I didn't see a thread for this...thought I'd start one.  From the News Leader:

 

 

Soccer stadium still possible for area: Officials, developer’s reps to meet next week

by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

 

Nordonia Hills - Could a 25,000-seat Major League Soccer stadium be coming to the area?  Local officials and developers are planning to meet Feb. 9 to discuss the prospects.

 

According to Paul Garofolo, former president of the now defunct Cleveland Force indoor soccer team, Nordonia Hills is one of four locations being considered for a stadium that would house a new Major League Soccer franchise.  “We’re still in the exploratory phase,” said Garofolo.

 

Garofolo said five sites, all in Summit County, were being looked at, but one is no longer being considered.  Garofolo declined to disclose where the stadium would be built if the Nordonia Hills site is chosen, or the locations of the other three locations still under consideration.

 

http://www.the-news-leader.com/article.php?pathToFile=/articles//news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=

 

Here are two sites that I've heard tossed around quite frequently on one of the soccer boards I frequent often.

 

There are two possible sites that have been bandied about... one is just off the E. 9th Street exit off I-77 (about 2 blocks away from Jacob's Field)... the other is in an area by Boston Hills Golf Course... just north of the turnpike but south of I-271...

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=35

I'm not the only Urban Ohio-er on BS?  :-o

 

Anyway, I was wondering if a move like this would hurt the Crew at all.  They have a pretty good fan base in the Cleveland area, but I'd imagine they'd be fine.  Also an Ohio rivalry would be awesome for the teams.  I remember a couple years ago Cleveland was granted an MLS franchise but it never worked out.  I hope it does this time!

wait, who here all plays soccer, i need an indoor team

Well it sounds like over on the BS boards that a deal today has been made to bring MLS to Cleveland.  And I belive the original deal made with the ownership group was that they had to have stadium plans in place before being awarded a team.

 

"The MLS currently has twelve teams. According to Commissioner Garber, the league will

expand by two additional teams in 2007 and two more teams in 2008. Toronto has already been

awarded an expansion franchise for 2007. The Cleveland metropolitan area has been awarded an

expansion team for 2008. San Diego and Philadelphia are two markets that MLS is considering

for expansion. Ultimately, the MLS will expand by two additional teams (after 4 teams are

added in 2007 and 2008) to a maximum number of eighteen teams. Commissioner Garber

indicated that the addition of the final two teams may take a number of years beyond 2008, as the

league wants to maximize franchise value."

 

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=95770427098f5c2d0a4c9fd5326087ef&t=310525

does anyone know if detroit is still aggresively seeking a team?

I'll be honest- I'm shocked that they picked Cleveland over some more high growth areas to host a team.  I wonder what they based their decision on.  The presence of an interested development partner? 

 

Too bad that the team will be way out in Bufu, Summit County instead of in or near downtown, but it is still good news.

Hey, is the land where the Coluseum used to sit available?  That'd be a great leap forward!

as much as i love mls (seriously) i'm not driving an hour to see a game

I too am shocked that Cleveland would be chosen for a team.  It looked like Cleveland's bid was dead in the water for several years.  For me, I'm not shocked that it was chosen over a high growth area (say someplace down South) , as the MLS wanted a midwest team, and let's be honest, theres not many high growth areas here.  But I thought Milwaukee was the most likely city to gain a bid out of the Midwest.

 

It is a shame it will be in Summit but I can understand the reasons for it.  I have to believe a MLS team will be able to draw very well regionally and Summit is much more ideally suited for that than any site in Cuyahoga would be.  Do they actually own this land?  To be honest, I know nothing about that area or what is even around there.  If the property is already spoken for by another entity, it could be years until a stadium is actually built. 

 

And pope, from everything I have heard Detroit hasn't been seriously considered for an expansion team nor is anybody aggressively persuing a team :( 

Like what the pope said, I too am a big fan of soccer and mls but I hate the fact that all of the new stadiums are being built way out in suburbia.  I think the fact that we keep building our stadia way out there will continue the trend of all the other countries in the world to look down at us.  The only people that play or watch the games are mostly white middle class.  Compare this to pretty much everywhere else in the world where the majority of stadiums are located right in the middle of the city.  Where you see a wide diversity of classes and ethnicities together.  The majority of the players are from the inner cities. 

 

If the mls is ever to become a major sport and American soccer to get some respect they need to invest in the cities not out in Summit County or Carson, CA or Bridgeview, IL......

 

oh and sorry pope, I would like to play but the whole Cincy to Cleveland for games could be a bit of a hassle

 

 

oh and sorry pope, I would like to play but the whole Cincy to Cleveland for games could be a bit of a hassle

 

well i need a team to play for, so i'd make the commute

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1139563991314050.xml&coll=2

 

Soccer stadium proposed on Ohio 8 Cleveland Force owner behind project

Friday, February 10, 2006

April McClellan-Copeland

-- A site along Ohio 8 that straddles Macedonia and Northfield Center Township could become home to a new major league soccer team if plans for a proposed $265 million multipurpose stadium and retail village are approved.

 

Paul Garofolo, president and general manager of the Cleveland Force, discussed the proposal with officials at Macedonia City Hall Thursday, said Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta. 

 

Garofolo proposed building a stadium that would seat 20,000 to 25,000 people and a 600,000-square-foot retail "lifestyle center" on a 240-acre site along Ohio 8 between Highland and Twinsburg roads, said Paul Buescher, a Northfield Center Township trustee who attended the meeting. [email protected], 800-628-6689

 

Glad to see we've been awarded a team, but sad to see that it may be way out somewhere that I wouldn't consider going for a game.  I'm assuming, then, that the site south of Gateway in Cleveland is out?  I'd also heard that Wolstein was proposing another site in the Flats, but I would be disappointed with that as well...

 

As for the old Richfield site, check it out here: http://tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=709&folder_id=251

Nobody seems to have placed a negative view on here of the project so I thought I may as well.  I'm not a soccer fan by any means, I'll preface.  Still the idea that land next to a highway in a township thats currently full of trees and practically encroaching on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park would have a stadium on it seems insanely annoying.  I like urban spaces and I like rural spaces.  I don't like seeing the two mixed especially when there's no obvious need to.  The Browns stadium is sitting dormant 98% of the year and it was built for MLS in mind supposedly.  Route 8 is going to be experiencing a ton of construction in the next 3-4 years as it goes to a limited access highway.  To add a huge project like that right next to it with already very high levels of traffic going through that area would be disabling.  I for one hope this project never sees the light of day. 

  Beyond that particular site selection, I really don't see a need for a soccer stadium in Summit County.  There's currently a ton of things to see and do in Summit Co.  and there's already low participation.  The UofA basketball team is playing really well and they can still barely draw 3000 people a game.  It could be because people are so focussed on the Cavs.  The Akron pro softball team and Akron Aeros don't really draw good crowds either without insane amounts of publicity. 

  Keep MLS in Cuyahoga County.

I agree with you audidave, but MLS requires its own stadiums now.  I do feel like we were screwed by that change in policy. 

 

The one good thing that I'll say for the site is that it is surrounded by developed land.  It's more like an outer ring suburban infill project than it is like it's opening up a new area to development.  Still, I'd rather have them using the Browns Stadium.  But that isn't going to happen.

wasn't csu's viking field considered for a a while or something?

^I would love to see CSU and the MLS group partner to create a soccer/small football stadium project.  It could be used for MLS, CSU football (if CSU had football it could jump up to MAC or Conference USA), and St. Ignatius, Glenville, and other major high school football games.  It seems like a perfect fit, the Wolstein's are involved in the deal and are already the greatest contributors to CSU.  I'd love to see them find a way to fit it into the lot just north of Chester and East of 13th, and see if they could make it part of a larger project that would include student housing.

Now comes the fun part.........what to name the team.

 

 

Will it be the Cleveland ____

 

Will it be the Akron _______

 

Or will they try to regionalize it by naming it the Northeast Ohio _______ or even just the Ohio ______

 

 

My guess is that it will be Cleveland _____

well if they do go with akron, at least the city does have some national name recognition....

oh,

 

"the akron vulcanizers"

Gee, and I thought you were going to say "The Akron Rubbers."

^I would love to see CSU and the MLS group partner to create a soccer/small football stadium project.  It could be used for MLS, CSU football (if CSU had football it could jump up to MAC or Conference USA), and St. Ignatius, Glenville, and other major high school football games.  It seems like a perfect fit, the Wolstein's are involved in the deal and are already the greatest contributors to CSU.  I'd love to see them find a way to fit it into the lot just north of Chester and East of 13th, and see if they could make it part of a larger project that would include student housing.

 

That's a great idea, ewoops.  You should forward it to the Wolstein's.  A stadium that would receive that much use, in a prime location should be much more valuable than what is proposed.  Also, CSU has so much parking that constructing extra probably woundn't be required.  So it could save some money, too.

^and it would make sense that some more public money would be available

For the name, I like the European system.  I say name them FC Cleveland.

When Wolstein originally pitched the idea, he wanted the stadium to also serve as a location for big high school football games and possibly as St. Ignatius' home field (it now rents out Byars and Lakewood Stadium).

I haven't really paid much attention to this issue, but now I'm getting interested.  Comments by Audidave and Ewoops have motivated me to see exciting projects that could suit multiple uses and actually do their communities some good.  I especially like the idea of incorporating it into CSU's campus master plan and making it a 12-month facility for sports from the High School to Major League levels.  Is this something that people can see falling on attentive ears?  Or has the window for innovative ideas passed?

The only big problem I would see is that this seems to be on a timeline now, because the team has been awarded.

When was the team awarded? 

 

The Wolsteins have always wanted a bunch of public money to build this thing.  That's a non-starter for Cleveland. I don't really want Cleveland funding this thing.  If CSU took serious steps to add a football team and enter into a mid-major conference, then I would be for it.  As it stands, I don't care that much about it. 

From the News Leader:

 

 

Schools may seal soccer complex fate

Developers seek financing help for $265 million major league stadium, retail project

by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

 

Nordonia Hills - Whether a $265 million soccer stadium and retail development comes to the area, bringing more than 2,000 jobs, largely depends on the Board of Education.

 

That was the message given by Chris Burnham, president of the Summit County Port Authority, after a meeting last week between county and local officials and the proposed project’s developers. The port authority is helping developers with a proposed public financing of about 2/3 of the project costs, which Burnham said the school district would have to approve.

 

While school officials said they are enticed by the development plans, they were looking for more details before forming an opinion on the financing options.

 

http://www.the-news-leader.com/article.php?pathToFile=/articles//news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=

 

but what about brad friedel's soccer academy in lorain?

From the 2/23/06 Nordonia Hills Sun:

 

Plenty of interest, plenty of questions

Financing among top concerns about soccer stadium proposal

Thursday, February 23, 2006

By Pat Salemi, Nordonia Hills Sun

 

What will it cost the community?  How much will traffic increase?  Will people patronize it? 

 

These are the questions area residents want answered regarding the $265 million open-air professional soccer facility and lifestyle center developers Paul Garofolo and Scott Wolstein want to build on land along State Route 8 in Macedonia and Northfield Center.

 

Mike Kronjak attends most public meetings in Macedonia and is knowledgeable about the town.  He relocated here from Cleveland's Fleet Avenue neighborhood in 1964.  "We always knew this area was going to build up,' he said.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/nordoniahillssun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/114071807162200.xml&coll=3

 

From the 3/16/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

Residents kick about soccer park

Northfield Center would be home to pro team in $256 million stadium

By Delano R. Massey

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

NORTHFIELD CENTER TWP. - Dave Armstrong bought his home in 2001 in the Charter Lake Estates subdivision -- an area overlooking a lake, nestled in woods near state Route 8.  Armstrong, 42, lives on the same stretch of land on which he played as a child. But now he's thinking about selling his home because of talk that a Major League Soccer stadium could be built behind his subdivision along Route 8.

 

"I didn't buy my house to look at that stadium,'' Armstrong told Northfield Center Township trustees Wednesday in a public hearing to discuss the possible stadium construction. Armstrong was among more than 100 residents in attendance -- most to voice opposition.  The questions were endless, but answers were few.

 

What was known is that a $256 million stadium is supposed to be built along with youth fields and a shopping center or "lifestyle center'' at Route 8 and East Twinsburg Road in Northfield Center Township and Macedonia.  It could open as early as 2008.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14111683.htm

 

From the News Leader (Nordonia):

 

Schools see soccer complex financing plan

30-year arrangement could give district $8.5 million up front

by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

 

Nordonia Hills - If a proposed soccer stadium and retail complex is constructed, it could generate a windfall of as much as $8.5 million up front and more than $200,000 per year over 30 years for the school district, under a plan the district has negotiated with developers.

 

Board President Mary Sindelar said she expects the Board will be ready to make a decision on whether to support the project at its April 10 regular monthly meeting.  “The feeling is that they want to move forward on it as soon as possible and we’re the first that needs to make a decision,” said Sindelar.

 

http://www.the-news-leader.com/article.php?pathToFile=/articles//news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=

 

From the Akron Beacon Journal 4/18/2006

 

Soccer plan would pay

Nordonia Hills board to vote on compensation deal

By Mary Kay Quinn

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The Nordonia Hills Board of Education will vote Monday on a compensation agreement with the developer of a proposed Major League Soccer stadium.  The stadium, youth fields and shopping center are proposed for 240 acres off state Route 8 in Northfield Center Township and Macedonia.

 

Reaching an agreement with the school district is an early step that the developers, who plan to seek public financing, need to complete, said Chris Burnham, president of the Summit County Port Authority.  Partners in the project are sports promoter Paul Garofolo and developer Scott Wolstein.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14367024.htm

From the Akron Beacon Journal 4/25/2006

 

Nordonia board OKs soccer deal

Schools could get up to $8.5 million from stadium plan

By Mary Kay Quinn

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

NORTHFIELD - The Nordonia Hills Board of Education on Monday approved an agreement with a stadium developer that could make the schools up to $8.5 million richer by the end of the year.

 

That all depends on whether the developer, Wolstein Sports & Entertainment Group, is successful in the next several steps it must take.  The board, by a 5-0 vote, accepted a compensation package in exchange for giving Wolstein Sports 100 percent property tax exemptions for as long as 30 years.

 

Wolstein Sports has proposed a Major League Soccer stadium, youth fields and a shopping center off state Route 8 in Northfield Center Township and Macedonia.  It has options on 240 acres of mostly vacant land.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/14422369.htm

This will be soooo much fun watching be built.  Anyone that drives on Rt 8 will have plenty of time to watch with all the trucks that will go in and out to get to this property alongside all the other construction trucks outside the property that will be working on Route 8's transformation.  Good times.

i still don't know why this doesn't go in the heart of NE ohio, in the center of the population....

I wonder why its not going Downtown to, but maybe this will make Akron and Cleveland fuse even closer together, economically and culturally.

I wonder why its not going Downtown to, but maybe this will make Akron and Cleveland fuse even closer together, economically and culturally.

 

somehow, i don't think a stadium will do that. (does anyone even go to richfield anymore?)

From the 5/3/06 News Leader (Nordonia):

 

450 acres eyed for stadium district

Developers have options to purchase 240 acres

by Eric Marotta

Editor

 

Nordonia Hills - Nearly 450 acres comprise the site of a proposed Major League Soccer Stadium and retail center on the east side of Route 8.

 

According to developer Paul Garofolo, overall development along the highway could eventually involve nearly 600 acres, if property in Boston Heights is developed in conjunction with the $250 million-plus project.

 

Garofolo said his firm, The Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group LLC, already has options to purchase 240 of the 450 acres in the “Tax Increment Financing District” adjacent to Route 8 near the Macedonia/Northfield Center border. Garofolo said his firm is negotiating with the owners of the remaining 200 acres to buy those as well.

 

http://www.the-news-leader.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/05032006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=05032006

 

From the 5/13/06 PD:

 

Real estate fee hike could pay for stadium

Saturday, May 13, 2006

April McClellan-Copeland

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Northfield Center Township -- A developer has asked state lawmakers to boost the fees Summit County residents pay on real estate deals to raise money for a proposed soccer stadium and retail village.

 

Paul Garofolo, representing the Wolstein Sports & Entertainment Group, talked to legislators about passing a law that would allow a charter county to increase conveyance fees, said State Sen. Kevin Coughlin. The law would apply only to Summit, the state's only charter county.

 

Coughlin said the Summit County delegation has not discussed the proposal, which Garofolo raised at a meeting two weeks ago. State Sen. Kimberly Zurz and State Rep. Robert Otterman also attended the meeting, he said.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1147509811181800.xml&coll=2

 

I don't see the need to destroy 600 acres of wetlands, forest, and habitat area for this. I'd rather see it in downtown Cleveland, downtown Akron, or if you must choose the suburbs, maybe somewhere in Broadview Heights or Independence where 1000's of acres of flatland are available and it's still in a yuppy "mom and her kids" area..

This is truly a lame ass proposal.  They want money from Summit Co. residents to help them pay to develop all this for them to make some money.  I don't think they should get a cent from the public.  If they are to get any money it should come from Northfield center residents only and they should have a vote on it.  I see absolutely no good coming from this proposal.  Who the hell "needs" soccer fields?  Who the hell needs more retail?  Wolstein should worry about whats going on in Cuyahoga County and not bother to play in Summit Co.

now after this, I whole heartedly believe this project should be built in cleveland and used for not only a major league team but college/high school soccer.  It doesn't have to be downtown but should be in a place easily accessible, say midtown with other related sports or a field house.  Something the team, the city and the immediate neighborhood can all take pride in.

I wonder why they didn't learn their lesson the first time with Richfield.  First, it's MLS.  Second, have they looked at the trend of gas prices, lately?  So they're going to build a stadium in the middle of nowhere and have it essentially only accessible by car - so soccer moms and dads in Westlake can drive the 30-35 miles both ways, to see a game.  Nice of them to tack on an extra $6 to the cost of going to a soccer game.

U of Akron is currently looking at building a new football stadium.  They want the new stadium by the campus and very close to downtown.  No ideas yet on what will become of the Rubber Bowl.  Its probably not the best place to put an MLS stadium as far as access but there seems to be plenty of open land right there and it has a pretty cool view looking over at the massive airdock and akron-fulton airport.  It would still be accessible to close to a million people within a half hour drive.  That would be the most likely place in my mind to place a soccer stadium if one had to be built in Summit.

I am also displeased with this project. It is essentially around a lot of places, but at the same time in the middle of nowhere. I wish it werent true but they will NOT be able to sell 20-25,000 tickets. I wish that this project would go to either downtown. THe only other location than downtown cleveland would be akron. I hope this doesnt go through because it would be horrible if it did not recieve the support it wanted.

 

The only way i see this project going through is if the millions of dollars we spent beefing up our highways (express lanes) were instead used to put a high speed magnet train through the median. im neither an architect or city planner but why wasn't this considered? In 5 years there wont be a way to get from cleveland to akron other than your bicycle!

At the very least I would think that a growing young major league would want the most visible location possible.  I don't think I've ever even been down that stretch of highway.  It's really tucked away in a no man's land.

I wouldn't totally say no-man's land..  There is the Cuyahoga Valley N.P. within a mile away.  Otherwise Northern Summit co has been getting developed pretty fast because its such an onerous chore to drive on Rt. 8 going North to Cuyahoga Cty.  Its still not easy going north on 271 when there's 2 lanes packed of traffic from each 480 and 271 merging into 3 lanes.  I would be surprised if thats not the highest volume in the state on 6 lanes.  ODOT seriously needs to add express lanes to 271-480 splits, but I suspect Cuyahoga Cty is denying this. 

Regionalism is bigger than just the first suburbs.