Homefield Advantage
Early kicks: Players impressed with the new, unique Dynamo stadium at first look
The new Houston Dynamo soccer stadium is still months from completion, but with just one regular season home game left in the 2011 season, the players and coaches are ready for a new playing field.
On Monday, the construction team — Manhattan Construction and ICON Venue Group — and Dynamo president Chris Canetti led a few players and coaches on their first tour of the facility about four blocks from the Astros' Minute Maid Park near U.S. 59.
The players were decked out in designer jeans or post-workout sweats. Everyone wore hard hats and florescent orange safety vests. The construction site was sweltering and muddy, but the half-finished stadium was truly a sight to behold, with bustling workers and views of the downtown skyline.
"It will be great to play somewhere special," midfielder Adam Moffat said. "Great for the team, great for the players, great for the fans."
Liz Cox of ICON Venue, who oversees the design and construction of the project, pointed out the different seating areas, the roof trusses, the locations of the stages, the party deck and the scoreboards. The completed stadium will have a 22,000-person capacity, but she says that the President's Club will boast the best views in the house.
"It will be a unique stadium, and an awesome asset to the City of Houston," Cox said.
"It's obviously a long way from completion, but it's good to see the progress, especially since this lot was basically empty in May," Dynamo midfielder Adam Moffat said. "It will be great to play somewhere special. Great for the team, great for the players, great for the fans."
Canetti pointed out the locations of entrances, locker rooms, VIP lounges and seating areas to his players, who seemed to envision the completed project.
"This experience has been a lot of fun," Canetti said. "I've been involved in the project for several years, and it's nice seeing it all come together."