March to Keep DCU in DC

"If D.C. United has to pack its bags for another state, all we will have is the regret that we did not act in a unified way." -- Barra Brava

"[...] all United fans - Screaming Eagles, Barra Brava, La Norte, and the unaffiliated - will be marching together in support of the team. The rally and march will be held on the afternoon of May 9th before the match against Toronto FC.

The rally will begin at Lincoln Park, 11th and East Capitol Street, at 3:30 PM. Shuttles will be running between RFK Stadium and Lincoln Park before the rally, and parking will be available at RFK for at least one hour before the start of the rally. However, please strongly consider using Metro (Eastern Market is the closest station, click here for walking map) because shuttle space will be limited. We’ll gather at the park at 3:30, and then march down East Capitol Street to RFK. When we get to the stadium there will be another short rally, and then we’ll tailgate in Lot 8 as normal around 4:30 pm.

Please mark your calendars and watch our e-mails for more information, and remember that this is not a rally expressing support or opposition for any one jurisdiction over another. This is about keeping United in the DC metropolitan area, period.

If you’re interested in creating signage or banners for the rally, please contact SE President Paul Sotoudeh at paul@screaming-eagles.com." -- Screaming Eagles

Timeline:
2:00 p.m. - RFK Stadium parking Lot 8 opens to the public
2:30-3:30 p.m. - catch a shuttle in Lot 8; destination: Lincoln Park
3:45 p.m. - initial demonstration at Lincoln Park begins
4:00 p.m. - fans march from Lincoln Park to RFK Stadium
4:45 p.m. - march participants arrive at Lot 8
5:00 p.m. - Kevin Payne addresses the crowd in Lot 8
7:30 p.m. - kick-off: D.C. United vs. Toronto FC

Worthwhile Read

Check out Cavan Wilk's piece, "How to Create a Successful Urban Stadium."

Hiatus

DCU STADIUM REPORT is on hiatus.

In the meantime: Roberto Moreno is not an international-caliber referee. To have this man in charge of major international matches is a terrible embarassment for CONCACAF. Read more here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2008/10/united-cruz_azul_the_aftermath.html

Ives Galarcep on DC's Predicament

From one of the most knowledgeable writers in the realm of American soccer, Ives Galarcep, comes this comment:

"IVES- The D.C. stadium situation is arguably one of the ugliest running stories in the league. I'm not sure what MLS can do. The whole threatening to move the team thing to Maryland or Virginia and a good distance away from D.C. itself doesn't really seem like a good option but may wind up being the only option. I do think it's a shame that D.C.'s fans can't have their own stadium. I would love to see that group in a soccer-specific stadium. Then we could really compare them to Toronto FC's fans a little better."

Read his answers to readers' questions here.

Red Bull Arena Online

The Red Bull's SSS-to-be at Harrison, NJ finally has a decent website:

www.redbullarena.us

Check out the webcam here. I happened upon the webcam at 7:15AM eastern, and it seemed like the site was humming.

Some facts and figures:

Location: Harrison, New Jersey
Red Bull Arena is to be constructed on 12.34 acres, bounded by 6th Street to the west, Cape May Street to the south & east.

Land Owner: Town of Harrison, New Jersey

Projected Opening: 2009

Naming Rights Sponsor: Red Bull Energy Drink

Architect: Rossetti Architects (Los Angeles, CA)

Construction Manager/General Contractor: Hunter Roberts Construction Group, LLC.

Resident Team: New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)

Capacity Seating: 25,189

Luxury Suites: 30 (20 lower level and 10 upper level) plus two party decks. Each suite holds 12 seats.

Premium Seats: 1,116

Stadium Clubs: Three (3) Stadium Clubs

Stadium Shops: Two (2) Retail Shops

Video Boards: Two - Video Boards, one in each end of the stadiumOne - 360-degree wraparound message board

In-Stadium Displays: Over 300 video flat-screen panels throughout the stadium for event viewing

Field Level Signage: Field level L.E.D. signage in both end zones and opposite player benches

Concessions: There will be 65 Point of Sale concession stands between the stadiums two levels
(Main and Upper): There will also be 20 portable vendor carts on each level to service the fans.

ATMs: There will be four ATM machines located within the stadium, one in each corner. There will also be one ATM machine located outside the stadium, adjacent to the box office window.

DCU Owner Selling His Condo for $70 Million

D.C. United Co-Managing Partner Victor MacFarlane has put his San Francisco condo - all 20,000 square feet and two floors of it - up for sale. The price tag is $70 MILLION.

Interested?

To put this into perspective:

• the construction costs of a stadium at Poplar Point would total about $150 million.
• the 11 acres of Poplar Point land that would be used for a stadium is worth about $40 million.
• the MacFarlane plan for Poplar Point had asked the government of D.C. for $350 million in public subsidies for infrastructure.