait and switch if both 1 & 3 are what I'm reading in this thread.

This stadium is starting to feel like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds current facility (and they are doing a big renovation), which for USL isn't inherently bad, but not what we were promised and sold on. I think some accountability and answers need to happen here.

Here is what is giving me Pittsburgh vibes...

Agree 100%. For the price, I would expect something that seats north of 10K and has the potential for a secondary purpose (such as concerts or UFL games).

Well, concerts and state soccer were part of the value proposition on this. If neither come to pass, then someone will have some explaining to do.

USL Championship promotion and a womens team are the other value propositions to this.

[Greg S]

I think you have to keep the state championships or at least the finals at Morrison just due to capacity.

[omaha79]

I think you have to keep the state championships or at least the finals at Morrison just due to capacity.

The discussion has always been a shared state soccer model between Union stadium and Morrison. If that weren't the case, it makes it less desirable. I"m sure the final would stay at Morrison.

[omahahawk]

Really looking forward to learning more with the public hearing this Tuesday. I would love to see some good reporting in regards to what the exact specifications are and what specific upgradability will be in place. It would also be great to get a cohesive and definitive set of renderings. All in all I think most people would feel accepting if they can be made to feel like the most was truly done with what there was to work with. Hopefully, a ground breaking date comes soon.

[BuildTaller]

having a stadium: great
thinking the stadium would look a little different: not as great. It looks nice, just doesn't seem like 5k people

These are what they showed at the city council meeting today.

[Huskerbum]

Underwhelming to say the least…130 million doesn’t get anywhere near what it used to apparently.

[Garrett]

Underwhelming to say the least…130 million doesn’t get anywhere near what it used to apparently.

As I recall that was about the total budget of the Wallstreet Tower back in the day

[thenewguy]

ok, let's step back for a minute...

In the renderings, it's fairly easy to count the number of spectators in the rendering of the covered side. Looks like it's about 16 people wide and 9 people deep. That's 144 per section. There are 9 sections on the covered side for a total of 1,296 (if they were all equal). If the other side doubles that volume, that's 2,592. There are people behind the goal, maybe that's 1,000 (being generous), so we have a total of 3,592. If this is meant to be 5,500, the rendering is grossly inaccurate. I feel like they should forego the goal seating and run two covered sides. This would give the other side a more finished look, and less like a high school stadium. They could at least put an electronic ribbon on the canopy(s), and it'd go a long way to give it a more finished look. It truly isn't a BAD looking stadium, just that it feels like there could be more to it to justify the cost.

[omahahawk]

City council is set to vote next week and hopefully the true specifics come out at that time. Not sure how many of these other stadiums around the country had so much associated development tied to them. I'm sure that all plays into this. That's OK though because I am at least as excited about that part as the stadium itself. At this point it just needs to get started regardless. Groundbreaking is targeted for November. As long as there is growth potential and expansion capability this is far better than the current empty lots that would probably remain for another 20-30 plus years.


https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-city ... m/74197052

[BuildTaller]

Underwhelming to say the least…130 million doesn’t get anywhere near what it used to apparently.

The expansion on the back of the CHI Health Center (the convention center) was budgeted at $200 million for an additional 94,000 sq feet of meeting space.

https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-chi- ... s/61743058

[thenewguy]

City council is set to vote next week and hopefully the true specifics come out at that time. Not sure how many of these other stadiums around the country had so much associated development tied to them. I'm sure that all plays into this. That's OK though because I am at least as excited about that part as the stadium itself. At this point it just needs to get started regardless. Groundbreaking is targeted for November. As long as there is growth potential and expansion capability this is far better than the current empty lots that would probably remain for another 20-30 plus years.


https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-city ... m/74197052

it will be nice to have more activity down there during the warmer months

[BIGO88]

A few months ago the Commissioner of the UFL listed Omaha as a possible expansion franchise, I dont think he would have said that if there weren't some sort of talks going on considering there were no other options to play at. To me these more basic renderings look like they have a future expansion in mind.