Groundbreaking held for Dynamo Stadium in Downtown Houston
HOUSTON, TX — The Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer broke ground today on their 22,000-seat soccer stadium in downtown Houston’s East End. Dignitaries such as AEG CEO Tim Leiweke, Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar de la Hoya, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett participated in the groundbreaking festivities, while Dynamo all-time leading scorer Brian Ching kicked a ceremonial first goal on the stadium site.
Renowned architectural firm Populous designed the stadium, which will be constructed by Houston-based Manhattan Construction Co. and overseen by the ICON Venue Group. Additional companies working on the site are landscape architect Clark Condon, structural engineer Walter P. Moore, and civil engineer WGA, all companies based in Houston.
Excavation of the site and construction of the stadium is expected to begin shortly, and the Dynamo hope to play their first game in the new stadium by mid-2012. The stadium is located in downtown Houston, within walking distance of Minute Maid Park, the George R. Brown Convention Center, and the Toyota Center. In addition to soccer games, the new stadium will host Texas Southern University football, concerts, boxing matches, and more.
The stadium will be operated by the Dynamo and leased from the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. It is located closer to downtown than any other American stadium built for soccer and will be easily accessible to fans from the entire Houston area.
Tickets for the Dynamo’s new stadium will be offered first to fans holding Dynamo season tickets, which are on sale now.
The Dynamo’s 2011 MLS regular season opener is set for Saturday, March 19, against the Philadelphia Union at Robertson Stadium. Tickets are available at HoustonDynamo.com.
The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships in its first five seasons and represented the United States in international competition four consecutive years from 2007-10. For more information www.HoustonDynamo.com.