Armada Stadium Update

[tufsu1]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

[MEGATRON]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

was speaking towards the middle to upper echelon seats.

[InnerCityPressure]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

[pierre]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

Actually want to see the game? Geez, the stadium isn't that big.

[InnerCityPressure]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

Actually want to see the game? Geez, the stadium isn't that big.

...which is why it will be difficult to see the game.  If one is seated low (all seats at this venue) and behind the goal/in a corner, the match will be very difficult to see.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Which begs the question, "Where is the best place in the stands to watch a soccer game?"

Personally, for the Jags games, I prefer to be a bit higher up and in one of the endzones.  Yes.  You lose quite a bit of the game when they're on the opposite field, but for the majority of the game, you get the 'Madden' view and can get a solid feel for the defensive scheme and watching the route trees develop is pretty fun if you know what you're looking for.  I like to think I do. 

I would think that soccer is better viewed from farther away as well, since you get to see the entire play develop rather than just the scoring attacks.  I think you'd miss a good bit of the their technical skills with the ball being further away, but I suppose that depends what your preference is.

[Footiedj]

The Armada will be having seat selection days at the Baseball grounds to check the views from where you would like to sit.

[tufsu1]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

that would be taking the highest price Armada tickets and comparing them to the lowest price Jaguars tickets.  Sorry but that's not a comparison.

A better comparison would be Suns tickets.  Armada is slightly higher, but they only have 20 home games and the Suns have about 80.  Costs of running the team are probably somewhat similar.

[pierre]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

Actually want to see the game? Geez, the stadium isn't that big.

...which is why it will be difficult to see the game.  If one is seated low (all seats at this venue) and behind the goal/in a corner, the match will be very difficult to see.

Seated too low? That's a new one to me. The Baseball Grounds will be fine as a temporary home. Most of the seating will be "between the goals". Seating goes all the way down the first base line. On the third base line, you have the party plazas and beer garden so there is a lot less seating. It's actually a pretty good set up for soccer.

[pierre]

^ tickets as low as $10 a game for season ticket holders ($14 for single game tickets) is too much?

$35-$50 if you actually want to see the game.  That's the same as Jaguars tickets.  Does seem a little steep to me...

that would be taking the highest price Armada tickets and comparing them to the lowest price Jaguars tickets.  Sorry but that's not a comparison.

A better comparison would be Suns tickets.  Armada is slightly higher, but they only have 20 home games and the Suns have about 80.  Costs of running the team are probably somewhat similar.

And this is a higher level for soccer than the Southern League is for baseball.

[InnerCityPressure]

Seated too low? That's a new one to me. The Baseball Grounds will be fine as a temporary home. Most of the seating will be "between the goals". Seating goes all the way down the first base line. On the third base line, you have the party plazas and beer garden so there is a lot less seating. It's actually a pretty good set up for soccer.

It's definitely a thing in soccer.  I'm not sure if it is worldwide, but in England, the price is higher as you move up the stands.

[InnerCityPressure]

that would be taking the highest price Armada tickets and comparing them to the lowest price Jaguars tickets.  Sorry but that's not a comparison.

A better comparison would be Suns tickets.  Armada is slightly higher, but they only have 20 home games and the Suns have about 80.  Costs of running the team are probably somewhat similar.

But the lowest priced Jags tickets, of which I am a season ticket holder, provide a phenomenal view of the field.  The same is not true of the $10 - $20 Armada tickets.

[InnerCityPressure]

Which begs the question, "Where is the best place in the stands to watch a soccer game?"

Personally, for the Jags games, I prefer to be a bit higher up and in one of the endzones.  Yes.  You lose quite a bit of the game when they're on the opposite field, but for the majority of the game, you get the 'Madden' view and can get a solid feel for the defensive scheme and watching the route trees develop is pretty fun if you know what you're looking for.  I like to think I do. 

I would think that soccer is better viewed from farther away as well, since you get to see the entire play develop rather than just the scoring attacks.  I think you'd miss a good bit of the their technical skills with the ball being further away, but I suppose that depends what your preference is.

You're on the right track.  I would choose my Jags seats in the bottom row of the upper deck on the 50 yd line for any soccer game.  That's where I like to watch Jags games too.  I'm surprised this is still a cheap section for football.  Absolutely better than lower level for anyone who likes to watch a play develop.  I guess people like to see hard hits up close? 

[edjax]

Well they may be looking for a new place to play. On news tonight was a story that when they city council cut funding it included the money to convert stadium from baseball to soccer.  Some money still there but does not appear to be enough. Story stated no contract had been signed yet between the city and Armada.

[KenFSU]

Source: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/armada-home-field-hangs-budget-battle-balance/nhLnj/

Jax soccer field funding hangs on budget battle

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

(WOKV) There's no question right now that Jacksonville is excited about soccer and ready to see the new home team- the Armada- kick off next year.

There is a big question, however, about how to fund the home field and how many of your tax dollars hang in the balance.

When the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Armada announced the tentative terms of a lease agreement in July for the NASL team to play at the Baseball Grounds, we knew that deal would come with a financial contribution from the City. Under the deal at that time, the City would be asked to pay up to $700,000 per season for the three year deal to help convert the field from baseball to soccer while the Armada would pay the City up to $10,000 per game, depending on ticket sales. The Mayor's Office projects the City would actually be required to pay less than the cap and says any overage would be covered by the team.  There would also be an initial $300,000 that the City would borrow to make some capital improvements to the Baseball Grounds to support hosting soccer as well.

As the Finance Committee worked through the Mayor's budget proposal, however, they made it clear that there would be no new borrowing this year- so the $300,000 in capital improvement was cut from the list.

I've learned the lease agreement was formally filed just this week, and the proposed borrowing is now rolled in to the money that would come straight from the budget, or your tax dollars.

On any given year, an additional $300,000 request from the budget- bringing the total request for this year to $1,000,000 for the team- may not face much scrutiny. This is not, however, a normal year.

"It'll come down to whether the Council as a whole believes it's a high enough priority to go ahead and put it in place," says City Council President Clay Yarborough.

The exact funding line for this million dollar request- and the $700,000 annual request for subsequent years- has not yet been designated. The Mayor's Office says the Finance Department is finalizing that at this time and it will be available next week. Yarborough has been told the team is hoping to make up at least part from savings in the current year City budget.

With City departments facing an across the board budget cut, however, and non-profits pleading for money- I asked Yarborough why the Armada should get any savings over these other requests.

"If you have any savings in this year's budget, it would seem responsible to suggest carrying that forward and using that to offset what the decrease would be for next year," he says.

At the full Council meeting this past week, the body denied request after request for funding from organizations like Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and the Clara White Mission because they refuse to dip in to reserve funding, as the Mayor's budget proposal had recommended. They also took a stand against any new borrowing, saying the City already had too much debt and they needed to work to pay that off first.

"It's not fair to the others who won't be getting money if we now carve it out for one group and we don't give it to the others," he says.

With that philosophy in mind, he says there's going to be a lot of tough decisions in the next week, as they hope to vote on the lease agreement at the next Council meeting. He says the team will have to make a strong case if they hope to see the funding come through.

I asked whether there is another plan in the works in case the Council decides not to move forward with the funding. Yarborough says he's not sure what negotiations are taking place, but he hopes the team is looking at opportunities to partner with the community and private business.

"If you're actually getting the dollars from out there that are not the actual tax payer dollars, that shows to me a commitment to sustainability in the long term," Yarborough says.

For now, the Mayor's Office and team remain hopeful there will be an internal deal reached.

I asked the Armada whether they're looking at other options and how they feel about the ongoing negotiations, but was told they are not doing interviews while they continue to work with the administration and City Council. The Mayor's Office in turn says they're finding the money and hope the deal will pass.

Yarborough says whatever decision the Council reaches, it's not a reflection on their desire to have the team playing here in Jacksonville.

"The Armada group is doing great work, they could be a positive not only for Downtown, of course, but for the City," he says.

But he says in tight fiscal times, all groups involved need to be creative about how they approach the deal and the City can't be the only revenue source. At least four Council members have currently signed on to the bill as co-sponsors.

The current lease agreement pending a Council vote would be for three years with five optional one-year renewals. Armada leadership has previously indicated they're looking to build a stadium, but couldn't speak on a timeline for when that would be.

- See more at: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/armada-home-field-hangs-budget-battle-balance/nhLnj/#sthash.pIKsRrbw.dpuf