Henderson: Stadium Project About More Than Soccer

A new Tampa-area soccer stadium (with accompanying soccer academy & sports medicine center) is an awesome thought...even if it doesn't happen to be practical, writes Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune:

I admit this all seems incredible. By my crude math, the estimated cost of this venture is about $700 million. That's about the price for a new Rays stadium, and no one is embracing the fantasy the Rays will pay for all that by themselves.

The cost is just one of many questions that don't have answers just yet, at least none we are privy to. That's why the left side of my brain – the side that governs logic – is whispering, "listen to me … remain skeptical."

That's not a problem.

But this is the season of hope, and I like big-thinkers with bigger wallets. Heaven knows we could use more of both around here. Something like this could be a catalyst to attract the upscale, high-tech jobs Buckhorn and others want so desperately.

So, soccer stadium? That's interesting enough.

If what we're hearing is remotely true, though, that's just a piece of a larger concept that could be a game-changer for a city that needs all the help it can get.