Proposed MLS Wizards Stadium Unlikely To Be Ready For '11 Season
 |
Proposed Wizards Stadium At The Trails
Development Unlikely To Open By '11 |
Lane4 Property Group President Owen Buckley, whose company along with the MLS Wizards is working on the $1B mixed-use redevelopment of the Bannister Mall area in K.C., said that hopes of getting the proposed $130M MLS Wizards stadium "opened there by 2011 are growing dim," according to Rob Roberts of the K.C. BUSINESS JOURNAL. Buckley: "I can safely say right now that it would be pretty tough to hit that right now." Roberts notes $6.25M in Missouri state tax credits for the project are "conditioned on completion of the 18,500-seat, publicly owned soccer stadium ... and a 23-year lease with the Wizards by the end of 2011." But Buckley said that that date is "looking increasingly unachievable because of the recession, which has prevented the developers from signing any retail or office tenants for the project." The Wizards currently play at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, and the facility's owner John Ehlert said that he is "willing to discuss a lease extension for the Wizards' 2011 season." Ehlert added that he also "would be open to exploring a roughly 2,000-seat expansion of CommunityAmerica." Wizards President Robb Heineman last year said that the team has "sustained operating losses due to seating and sponsorship limitations" at the 10,385-seat facility (K.C. BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/15 issue).
|
Related Stories By Company
|
Related Stories By Sport
|
Kansas Officials Try To Lure MLS Wizards
October 16, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
K.C. MLS Stadium Could Be Near Speedway
September 10, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLS Wizards Success May Hinge On Stadium
March 31, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLS Wizards Stadium Project Given Go-Ahead
November 21, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLS Wizards To Partner With Mexican Team
April 2, 2007 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
Catching Up With RSL President Bill Manning
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLS Commish Sits For Wide-Ranging Q&A
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Will Handball Harm Henry's Marketability?
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Hansen Formally Buys 49% Stake In RSL
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Would RSL Win Create Issue For MLS?
November 18, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
|
