MLS Insider: Inside the Union Stadium from mlsinsider on Vimeo.

Construction at new KC Stadium. (photo via Kansas City Wizards)

That sound you hear coming from Kansas City, Kansas is the sound of progress. Cheesy indeed but good news either way for Wizards fans and fans of Major League Soccer in general.

The hard hats are out and the big yellow trucks are already moving dirt.

Wizards President Rob Heineman discussed the team’s stadium plans and the decision to choose Kansas site over the original planned location in Missouri in a video message last week. The team also gave away t-shirts with a design image of the stadium on it, a smart marketing idea to get people in the area talking about it.

From the sound of things through the Wizard’s team blog, Hillcrest Road, we should be getting regular updates on the construction fairly regularly now. In fact they’ve been lighting up the Twitter messages with updates.

Again this is excellent news for Wizard fans and MLS fans all over. Seeing another club finally get their stadium situation under control is a huge step forward for this league. Hopefully we’ll soon see the same progress made in Houston, San Jose and finally something in DC.

Red Bull Arena construction time-lapse: May 2009 from Red Bulls Reader on Vimeo.

Here’s a link to the Red Bull Arena webcam, as well as some recent aerial photos.

(Each photos via Philadelphia Union)

The first complete roof section at Red Bull Arena was finished yesterday. The roof panels extend 120 feet from the facade over the seating bowl.

For those passing by in Jersey-land, you should be able to see this beautiful stadium. I think it is only a matter of time before we hear that MLS Cup 2010 will be at this venue.

Some bit of good news for those wondering about the Houston Dynamo stadium situation. Yesterday in a report by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the Dynamo stadium only has a couple minor hurdles to clear before construction begins this fall.

Oliver Luck, president of the Major League Soccer team, says although he did not expect the deal to drag out this long, he never believed the project would be derailed since serious discussions began with the city 18 months ago.

“Considering the downtown location, the growth of the sport and the changing (racial) demographics in this city, and the fact that the team was going to carry the preponderance of risk — unlike the other big sports stadiums in town that were mostly publicly financed — I really was never dismayed during the whole process,” Luck says. “How long it took is a different story, but now I feel we’re close.”

At least three or more undisclosed banks have submitted term sheets to finance the bulk of the stadium’s construction costs, with separate negotiations on the books to provide financing for the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, the six-block area in which the stadium would be built within a stone’s throw of Minute Maid Park.

“It’s good news for the economy that banks are willing to lend for a big construction deal,” Luck says.

At this point, the total cost for the stadium — which would have a capacity of 21,000 or 22,000 spectators — is still pegged at about $80 million. Approximately $60 million — split roughly equally between debt and equity financing — will be covered by the Dynamo ownership group, and about $20 million will be provided up front through TIRZ financing. The city provided the land within the TIRZ.

Other options for the financing could also be getting federal tax credits.

The delay in getting this stadium built hasn’t been due to the economy says Luck and the club is going to be able to get cheaper quotes from construction companies at this time, which should save the club money.

The location of this stadium will be pretty cool too and will easily attract a good following for this club.

Enjoy!

Red Bull Arena construction time-lapse: November 2008 from Red Bulls Reader on Vimeo.