OT: Locomotives
- Thread starter minermx07
- Start date
What they do in Juarez will have a direct impact on any potential El Paso stadium.
How? Juarez and El Paso can’t share a stadium, each team and fan base will want their own. Are they going to play Locomotives games in FC Juarez’s stadium? No way Jose
Did you oppose the ball park when the idea and its construction was first brought up?
The fact that Bravos are now in Liga MX should have a positive effect on EP Locomotive because they could essentially serve as a minor league team to Bravos the same way MLS reserve teams play in the USL Championship.
The owners only have certain amount of money. Which team will take priority?
And that’s how what happens in Juarez has a direct impact on the Locomotive and any future stadium built in El Paso.
Call me crazy, but I doubt an MLS stadium would be built in Juarez for an El Paso team. I guess I'm not understanding your argument
My argument is, that MountainStar shouldn't come asking for tax breaks and what not for a Locomotive stadium. They obviously have money for their other team to be in LigaMX, so they can pay for their own stadium here. El Paso already helped with them the baseball stadium. I don't care what they build in Juarez or how they do it.
Well, don't get all wound up over nothing. I'm sure if the franchises are that much of a success the city and mountain star will come to some arrangement
No I think MountainStar helped El Paso build a baseball stadium, which El Paso owns.
Where would our downtown be right now without Foster and Mountain Star? And why should they not be asking for tax breaks? That is standard protocol and incentive for companies to spend.
A Juarez team in the top tier of Liga MX is awesome for Juarez and local soccer fans in EP that want to go across the border. It could have a direct effect on the potential for MLS soccer in EP sometime down the road.
I personally don't think we should build a soccer stadium unless it's for MLS. I want the arena built. My suspicion is that MountainStar could buy an MLS team that is in distress and bring them to EP and have a stadium built at the same time (just like they did with the Chihuahuas and are now wanting to do with the Bravos). I feel strongly that MLS could do very well in EP (and I also thought that the Locos would be a flop). Time will tell.
I haven’t seen anything that states the ballpark is actually making money for the city. If it’s losing money, how much better off is the city and downtown off then?
The city doesn’t have to give them any more tax breaks. What are they going to do? Re-locate the Locomotive to Las Cruces?
An El Paso Times article from this past March stated “Heading into six years of operation, the Downtown ballpark’s revenues and income from hotel taxes have yet to cover annual debt payments - costing taxpayers over $3 million.”
From the same article “By 2022, revenue from hotel occupancy taxes and events at the ballpark will generate enough money to cover annual debt payments, according to Robert Cortinas, the city of El Paso’s chief financial officer.”
So no, it hasn’t made any money. Still in debt, might be paid off by 2043.
Article by Aaron Montes on March 8, 2019
Dude, it's a bond, a 30 year bond if I remember correctly. That is how bonds work. Unless the bond is called, payments will continue to be made until it has matured, so yes, there will always be debt to whoever holds the bond.
I’m aware. It clearly states they had to dip into the general fund to make debt payments. If it were making money, they wouldn’t have to dip into the general fund.
Lets take your post where you state it wouldn't be paid off until 2043. How much do you think the stadium and land will be worth by the year 2043? The value at that date, just by itself is profit, so yes, the stadium is generating income. Also, it is a quality of life bond. The return on investment isn't only measured in physical assets, but intangible assets, it was built to offer the community more entertainment/tourist activities and so far, I know a lot of people who have taken advantage of soccer, baseball, and boxing events as entertainment.
How much it will be worth in 2043 is pure speculation isn’t it?
I am not debating the merits of the stadium. Just that it is not making money. Not if you have to dip into the city’s general fund every year it’s been open! That’s why MountainStar can build their own Locomotive stadium without taxpayer money. They have enough to do it on their own. If not, they can remain at the SUP.
I am not debating the merits of the stadium. Just that it is not making money. Not if you have to dip into the city’s general fund every year it’s been open! That’s why MountainStar can build their own Locomotive stadium without taxpayer money. They have enough to do it on their own. If not, they can remain at the SUP.
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If you're not willing to admit that the stadium and land will be worth something in the year 2043, then there is no reason why to debate this subject. You can put blinders on all you want, but avoiding a fact isn't going to make your side of the story right.
Look at it this way, both the city and mountain star have benefited from each other. It would be a dumb business decision by the city not to pursuit a venture that would generate it income just because someone else might benefit, also.
Look at it this way, both the city and mountain star have benefited from each other. It would be a dumb business decision by the city not to pursuit a venture that would generate it income just because someone else might benefit, also.
I’ve been saying the same thing. A good quality USL stadium with a capacity of 8-10k can easily be built for 5-10 million. That’s doable for Mountain Star. They just paid over 30 million for the Lobos.
The land where the stadium would be built is a whole different deal.
The land where the stadium would be built is a whole different deal.
I don’t believe you’re referring to me, as his main point is history. I have not brought that up and I won’t.
Correct and a soccer stadium doesn’t have to built downtown. There’s a lot of places they could do it. Taxpayers just shouldn’t be footing the bill for 20 games a year, when they already are for the Chihuahuas.
Avoiding what fact? You can see land prices 24 years from now? You can project it to be worth more, but you dont know what is going to happen in the next 24 years.
I’m not going to continue this any longer. It’s equally as dumb to give tax money to owners that don’t need it, for another similar stadium, that will take away events from the other stadium. We can have two sport specific stadiums that are empty more than half a year.
Unless you're a resident of El Paso, that lives in a hotel locally, you don't have to worry about your tax money going to the stadium. I honestly don't get your way of thinking. If it benefits the city and the community and past results show it to be successful, why would you not want to proceed with a project like the ball park?
Land values go up. A friend of mine bought 10 acres of land in Manor in the late 80’s for 100k. Manor is a small farm town east of Austin. Who would have known that those 10 acres would sell for over 1.5 million in 2019.
https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/10/10/mls-liga-mx-have-discussed-combining-how-could-it-work/
I think this will not happen but if it does Juarez is set to win big.
I think this will not happen but if it does Juarez is set to win big.
I thinks inevitable. Too much money to be made. MLS owners would be happy because relegation just means to move to bottom half division of mls/ligamx. The floor will help sell a tough sell to MLS owners. The you merge usl the Mexican 2nd division and Canadian league into one massive minor league. Where every team is a farm team to one of 50 teams super league 1st and second division.
That would be big. Just like people always talk about expanding the UTEP brand into El Paso, a Liga MX game in El Paso would go a long way towards building their brands in the states.
Locos extend their unbeaten streak to 9 with a 2-0 win over tulsa. They're on top of the board at the moment with Phoenix and New Mexico just starting their games
