April 3, 20232 yr 19 minutes ago, X said: Pugu has left the building. Again. He should have gone with “Newgu”. It would have saved the mods some time. Also, for anyone only partially following along, Newgu was given multiple public warnings, but continued to double down. Self awareness is not his strong suit. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 3, 20232 yr i dk - looks to me like mayor bibb’s office was totally all in on that rather elaborate april fool’s joke and just went along with it. this is ot, but if you like that kind of funny here’s another april fools jokey type email i got of silly arts world shenanigans: https://email.hyperallergic.com/t/y-E457A74E7F1EDBEE2540EF23F30FEDED
April 28, 20232 yr Business duo look to establish a vibrant soccer ecosystem in Cleveland Ideastream Public Media | By Douglas J. Guth Published April 28, 2023 at 6:00 AM EDT "Two Cleveland business partners are drawing on the region’s soccer legacy for a brand new endeavor. Nolan Gallagher and Michael Murphy, former owners of the Gravitas Ventures film distribution company, are currently establishing a men’s professional soccer team that will join Major League Soccer’s Next Pro league in 2025. The Cleveland team will be the third independent club to join the budding player development league, started by Major League Soccer in 2021. Rochester New York FC and Carolina Core FC will launch a year before the Cleveland franchise kicks off. If all goes to plan, the newly minted Cleveland franchise will be the cornerstone of a regional soccer network that comprises a National Women’s Soccer League team, a stadium site, and a larger soccer complex that can tap into interest from Northeast Ohio’s diverse population." https://www.ideastream.org/sports/2023-04-28/business-duo-look-to-establish-a-vibrant-soccer-ecosystem-in-cleveland
April 28, 20232 yr I'm still confused (and I just reread this whole thread from page 2 onwards, covering 4+ years of changing plans): So is it true that most MLSNP teams are minor league affiliates of specific MLS teams and play somewhere in the same metro area as those MLS teams (maybe not at the MLS stadium but at a smaller venue somewhere in the same metro area, e.g., a college stadium), but the proposed Cleveland MLSNP will not be affiliated with any MLS team (which is part of why it can locate here where there is no MLS franchise)? So in some sense, the Cleveland one will actually be "playing to win," not "playing to grow," but will be playing a bunch of other MLS' clubs reserves that are playing to grow, not playing to win?
April 28, 20232 yr The Rochester team didn't make it long: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/sports/rnyfc/rochester-ny-fc-ceases-operations-will-not-play-in-2023/ I would be surprised if this gets off the ground in Cleveland. The main attraction of MLSNP is that it's relatively cheap to get into for an owner. It is not a compelling competition IMO. I think CLE is better off pursuing a NWSL team as a first priority, although those are getting pricier every day.
April 28, 20232 yr Hopefully this gets off the ground here. Does anyone know where they are trying to build a stadium
July 20, 20231 yr Unless the teams/leagues are going to be building these new stadiums I would like to at least see some consideration given to combining the new soccer stadium with the new Browns stadium. I understand field size and uses are different, but if we really want to maximize the number of times the stadium is used combining the use of a football and soccer stadium seems the best solution. Heck, even if the teams/leagues are going to completely finance the construction of two new stadiums I would still like to see them combined if they are going to be downtown. Its a massive area these stadiums sit on. Cleveland Soccer Group makes progress on stadium plan, eyes 2026 NWSL bid JOE SCALZO July 20, 2023 05:45 AM Quote Michael Murphy, the co-founder and CEO of the CSG, said his group has made "significant progress" on its stadium plan, a crucial element in its bid to land a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team in 2026. The CSG also is expanding its ownership group, something Murphy believes will be "well-received" by the league. ... The stadium would also serve as the home of the city's MLS Next Pro team, which will begin play in 2025. While Murphy wouldn't release details about the stadium plan, he did say his group is hoping to build it downtown. https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-business/cleveland-soccer-group-eyes-national-womens-soccer-league-bid
July 20, 20231 yr Playing in an NFL stadium is essentially a non-starter. There are a few exceptions in MLS of course but as the article states it is "crucial" for a NWSL bid to have your own stadium. Edited July 20, 20231 yr by surfohio bad english
July 20, 20231 yr 10 minutes ago, surfohio said: Playing in an NFL stadium is essentially a non-starter. There are a few exceptions in MLS of course but as the article states it is "crucial" for a NWSL bid to have your own stadium. Where does it say that the NWSL or MLS Next Pro can't play in a multi-use stadium? It says it says that one of the reasons it was eliminated in the last expansion round was "the stadium situation" and the stadium is a "crucial element" in its current bid, but where does it say it needs to be a stand-alone stadium? I don't know what their plan for a stadium was in the previous bid, but my understanding is while you can host a soccer game in the current Browns stadium its not ideal. But if you were to build a stadium intending both field uses I would think it would work just fine for both. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I think its worth looking into for cost and land use reasons.
July 20, 20231 yr It seems that most cities have soccer-only stadiums, because 25,000 fans is a stadium that seats 28,000 looks good, while 25,000 fans in a 70,000 seat stadium looks bad
July 20, 20231 yr Average attendance for NWSL is around 7k fans. MLS Next will be far less than that. Using a 70k seat stadium for these teams just is not a great use of resources and would make for a very poor fan experience. Also the language " his group has made 'significant progress' on its stadium plan" and I could be wrong, but that doesn't sound like they'll be sharing Browns stadium.
July 20, 20231 yr If there are going to be two new stadiums, I think it would be cool to co-locate them at least. Then you wouldn't have to duplicate parking, and any new transit infrastructure would get more consistent use. It could also be useful for the Browns to have a close-by smaller venue for ancillary events if they were to ever host a super bowl, draft, combine, final four, etc. I'd imagine this ship has already sailed though if they're planning to have a downtown stadium ready by 2026 for the NWSL. There wouldn't be much time left to coordinate with the Haslams.
July 20, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, surfohio said: Average attendance for NWSL is around 7k fans. MLS Next will be far less than that. Using a 70k seat stadium for these teams just is not a great use of resources and would make for a very poor fan experience. Also the language " his group has made 'significant progress' on its stadium plan" and I could be wrong, but that doesn't sound like they'll be sharing Browns stadium. ooofff 7k? Tell them to save their money and make Byers Field their home.
July 20, 20231 yr 31 minutes ago, GREGinPARMA said: ooofff 7k? Tell them to save their money and make Byers Field their home. I agree. My actual dream would be the two soccer teams plus a CSU football stadium, but that ain't gonna happen!
July 20, 20231 yr 14 minutes ago, X said: My actual dream would be the two soccer teams plus a CSU football stadium, but that ain't gonna happen! Maybe not, but I'd still love to see a soccer friendly multi-use facility at CSU. Especially if we can still net a USL team....still hoping the Force re-emerges. CSU soccer + NWSL/MLS Next/USL would get a ton of use.
October 17, 20231 yr Hopefully they can pull this off. Anybody have any insight on the stadium. https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/soccer/campaign-aims-bring-womens-professional-soccer-cleveland/95-5a4ba483-2f85-4811-8a63-c5bfe458e4ea
October 18, 20231 yr Gilbert part of Cleveland NWSL expansion effort https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2023/10/17/dan-gilbert-cleveland-cavaliers-cleveland-nwsl-expansion
October 18, 20231 yr Great to hear that Dan Gilbert is involved. https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/10/17/cleveland-soccer-group-enters-bid-bring-womens-pro-team-city/
October 18, 20231 yr 52 minutes ago, marty15 said: What size of stadium’s accommodate Pro Women’s soccer? I think the current trend is approaching 10,000. Here in Kansas City, the Current are building the first ever women’s soccer-specific stadium that’ll seat about that much. I drive by it every day for work and it reminds me of the proposed USL stadium site. You could build a venue that size with all the bells and whistles (e.g., suites, club area, overhang) and be able to host events that might be too small for the Browns’ stadium but still want to be outdoors. Edited October 18, 20231 yr by BuckeyeNative
October 18, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, BuckeyeNative said: I think the current trend is approaching 10,000. Here in Kansas City, the Current are building the first ever women’s soccer-specific stadium that’ll seat about that much. I drive by it every day for work and it reminds me of the proposed USL stadium site. You could build a venue that size with all the bells and whistles (e.g., suites, club area, overhang) and be able to host events that might be too small for the Browns’ stadium but still want to be outdoors. Props to the Current for advertising their team and the fact they have the world’s first women’s soccer-specific stadium at the recent World Cup in Sydney. When I saw those signs I realized that the Cleveland NWSL team could be a pretty impressive draw! Edited October 18, 20231 yr by brtshrcegr
October 18, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, BuckeyeNative said: I think the current trend is approaching 10,000. Here in Kansas City, the Current are building the first ever women’s soccer-specific stadium that’ll seat about that much. I drive by it every day for work and it reminds me of the proposed USL stadium site. You could build a venue that size with all the bells and whistles (e.g., suites, club area, overhang) and be able to host events that might be too small for the Browns’ stadium but still want to be outdoors. With Gilbert involved, I wonder if the South Flats could be a potential location. At the foot of a rebuilt Eagle Ave.? Make it part of their Cavs/Cleveland Clinic sport’s health complex. Be a great way to bring people/families down to their new riverside promenades.
October 18, 20231 yr In a city the size of Cleveland I'd be concerned with being able to support such an infrastructure investment and manage it long term. I'd rather see this built in conjunction with Cleveland State to give them a new soccer facility and place this investment in the campus area.
October 18, 20231 yr 17 hours ago, simplythis said: Hopefully they can pull this off. Anybody have any insight on the stadium. https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/soccer/campaign-aims-bring-womens-professional-soccer-cleveland/95-5a4ba483-2f85-4811-8a63-c5bfe458e4ea I have a direct line to the top. Im hearing they are working with the county and city to secure land just south of Progressive Field for this stadium, and its close.
October 18, 20231 yr 10 hours ago, marty15 said: What size of stadium’s accommodate Pro Women’s soccer? just a clarifier that this stadium would host the NWSL team and also the MLS next team that was announced last year. My guess is it will also be a candidate to host World Cup qualifiers, International friendlies, club friendlies, it would probably seat 20K Edited October 18, 20231 yr by BelievelandD1
October 18, 20231 yr 3 minutes ago, BelievelandD1 said: I have a direct line to the top. Im hearing they are working with the county and city to secure land just south of Progressive Field for this stadium, and its close. I honestly hate that site for this. Swap Browns stadium with it and put the soccer stadium on the lakefront as part of a neighborhood. It will be used 10-15x more a year than Browns stadium.
October 18, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, BelievelandD1 said: I have a direct line to the top. Im hearing they are working with the county and city to secure land just south of Progressive Field for this stadium, and its close. So you are referring to the land on the other side of the freeway just north off the post office. The same land that was option 2 for the browns stadium
October 18, 20231 yr 39 minutes ago, simplythis said: So you are referring to the land on the other side of the freeway just north off the post office. The same land that was option 2 for the browns stadium I'm guessing they are referring to the site that has previously been proposed for a soccer stadium... https://neo-trans.blogspot.com/2019/03/usl-cleveland-soccer-stadium-site-chosen.html
October 18, 20231 yr I’m biased but these plans should just be incorporated with Ignatius’ plans to build an on campus stadium. Location is second to none in the city
October 18, 20231 yr 7 hours ago, Cleburger said: In a city the size of Cleveland I'd be concerned with being able to support such an infrastructure investment and manage it long term. I'd rather see this built in conjunction with Cleveland State to give them a new soccer facility and place this investment in the campus area. Although I like the other ideas floated, I agree that working with Cleveland State on this is a good solution. Ideally, you’d have multiple parties (NWSL, MLS Next, CSU) involved and then the additional event hosting opportunities would create for a strong return on investment. In fact, a stadium of this size/caliber could allow Cleveland State to host a multitude of NCAA postseason events in addition to concerts, etc.
October 18, 20231 yr But that would require an efficient use of resources. So, we will build three separate stadiums all on the taxpayer dime.
October 19, 20231 yr Lol with the downvotes. Get real, we're the most impoverished city in America, and we would rather spend dollars on major league women's soccer stadiums? Sounds like a bunch of suburbanites controlling city priorities again.
October 19, 20231 yr To the suggestions offered so far, I'd rather have a field dedicated to only the professional sports teams. I'd keep colleges/schools out of the mix, except for special events or tournaments. On a side note, a downtown, an indoor soccer training facility would make wonderful sense, with multiple fields that schools and clubs from the region could use during the winter months. A state of the art facility like this would be a draw regionally for clubs. This would make sense in proximity to this NWSL field, likely south of Progressive Field. Other communities in the suburbs have similar fields, but what major cities have such fields in a downtown location? My kids currently use the east side Force fields, which are pretty much trash and an embarrassment.
October 19, 20231 yr 51 minutes ago, scg80 said: To the suggestions offered so far, I'd rather have a field dedicated to only the professional sports teams. I'd keep colleges/schools out of the mix, except for special events or tournaments. On a side note, a downtown, an indoor soccer training facility would make wonderful sense, with multiple fields that schools and clubs from the region could use during the winter months. A state of the art facility like this would be a draw regionally for clubs. This would make sense in proximity to this NWSL field, likely south of Progressive Field. Other communities in the suburbs have similar fields, but what major cities have such fields in a downtown location? My kids currently use the east side Force fields, which are pretty much trash and an embarrassment. Disagree with the dedicated to pro team take. Especially womens pro. Unless privately financed, to which I would say "have at it!" Agree 1000% with a regional training facility. This would be huge. Parents are spending billions on soccer for their kids nationally. There are already quite a few indoor facilities in the area, but none really approach a "world class" environment save for the Spire in Geneva.
October 19, 20231 yr 7 minutes ago, Cleburger said: Disagree with the dedicated to pro team take. Especially womens pro. Unless privately financed, to which I would say "have at it!" Even privately financed there is an opportunity cost in land use; the more games a single stadium can be used for and fewer stadiums taking up land the better.
October 19, 20231 yr Agree with @noname. I'm no soccer fan, it has its niche market in America and I'm sure it is enjoyable for a lot of people, but come on now. Throwing money at a women's soccer stadium? I can easily name a dozen things this city could better use that money for.
October 19, 20231 yr Isn't there an existing facility that could be used at least initially, such as Byers Field, Finnie Stadium, etc?
October 19, 20231 yr Again, this is not just for the NWSL team (which in fact is growing league where the valuation of teams is growing in the triple digits). Also MLS Next, im certain this stadium will be optimized using several groups. One thing on the Cleveland Soccer Group (MLS Next and NWSL), they arent just going to establish a franchise and throw the ball on the field and hope the Suburban parents will bring their kids down on a weeknight. The leadership group has a very distinct vision to engage the minority populations around Cleveland and recruit talented players from their home countries to try out and participate. Think about the sub sections of Cleveland: Croatian, Puerto Rican, Asian, Baltic Countries, Irish, Italian, etc. They are going to directly try to engage these groups by giving them a more personal rooting interest. Obviously its conceptual right now and needs to be executed, but i think if run correctly they can absolutely fill alot of seats in that stadium.
October 19, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, scg80 said: On a side note, a downtown, an indoor soccer training facility would make wonderful sense, with multiple fields that schools and clubs from the region could use during the winter months. A state of the art facility like this would be a draw regionally for clubs. This would make sense in proximity to this NWSL field, likely south of Progressive Field. Other communities in the suburbs have similar fields, but what major cities have such fields in a downtown location? My kids currently use the east side Force fields, which are pretty much trash and an embarrassment An indoor facility would be awesome. There are so few indoor sports facilities, and I think this one would be used non-stop.
October 19, 20231 yr On a side note…I can’t believe KC can’t use their existing MLS stadium for NWSL. Looks nice though.
October 19, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, GREGinPARMA said: Agree with @noname. I'm no soccer fan, it has its niche market in America and I'm sure it is enjoyable for a lot of people, but come on now. Throwing money at a women's soccer stadium? I can easily name a dozen things this city could better use that money for. FYI San Diego's new NWSL team averages +30k per game.
October 19, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, Cleburger said: Especially womens pro. Can you clarify this statement. It implies to me that if it was a dedicated Men's facility, it could be fine, but certainly not a Women's only team. What makes a Women's pro team less than a Men's? Think about the billions we have spent on pro sports for Men, yet we can't spend what would be a nominal comparison on a Women's only facility? Or one shared with a Men's team?
October 19, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, scg80 said: Can you clarify this statement. It implies to me that if it was a dedicated Men's facility, it could be fine, but certainly not a Women's only team. What makes a Women's pro team less than a Men's? Think about the billions we have spent on pro sports for Men, yet we can't spend what would be a nominal comparison on a Women's only facility? Or one shared with a Men's team? Sorry I did not mean it that way, other than soccer in general would not sell a ton of tickets here, and a women's-only team facility even less. If public dollars are involved, I truly believe it should be a shared facility to include the college teams (mens and womens programs)
October 19, 20231 yr The location south of the innerbelt will just dilute everything. A facility like that would likely be used often, and be surrounded by parking. It would benefit downtown approximately 0%. On Cleveland State’s campus would be the best option. Replace Krenzler, the softball field and the golf bubble with it. There’s loads of structured parking on the other side of the street that would be available after school hours, so no need for spending money on parking cars. It would be such a massive waste of an opportunity to put it in no man’s land south of the innerbelt. Might as well build in it Medina.
October 19, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, marty15 said: The location south of the innerbelt will just dilute everything. A facility like that would likely be used often, and be surrounded by parking. It would benefit downtown approximately 0%. On Cleveland State’s campus would be the best option. Replace Krenzler, the softball field and the golf bubble with it. There’s loads of structured parking on the other side of the street that would be available after school hours, so no need for spending money on parking cars. It would be such a massive waste of an opportunity to put it in no man’s land south of the innerbelt. Might as well build in it Medina. I disagree. There's the potential to add a Red Line stop at that location, and to develop the rest of the area with mixed uses going down into the Flats South/Stone's Levee/collision bend area.
October 19, 20231 yr 26 minutes ago, X said: I disagree. There's the potential to add a Red Line stop at that location, and to develop the rest of the area with mixed uses going down into the Flats South/Stone's Levee/collision bend area. We need to strengthen existing areas that need it, before sprawling out. IMO
October 20, 20231 yr Where else is there a 10-acre vacant parcel with as few owners as possible who have no use for the land or profit motive, that's so centrally located, has amazing highway and transit access, and spin-off development potential? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 20, 20231 yr ^LOL: The mostly empty muny lot across SR-2 from Burke, if wide enough. It comes with its own parking, nearby Amtrak, Waterfront Line, and commercial aviation. May have to relocate or cap S. Marginal. After the game, you could hypothetically shop at the hypothetical outlet mall. Edited October 20, 20231 yr by urb-a-saurus
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