I agree and even though we're not there just yet there is always the option of routing traffic specifically for the game. I remember being at SC a few years ago, they turn all of the roads into "one way" to keep the flow going. So temporarily, for an hour after the game Glades or Spanish River could be shut down for game traffic and all of the cars on the road go the same direction, both sides.

FAUBL: The school's legal counsel is quoted in the papers about this deal, he's a qualified representative of the University and you can take his word as "official"

I just don't see 2011 as possible. That is if everything goes perfectly and that just doesn't happen. The people in Boca aren't going to just let it happen without a fight. UCF had to fight the neighbors for an entire year. I think Boca people are going to fight it even harder. Not even going to the bond market till 2010 you are looking at financing in place by summer or so of 2010. Permitting, approvals, legal battles could easily push any groundbreaking back till 2011.
I'll predict 2012 and 22k seats.

First of all, the city of Boca has no say in the matter.  FAU can build a stadium on their campus if they choose.  It is not on city land.  Second, nobody from the city has been against this project since it went from a 60,000 seat dome to a 30,000 seat open air stadium.  There has not been one complaint that I have heard from any Boca official…and they have had plenty of time to make their feelings known as this version of the project has been out there for at least 2 years.

Also, how can there be any legal battles?  This is a privately funded project that will be built on FAU's land.  Who exactly is going to sue?  There are no neighbors where the stadium will be located.  The closest neighbor is the Boca Raton Executive airport and PBCC.  Nobody, aside from students, will leave next to the stadium.

The only people who can possibly stop this deal is the FAU Board of Trustees and they just approved it.  A stadium will be built by 2011.

fauowls44 said

First of all, the city of Boca has no say in the matter.  FAU can build a stadium on their campus if they choose.  It is not on city land.  Second, nobody from the city has been against this project since it went from a 60,000 seat dome to a 30,000 seat open air stadium.  There has not been one complaint that I have heard from any Boca official…and they have had plenty of time to make their feelings known as this version of the project has been out there for at least 2 years.

It's not on city land, but it's still in the city, and major projects like this have to be approved.  Regardless, I don't see the traffic being a major issue at 30,000.  That's just not a lot of people, and yeah, there will be some backups before and after the game, but this isn't the Rose Bowl and we're not going to have gridlock on Glades Rd.

fauowls44 said

Who exactly is going to sue?  There are no neighbors where the stadium will be located.  The closest neighbor is the Boca Raton Executive airport and PBCC.  Nobody, aside from students, will live next to the stadium.

Correct. The stadium will be built in approximately the middle of campus.

The closest housing will not hear any stadium noise but may be affected by the traffic - I'm particularly thinking of Vistazo and the houses on Spanish River. Still, FAU should be able to make peace there, especially since the stadium will be a moderate size (30k seats) at the onset. By the time it expands to 45k seats, the I-95 interchange will be there to accommodate the extra traffic.

The said

fauowls44 said

First of all, the city of Boca has no say in the matter.  FAU can build a stadium on their campus if they choose.  It is not on city land.  Second, nobody from the city has been against this project since it went from a 60,000 seat dome to a 30,000 seat open air stadium.  There has not been one complaint that I have heard from any Boca official…and they have had plenty of time to make their feelings known as this version of the project has been out there for at least 2 years.

It's not on city land, but it's still in the city, and major projects like this have to be approved.  Regardless, I don't see the traffic being a major issue at 30,000.  That's just not a lot of people, and yeah, there will be some backups before and after the game, but this isn't the Rose Bowl and we're not going to have gridlock on Glades Rd.

The project hopefully has a little extra room for issues.  It does not matter if its on FAU property and how far it is from neighbors. Have any of you seen UCF stadium its both on either land and far from neighbors and they had issues.. There will be issues, but they will not say anything till the $ is approved and plans are approved, bc thats when a lawyer will tell you.  Expect issues anything from people stating crime increasing bc of tailgaters, and home prices going down bc it lowers the quality of life around someones neighborhood.
UCF's was delayed 6-9 mths  (depending on who you ask) and they thought they had no issues either.

Good news you will get your stadium built, it just might not be till after 2011, bc your timeline already pretty tight.

fauowls44 said

First of all, the city of Boca has no say in the matter.  FAU can build a stadium on their campus if they choose.  It is not on city land.  Second, nobody from the city has been against this project since it went from a 60,000 seat dome to a 30,000 seat open air stadium.  There has not been one complaint that I have heard from any Boca official…and they have had plenty of time to make their feelings known as this version of the project has been out there for at least 2 years.

Also, how can there be any legal battles?  This is a privately funded project that will be built on FAU's land.  Who exactly is going to sue?  There are no neighbors where the stadium will be located.  The closest neighbor is the Boca Raton Executive airport and PBCC.  Nobody, aside from students, will leave next to the stadium.

The only people who can possibly stop this deal is the FAU Board of Trustees and they just approved it.  A stadium will be built by 2011.

You clearly don't understand that being on state property does not preclude the city from fighting it. I work in land development and its always a fight. UCF built theirs on state land and had to fight for nearly an entire year to get it approved through the court system. It is just how developing works now. There are always a lot of unnecessary hurdles to jump through. How long it will take is anyone's guess but usually after the money is a go and the land is ready is when the lawsuits rain down. The joys of living in a litigious society.

Speaking of lawsuits, are the burrowing owls on campus still an issue?  Can get that in the way?

The said

Speaking of lawsuits, are the burrowing owls on campus still an issue?  Can get that in the way?

Any burrowing owls in the area can be moved to other burrows with a permit.  Don't think that would be a lawsuit of any kind.  I am not sure there are many owls in that area, but I believe there are Gopher Tortoises that are also protected and they will most likely need to have permits to move them away from the stadium area.  The good news is that those issues can be dealt with now and not at the last minute…and would assume those issues are being dealt with currently.  There is plenty of habitat left on campus to move these protected animals to better locations.

The said

Speaking of lawsuits, are the burrowing owls on campus still an issue?  Can get that in the way?

Like Fauowl said, if the burrowing owls are still there, they can be moved with a permit. I have not done a permit for the owls yet, but usually the FWC process is pretty simple.  But the last time I was on campus, I looked for any of the owls and did not see any.  Gopher tortoises are probably still there, and they too can be moved with a permit.  If we have suitable habitat somewhere else on campus, they can be moved there, if not, they can be moved to a relocation site somewhere else, usually a ranch or something similar.

As far as the approval goes, whether or not the stadium is on private, city, or state lands does not matter.  This project will have to go before the board of commisioners, and that is where the general public can comment/question the project.  I also work with land development and I can tell you that the public can delay a project much easier than any state or federal agency.  With this being located in Boca, I would find it very unlikely that no one will have a problem with this, there will be some opposition from some one in the general public.