1- NJSEA 'nuff said. 2- lousy transportation Harrison beats Xanadu hands down with existing frequent service directly to NYC, Newark and Jersey City, and they will be adding direct service to EWR and the new WTC station in 2009. Xanadu will have a slow, infrequent siding off of a Bergen County commuter line that could end up costing as much as $600 million. 3- lousy neighbors The proposed Xanadu Metro will be surrounded by parking lots and a mall on steroids. Harrison Metro will be in a new urban community that will connect with the Ironbound in Newark and Harrison's downtown, close to much of North Jersey's biggest soccer communities and history. It is an insult to us all that Metro would even consider building anywhere else. 4- Unlikely to be built (anytime soon) Although some of the financing is being rammed through the statehouse as quick as possible, there are two major lawsuits that will keep them from breaking ground on the original Xanadu proposal, and the Codey proposals will throw them all back to square one if he actually puts something together. Harrison, if AEG had any real commitment to us, could begin construction next year. Codey is the Mills Corp's lap poodle and should be run out of Trenton ASAP!
If the best the Metros can get is their own partially controlled stadium in the Meadowlands, then they should take it. Eventually there will be a rail link. The area is already branded as a sports center and its location is well known. Sure Harrison might be better, but it's not going to happen. Someone(s) is holding it up or it would have been done already. There is an old saying: If all you have is lemons, then make lemonade.
Re: light the pipe and spin your browser to: Though, there is one universal truth hidden in MetroXanadu. Brutal home losses always feel better after a ride on the gravitron.
OK i'm a bit behind on things and haven't really kept up on all the stadium talk but please tell me that the metros won't be playing in a place like that. Sports stadiums and amusement parks are two different things. If they're even thinking of building that and putting the metros there then the metros should move, and as always Philly would love to have a team .
They wouldn't be playing in an amusement park, but the idea is that you would turn the relatively pointless swampland into an "entertainment destination", that had a huge mall, some amusement attractions, a new Giants Stadium, a (potential) Metro stadium, etc. So, we'd be one part of a huge puzzle. That said, at Harrison we'd be first priority. At Xanadu, we'd still be 4th or something. We'd have priority over our field (as a pre-condition is that we'd fund it, surely we'd have first say over use), but there'd still be the NJSEA to deal with on parking, the fair, security and other issues, and how do we know we aren't going to be a Bruce Springsteen concert away from a 3 game road trip anyway? And, does anyone really want to try parking for a Sunday 5pm game when there is a 4pm Giants game? Who knows how they'd schedule it, but I don't see simultaneous events as impossible- even if they would be a pain in the butt. So, at Xanadu we'd have our own place, but we'd still be the one grownup stuck a the kid table on turkey day. At Harrison, we run the house, so we sit at the head of the table. (Plus, Path is way easier than any of that "change at Secaucus junction" nonsense. If they can run the trains through the same station (hence, junction), why not just run a train straight there? Anyone? Even if it's just for the Giants, I've yet to understand how the sh!t that makes sense. Okay, a train can make stops on the way there so that Jersey guys can connect, but in one article they were talking about a rail link to Secaucus via some sort of light rail, with a connection to a heavy rail into the city. That makes NO sense. Cause, why wait for one train when you can wait for 2? Nothing is LESS convenient than having 9,000 all trying to change trains at the same time).
The light rail as I understand it is not only going to Secaucus but also the Path. It actually already goes near Path lines in Newport Center. This same light rail is the one that is going to be extended. But yeah it makes no sense and we will still be plagued with the same issues which are: Transportation Full Control Full Profits Able to hold other events for xtra $$ Having a place that will aloow true soccer support w/o hassle IF NJSEA is still in charge in someway we will have 90% of these things unresolved. And if we stay in the meadowlands its 100% Basically it'll be a Continetal Arena, and we all know how people flock to there. The only thing is that 11K will look alot better in a 25K seater. If youre going to spend millions do it right!
What you guys fail to realize is, Codey is AGAINST Xanadu happening. He wants the new Giants Stadium, the ballpark, and the metro stadium, but not the mall/entertainment thing instead of the arena. His goal is to stop Xanadu.... (this information comes from Codey himself)
The proposed NJ Transit Meadowlands rail station would be similar to the setup that currently exists at Foxboro/gillete Stadium. The plan is to build 12,000 feet of track off of the Pascack Valley Line and into what is currently the park & ride/flea market lot. The new station would be within easy walking distance to Giants Stadium. Just like at foxboro, there are no regularly scheduled trains that will pass through this station. A "special events" train would pick up passengers in Hoboken and Secaucus Junction, then go non-stop to the new Meadowlands station. The train would then wait there until the event was over and return to Hoboken. I could be wrong, but I doubt that NJ Transit will run these special trains for Metro matches; our attendence is too small to make it economical. For example the MBTA doesn't run special trains to Foxboro for Revolultions matches. They usually only have the trains when there is a double header with the national team and attendance is much higher. The rail link is really meant for Giants and Jet matches. I really wish that NJ Transit would experiment with buses between Secaucus Junction and Giants Stadium next season.
Two more articles from today: Officials to review Meadowlands plans Published in the Asbury Park Press 11/20/04 http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,1118278,00.html ...... " The Xanadu development is to be built around the Continental Airlines Arena, across Route 120 from Giants Stadium, in the 400-acre Meadowlands complex. The arena is home to the Nets basketball team and Devils hockey team. The stadium hosts the New York Giants and Jets football teams, plus the MetroStars soccer team. Team owners have expressed worries over the impact of the Xanadu project on game-day parking and traffic. The Giants also want a new stadium, which Codey supports. Goldberg said Xanadu was too far along for the state to cancel it now, especially with a signed development agreement outlining the scope of the project. But he said there could be adjustments to satisfy the teams." ........ " Zoffinger said Codey told him yesterday morning not to "give away the store" when talking to teams. But he said even that seemed like an easing of McGreevey's firm stance against subsidies. He also said that Codey, an avid basketball fan and youth league coach, might be more sympathetic to sports initiatives in general." I like how a moron's personal's preferences can f the Metros up Xanadu foundation, garage work delayed Saturday, November 20, 2004 By JOHN BRENNAN STAFF WRITER http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...FRXl5NjYxNTQ5NCZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTM= " The start of heavy construction on the $1.3 billion Xanadu project has been delayed at least until January, according to two high-ranking officials familiar with the negotiations... But officials with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and joint developers Mills Corp. and Mack-Cali insist that the postponement - mainly resulting from slow-moving negotiations with Meadowlands sports tenants over the potential loss of parking spaces during construction - will not jeopardize the entertainment, retail and office complex." "What now looks to be a January start date will not have any effect at all on our opening-date target of mid-2007," said Mills/Mack-Cali spokesman Bob Sommer ......... "Goldberg said that the agency has spoken to Nets owner Bruce Ratner about "making a transition to Brooklyn as seamless as possible" should the Nets need a place to play in the 2007-08 season. The talks also stressed that the Nets are welcome to stay at Continental Arena should the move to Brooklyn fall through. Codey in recent weeks has advocated bringing thousands of slot machines to the Meadowlands Racetrack, plus the construction of a new Giants Stadium and a new facility for the MetroStars pro soccer team. A colleague said he is trying to figure out how to make all those projects coexist peacefully alongside Xanadu."
Shortened your post. Extending NJ Transit into the Meadowlands is going to be very expensive. There should be less expensive alternatives. The main problem is getting across the river from the main line. I think Secaucus is too far away for a connection, but the idea of bus service should be explored. Did NJSEA ever consider bus service from Newark's Penn Station or the Harrison PATH Station up Routes 21 or 17 to GS?