De La Hoya Interest In Dynamo Complicates Stadium Talks

Possible Sale Of Dynamo To De La Hoya's Group Complicating Talks For New Stadium

The possible sale of the MLS Dynamo to a group including Oscar De La Hoya is "complicating negotiations" between the team and the city of Houston for a new soccer stadium, according to Fallas, Murphy & Feibel of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. De La Hoya's group "might be pushing to have more public money go toward the project," a notion Houston Mayor Bill White "has rejected."  White: "We will not do what Frisco and other communities have done, which is use large amounts of taxpayers funds to fund the construction of a stadium."  But Fallas, Murphy & Feibel report city officials earlier this week "signed letters of intent to buy parcels of land just east of U.S. 59 and the downtown business district," a move White described as "a major step toward acquiring property" for a stadium for the team. The Dynamo and parent company AEG have been in negotiations with the city for a new stadium since May, and "both parties said Wednesday that discussions are proceeding, with the city intending to have the team finance construction" of a $70-80M stadium (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/10).

WHITE AND WRONG: The HOUSTON CHRONICLE's Bernardo Fallas writes White "can hardly be blamed" for not wanting to put public money toward a stadium. The mayor "doesn't want to deal with those whose opposition to a soccer stadium stems from a legitimate view that public money should not subsidize a private enterprise, much less make a rich team owner richer" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/10).