NFL Super Bowl 50 Committee Remain Silent on Soccer Park Take-Over
Super Bowl 50 is only 11 weeks away and there is a communication black-out from the NFL, the Super Bowl 50 Committee and the City of Santa Clara Leadership regarding usage plans at the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park. Do we really believe that an international sporting event as big as the Super Bowl is not well planned in advance? We think not, and we believe that Santa Clara residents should be concerned about the closed-door planning sessions for the NFL event, and the potential destruction of the Soccer Park generating a giant field repair bill. Will the City Leaders hold the NFL accountable for the repair bill or let them skip town then give the repair bill to Santa Clara taxpayers?
Placing the Super Bowl Media Center on the Soccer Field Will Destroy the Park
There are rumors that the NFL plans to construct a media center and additional buildings on some or all of the soccer fields adjacent to Levi’s Stadium. Field #1 at Soccer Park is one of the only international game quality grass soccer fields in Northern California. The grass field is so highly rated that the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League continues to host international soccer teams from China, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and teams from across the US.
Now take that pristine field and drop a building onto the turf during a potentially very wet El Nino rainy season, and what do you think will happen? A recipe for a destroyed field. The other two fields at Soccer Park are in for a similar fate by the NFL, and the repair/replacement costs are probably in the neighborhood of $300,000-$500,000 per field depending upon the level of damage after the Super Bowl.
Will Santa Clara Residents Get Stuck With the Repair Bill?
Will the Santa Clara City Council negotiate the terms of the agreement and require the NFL to pay for damages to the Youth Soccer Park, or will they allow the NFL to skip town then pay for repairs with the City’s General Fund? Santa Clara residents should not have to pay to the repair cost while the multi-billion dollar non-profit corporation called the NFL pack-up and leave.
Stand Up for Santa Clara and Sign the Petition
Please sign the online petition and Join Us at 6pm on Tuesday, Dec. 8th at the Santa Clara City Council Meeting to let our elected officials know they need to represent the people of Santa Clara and not the NFL.
