After hearing about Peter Wilt's vacuous idea of building a MLS stadium inside the Milwaukee Mile, it is good to know that there are still some good ideas on soccer stadium contruction. Maybe Wilt should go back to college.
University of Arizona senior and Wildcat Online columnist Andrew Austin suggests they use the nearby Rillito Park Race Track as the site of a new soccer-specific stadium in order to lure professional soccer to town. The article centers around a 2008 bond vote in Pima County on what do do with the run-down 50-year-old horse track. He writes,
The issue is pretty black and white: Build a facility for kids geared around one of the most team-oriented sports or maintain a decrepit horse racing facility, a refuge for gambling and borderline animal cruelty.
Using Columbus as a small-market model, Austin argues that Tucson could benefit from bringing a pro soccer franchise to town. It's an interesitng proposition. But do we really want to add yet another city (Dallas, Houston) where players will be playing in 100+ degree heat (even if it is a dry heat)?
Still, his argument should be considered by the people of Pima County. Even if they can't manage to lure an MLS club, a decent 10,000-seater could lure a USL-1 club to town with designs toward promotion in the future (when MLS adopts promotion/relegation).
His argument is still better than trading our crappy deal with the NFL for an even crappier deal with NASCAR.
Click here for Austin's complete column.
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