Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Albuquerque voters decide on stadium proposal – Sports Talk Florida

It’s a lot of money for a minor league stadium.

Voters in Albuquerque, New Mexico will go to the polls on November 2 to say whether they will spend $ 50 million on a soccer stadium for the New Mexico United United Soccer League franchise. The stadium can accommodate up to 12,000 people. The United Soccer League is actually a sub-league, but its status is denoted differently. It is a Level II league in the United States, with Major League Soccer listed as Level I of football in the United States and Canada in terms of leagues. The USL has a number of groups including USL League One, USL League Two, and there will be a USL women’s group starting in 2023.

The New Mexico United franchise has played its home games at the stadium of the Triple A Minor League baseball team in Albuquerque since 2019. The final price for the planned stadium is expected to be between 65 and 70 million US dollars. The stadium loan is $ 50 million. Another $ 10 million pledge will come from the owners of New Mexico United to help build the stadium. Another $ 8 million comes from New Mexico state funds. Proponents of the stadium plan claim the stadium will be self-financing and create jobs. Opponents claim that building a stadium for a soccer team with limited other uses is a waste of money. Albuquerque would own the stadium, but the city has limited use of the facility. The agreement between the city and the owner of the soccer team allows Albuquerque to use the facility exclusively for community events and performances for just 15 days a year. At the moment, polls suggest Albuquerque voters would reject the stadium proposal. The team runs TV spots for the “Volksstadion”, which will create hundreds of jobs. The stadium game continues.

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Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London on Saturday 2nd October 2021. (AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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