New York Agreement With NYCFC For Stadium Near Citi Field

[PCSPounder]

MLS Club NYCFC to Build Stadium Next to Queens’ Citi Field

The MLS Club has been playing primarily at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since joining the league in 2015.

www.sportico.com

Perhaps the smart money is to wait literally until they kick off in the stadium to believe this, and not a moment prior, but there is now an agreement.

Click to read more...

 

[MMC]

 

[KevFu]

As a Manchester City and NY Mets fan, it annoys me to no end that City Football Group partnered with the Yankees on NYCFC.

 

[aqib]

As a Manchester City and NY Mets fan, it annoys me to no end that City Football Group partnered with the Yankees on NYCFC.

So are the Mets going to join the ownership group?

 

[BKIslandersFan]

So are the Mets going to join the ownership group?

Does not sound like it.

 

[aqib]

Does not sound like it.

Yeah then its weird that they would want a Yankees affiliated team setting up shop in their backyard. Was there nothing near Yonkers Raceway they could have gone to?

 

[KevFu]

Yeah then its weird that they would want a Yankees affiliated team setting up shop in their backyard. Was there nothing near Yonkers Raceway they could have gone to?

The NYCFC partnership with the Yankees was about the team needing a place to play. The Yankees own 20% of NYCFC.

MLS wasn't going to give an expansion team to an ownership group without a set in stone stadium arrangement (Who else has been added to MLS without a SOCCER stadium to play in?)

The Yankees being co-owners showed MLS that the Yankees wouldn't kick NYCFC out of Yankee Stadium the first time the outfield was dug up from soccer tackles, leaving an MLS team homeless.


The reason they partnered with the Yankees and not the Mets was because even though the Mets owners were TRYING to get an MLS team themselves for a while, and it became clear to everyone that MLS wanted City Football Group with a New York based partner.... the Wilpons had no money due to Bernie Madoff.

So CFG turned to the Yankees.

 

[aqib]

The NYCFC partnership with the Yankees was about the team needing a place to play. The Yankees own 20% of NYCFC.

MLS wasn't going to give an expansion team to an ownership group without a set in stone stadium arrangement (Who else has been added to MLS without a SOCCER stadium to play in?)

The Yankees being co-owners showed MLS that the Yankees wouldn't kick NYCFC out of Yankee Stadium the first time the outfield was dug up from soccer tackles, leaving an MLS team homeless.


The reason they partnered with the Yankees and not the Mets was because even though the Mets owners were TRYING to get an MLS team themselves for a while, and it became clear to everyone that MLS wanted City Football Group with a New York based partner.... the Wilpons had no money due to Bernie Madoff.

So CFG turned to the Yankees.

I get why the partnership with the Yankees happened. It's just odd the Mets would be like "sure Yankees come into our back yard and do business here" I get that land is difficult in NYC but still.

 

[KevFu]

The Yankees are a silent minority partner in NYCFC.

The Mets owner owns the development rights to the area around the Mets stadium, and is planning on creating more of a well-trafficked area for the community.

Soccer will bring more than just Mets fans to that real estate.

 

[Tawnos]

The Jets played for a long time at Shea and the Giants played at Yankee Stadium. There's no real association between those teams and the baseball teams whose stadiums they played in. As soon as NYCFC is in their own stadium, they'll be seen as a separate entity.

Yes, the Yankees own part of NYCFC, but it won't matter.

 

[KevFu]

What I'm really curious about is CFG's info systems and if NYCFC will have an "American HQ" in Willet's Point, and if Steve Cohen can learn from that.

 

[MMC]

 

[varsaku]

Surprised it has taken this long to develop that area. I was shocked how the Mets stadium and the US Open had absolutely nothing to do around when going to a US Open match.

 

[KevFu]

Surprised it has taken this long to develop that area. I was shocked how the Mets stadium and the US Open had absolutely nothing to do around when going to a US Open match.

Well, the primary issue was ownership of the area. Where that soccer stadium is going to sit, was previously owned by a bunch of chop shops, likely with dozens and dozens of property owners and not one guy.

It's one of those things where "the dominoes just never tipped." You'd THINK that someone would be like "I'm gonna make a sports bar right across from the Mets stadium!" But the area is one where you don't really "hang out" on foot by it. It's dirty and loud and sketchy feeling.

So ONE sports bar or restaurant or coffee shop would totally fail. You'd need like 200-feet worth of storefront to switch at once to a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, apparel store... then the rest of the block would follow suit.

The number of PLANS to redevelop that area have been astronomical. I think there was a series of imminent domain court fights for decades.

Then you factor in that development rights to that land was owned by the previous Mets owner, who lost his shirt being heavily invested in BERNIE MADOFF, and that killed any plans for about 15 years.

 

[MMC]

 

[oknazevad]

Even more important than the flashy entrance, the city planning commission voted in favor of the stadium yesterday. It does to the city council for final approval, which it is expected to get easily. NYCFC stadium passes key city vote