The best place for a "soccer stadium" is UNF.

 

They are going to have to renovate their stadium soon. Might as well knock out two birds with one stone.

---

The best place for a "soccer stadium" is UNF.

 

They are going to have to renovate their stadium soon. Might as well knock out two birds with one stone.

 

How would that work? UNF is a state institution. Are you able to rent their field? Can they sell beer? Does the state get a cut of gate receipts and parking? I guess the same questions apply to a high school venue as well.

I think FBT is correct - I don't think the Armada is in a position to build their own facility until they get a feeling for what the market is.

---

The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

How would that work? UNF is a state institution. Are you able to rent their field? Can they sell beer? Does the state get a cut of gate receipts and parking? I guess the same questions apply to a high school venue as well.

I think FBT is correct - I don't think the Armada is in a position to build their own facility until they get a feeling for what the market is.

The StubHub Center where the LA Galaxy play is on a state campus in California so there is a precedence.

 

I imagine the state would get a cut of the receipts and parking considering they would be taking on a large portion of the funding.

 

They sell beer at the StubHub center and they sell beer on campus at UNF. I think the no alcohol rule only applies to college games not to college campuses.

---

The StubHub Center where the LA Galaxy play is on a state campus in California so there is a precedence.

 

I imagine the state would get a cut of the receipts and parking considering they would be taking on a large portion of the funding.

 

They sell beer at the StubHub center and they sell beer on campus at UNF. I think the no alcohol rule only applies to college games not to college campuses.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

I do think the UNF site is better, for the fan base, than a downtown location.

---

The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

UNF would only be a temporary stadium. Just like the Baseball Grounds.

---

FBT - great breakdown of the interview. Lamping is doing all the right things to make this team engaging to the fanbase and supportive of the city.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

I do think the UNF site is better, for the fan base, than a downtown location.

 

People have also mentioned Patton Park (home to Jacksonville FC) as an option, though it's a bit off the grid.

 

I think for the short term, UNF will be fine for the Armada. It's within striking distance of the beaches communities (AB/NB, JB, PVB) where soccer is thriving at the youth level. My only concern is that it's not as centralized as a downtown location would be.

---

There was an article a while back in the TU about the Armada and one of the contingencies of being awarded a franchise was they they would be in the process of building a soccer specific stadium within 3 years of beginning play in the league.


They are most definitely targeting downtown. The owner and their family are big proponents of downtown and at the World Cup watch party the leaders of the team indicated while one of the two indicated are temporary they are focusing on downtown for a permanent stadium.

---

Good luck getting the city to foot the bill for that. 

---

Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Agree would be a very tough buy in, but hopefully they would go more from the private side and city for a small portion. I think many, including myself thought good luck to the Jags in getting $43 million from the city in ANY capacity. When policies in involved you just never know.

---

Thanks for the awesome play by play.

 

I do hope something happens with the shipyard, Make it another reason for people to visit Jacksonville and the Jaguars.

 

As far as Soccer goes, I seem to only really follow it during the world cup but as i get older i do enjoy it more just like other sports. But I also doubt I'd be able to watch any of the games on TV in my area, watching the Jags is hard enough.

---

:thanks: Extra Life 2016 is 11/05/16 :thanks:

Agree would be a very tough buy in, but hopefully they would go more from the private side and city for a small portion. I think many, including myself thought good luck to the Jags in getting $43 million from the city in ANY capacity. When policies in involved you just never know.

 

The city won't support building a facility for a minor league soccer team.  Soccer is an unproven entity in this market.  They're not going to roll the dice unless they are certain it will be worth the investment.  Without city support, you're not going to see a stadium built any time in the next several years, particularly downtown. 

---

Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

The city won't support building a facility for a minor league soccer team.  Soccer is an unproven entity in this market.  They're not going to roll the dice unless they are certain it will be worth the investment.  Without city support, you're not going to see a stadium built any time in the next several years, particularly downtown.

Agree, and 4 years out they will probably have a good idea and can start making those decisions if warranted.

---

Agree, and 4 years out they will probably have a good idea and can start making those decisions if warranted.

 

@ the soccer stadium. So the Houston Dynamo are a major MLS team. It was not until after they won 2 MLS titles in their first 2 years and another year before a stadium was even talked about. In total it took them 6 years to get a stadium completed. That is just in a city the size of Houston with a huge South American and Mexican soccer following. Before that they played at the University of Houston. 

 

Even right the owner is optimistic but not what I would call "bullish" on a stadium:

 

Mark Frisch, owner of Armada Football Club, said Thursday he hopes to have a decision in 45 to 60 days [from April 24, 2014]. The temporary stadium would be the team’s leased home for about three years, Frisch said, while its permanent stadium is built.

 

<p style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">The club is in the process of conducting a feasibility study on the permanent stadium, with the study expected to be done shortly after the decision on the temporary stadium is reached.

<p style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/...orary.html

 

He is wants to hopefully be promoted to the MLS eventually if the Armada perform well here. I likely think that a move to the MLS will be tied to the a new stadium. If they do well enough in attendance and in performance where in only a stadium is keeping them out of the MLS, then maybe they get a stadium. Anyways, even they realize a new stadium is a 3-5 year plan.

 

@ the Shipyards, Lamping talking about here and there was an article a few weeks ago about Kahn asking around about Shipyards. Apparently there was supposed to be a bidding at the end of June but it was pushed back to Aug/Sep. I think it honestly needs to serve multiple purposes and target groups. Best proposal I had seen was Lampings proposal from an April article for business and high rise apartments/condos on higher floors, with numerous shops and such on the first few floors, as well as including other attractions for families such as partnering with the AquaJax project to bring a world class Aquarium to Jacksonville.

---

And what kind of clout do the Jax Armada have that they can demand a soccer specific stadium? They're a minor league team. 

 

The Shipyards is a prime location that could really be a focal point of reviving downtown Jacksonville. Do we really want that utilized for a minor league team of a sport that is at best...5th out of the major team sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey)?

The Armada will probably play at that unused stadium at UNF..  Heck if it's good enough for the Vikings to use a college facility for a year or so, it's good enough for the Armada to see if it works...  I hope it does..  

---

The StubHub Center where the LA Galaxy play is on a state campus in California so there is a precedence.

 

I imagine the state would get a cut of the receipts and parking considering they would be taking on a large portion of the funding.

 

They sell beer at the StubHub center and they sell beer on campus at UNF. I think the no alcohol rule only applies to college games not to college campuses.

 

That's not the case, either. I enjoyed several glasses of beer at the Michigan @ Minnesota football game a couple seasons ago.

---

The Armada will probably play at that unused stadium at UNF..  Heck if it's good enough for the Vikings to use a college facility for a year or so, it's good enough for the Armada to see if it works...  I hope it does..  

 

lol

 

The U of Minnesota stadium cost 300 million dollars.

 

The stadium at UNF is basically a high school stadium with a world class track.

---

lol

 

The U of Minnesota stadium cost 300 million dollars.

 
The stadium at UNF is basically a high school stadium with a world class track.

Which should be more than enough for a new minor league soccer team.

---

Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

We don't need another stadium downtown.  What we need is something that will draw people downtown every day, year round.  A casino, a theme park, restaurants, museums, a waterfront park. etc.  I'd hesitate to have a navy ship as a floating museum, because that would just block the view of the river. 

 

But it can't be just one thing.  If it's just one thing, it won't have broad enough appeal.  It needs to be a combination of many different things.  

 

Judging from the River Taxi fiasco, I would try to get the local government out of it as much as possible.  I'd sell the whole shipyards property to Shad Khan for $1 and let him develop it.   It would be an unusual thing to do, but with the way the government operates around here, I would take the risk and trust Khan to do the right thing. 

---

We don't need another stadium downtown.  What we need is something that will draw people downtown every day, year round.  A casino, a theme park, restaurants, museums, a waterfront park. etc.  I'd hesitate to have a navy ship as a floating museum, because that would just block the view of the river. 

 

But it can't be just one thing.  If it's just one thing, it won't have broad enough appeal.  It needs to be a combination of many different things.  

 

Judging from the River Taxi fiasco, I would try to get the local government out of it as much as possible.  I'd sell the whole shipyards property to Shad Khan for $1 and let him develop it.   It would be an unusual thing to do, but with the way the government operates around here, I would take the risk and trust Khan to do the right thing. 

 

A casino isn't a good idea because it draws a narrow strata of people who are only intent on gambling and little else.  If Atlantic City is any indication of what Jacksonville could become, casinos should be avoided at all costs.

 

I agree about local government.  Never have I ever seen such a glaringly incompetent group of people in my life.  They are wholly incapable of making the simplest decision without conflict, turmoil, and unneeded expense.  I don't want to use the term idiots, but it would certainly be an easy association to make. 

---

We don't need another stadium downtown. What we need is something that will draw people downtown every day, year round. A casino, a theme park, restaurants, museums, a waterfront park. etc. I'd hesitate to have a navy ship as a floating museum, because that would just block the view of the river.


But it can't be just one thing. If it's just one thing, it won't have broad enough appeal. It needs to be a combination of many different things.


Judging from the River Taxi fiasco, I would try to get the local government out of it as much as possible. I'd sell the whole shipyards property to Shad Khan for $1 and let him develop it. It would be an unusual thing to do, but with the way the government operates around here, I would take the risk and trust Khan to do the right thing.

The city would stand to benefit greatly by taking a vacant plot of land and get it back on the books generating tax revenue. Selling it to Khan for a reasonable price so he can spearhead development is a logical move, but reasonable, not darn near free.


Regarding the Navy vessel as a floating museum, they actually had a plan to display it vertical to she shoreline in one of the slips, so any view obstruction would be minimal. Even if it wasn't, the only view you'd have is the south bank near St. Nicholas. Not exactly a breathtaking view.


I don't think a casino would work here, but the other suggestions are worth consideration. As it stands, what Lamping presented in the state of the franchise address provides for a world class aquarium, high end retail, restaurant and hotel chains that would draw people to the area, and residential/office use. There's a lot of potential in their plan.

---

Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.