The spot, just north of the 4500 South TRAX station, has most of what MLS officials say they want in a stadium site: It is centrally located (when you consider the population center of the valley has moved south to somewhere around 7200 South), it is nearly adjacent to light rail and the land is reasonably priced.
Dave Checketts, the CEO for Utah's new MLS franchise, has been talking with Murray city officials. We hope the talks are serious, because a soccer stadium at this location makes a lot of sense. The site comprises 100 acres and is the subject of a city blight study to determine what its best use might be. It is considered a prime spot for a transit-oriented development.
Soccer games attracting thousands of fans would certainly qualify as transit-oriented. Those fans would come from all parts of the valley, but particularly from the suburbs served by TRAX where soccer is popular among young players, their families and adult recreation-team members.
Salt Lake City economic development officials say the capital city would like to have the soccer stadium. An area west of The Gateway and an undisclosed spot in the south part of downtown have been mentioned as possible nominees, but no proposals have yet been made to MLS organizers.
The suburbs have a competitive edge over the city because they can offer less expensive land and more of it, but Salt Lake City naturally would like to host the stadium.
The 25,000-seat stadium will require 14 acres for the building and parking and will cost about $20 million. This type of large-scale project will have economic benefits for its host city, and, once it is completed, soccer games are a relatively clean, quiet business.
Whenever thousands (at least 15,000 fans per game will be needed to make the franchise viable) of people converge, there is money to be made. Restaurants and shopping areas near the stadium will undoubtedly see a boost in their sales. If the MLS team follows the example of the Utah Jazz, pricey team memorabilia will be sold at the stadium, along with a steady flow of soft drinks, popcorn, hot dogs and candy.
We hope the professional soccer team is a success here. A major contributor to that success will be the right choice of a site for the stadium. So far, Murray looks like a winner.
