After I wrote about the proposed MLS stadium in Queens earlier this month,
Assemblymember Francisco Moya got in touch to chat about the stadium. We spoke earlier this week. Good chat. Nice guy. Huge soccer fan.
Moya doesn’t think MLS was going to announce anything concrete in the “next week,” but he’s confident there will be a deal in the next few months.
One interesting thing did come from the conversation. The Assemblyman says MLS has the funding all lined up, although he doesn’t know if it’s Deadspin’s mysterious Middle Eastern billionaires .
“I don’t know who that is, but I know they already have the financing in place. That was one of the first thing that we talked to them about in the beginning of these discussions,” he said.
I asked MLS PR head Dan Courtemanche if there was any truth to the Assemblyman’s words. His replay was wonderfully oblique:
As you know, Major League Soccer is committed to securing a 20th team for the League that would be located in New York City. We are thrilled about the prospect of being in Queens and bringing the world’s sport to the world’s park. We are in discussions with City, State and with Queens officials and look forward to working with the community to build a world-class soccer facility and improved park for all to enjoy.
We have had discussions with multiple potential ownership groups for the New York expansion team and they are aware of the costs associated with this expansion team.
(Field of Schemes is an excellent source for lots more information.)
