Pearland in stadium talks with Dynamo
Pearland in stadium talks with Dynamo
Published January 26, 2007
PEARLAND — An area near Highway 288 and Beltway 8 has been discussed as a possible site for a new stadium for the Houston Dynamo.
While team and city officials confirmed they have talked, neither would give many details about those discussions.
“We are just at a real early stage of visiting with the team,” said Fred Welch, executive director of the Pearland Economic Development Corp. “These are negotiations that are kept between them and us.”
Dynamo General Manager Oliver Luck had nothing to say about the possibility of a move to Pearland, said Lester Gretsch, director of communications for the Houston-based Major League Soccer team.
“He has no comment and defers any comment to the city of Pearland,” Gretsch said.
Pearland is one of four cities being considered for a new home for the Dynamo, according to a published report. The others are Houston, Sugar Land and Webster.
“We are one of several communities the Dynamo is looking at right now,” Welch said. “I think the location is desirable, not just for the people of Brazoria County, but Fort Bend County and all of the Houston area.”
The Dynamo, which won the MLS championship last season in its first year in Houston, currently plays at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The team averaged more than 18,000 fans per game last season, which was third best in the league, Gretsch said. The Dynamo played 16 home games.
The Pearland location is attractive because of growth along Highway 288 in the city, Pearland City Manager Bill Eisen said. The Pearland Town Center, which will include 147 acres of specialty stores, restaurants and a hotel, is being constructed in the area, along with what is expected to be the largest H-E-B in the Houston area, which will open in the spring. There also are two additional shopping centers being constructed.
A stadium certainly could give the city a further boost, Eisen said.
“It is still just in the talking stages, but I think we all are aware of how positive it would be in terms of economic development,” Eisen said.
However, Eisen said he doesn’t want the city to have to use general revenue to pay for the stadium.
“I think we would only be interested if it did not call for the city to dip into general fund money,” Eisen said, pointing out that if the city is chosen there would be a lot of details, financial and otherwise, to work out.
Dynamo officials would not say how much of the new stadium’s cost they would be willing to finance or when they might announce a location for the stadium.
“We are excited about the possibility as I am sure all of the cities are,” Welch said. “But there really isn’t much else to say right now.
“When the deal is made, we would announce it to the whole world, as I imagine any of the cities would.”
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