De La Hoya: Dynamo Close on Stadium Deal

The Houston Dynamo, of Major League Soccer, are on the verge of landing the downtown stadium team officials have been working toward for nearly two years, according to one of its co-owners, boxing great Oscar De La Hoya.

"We are like very, very close," De La Hoya said. "So close that we can taste it. That's how close we are.

"It's now minor details which is a great sign. I am very optimistic that we can have hopefully a stadium within the next two years ready to go."

De La Hoya, one of boxing's greats, is in Houston this week working on his day job, promoting fights through his Golden Boy Promotions.

The negotiations for a potential soccer-specific stadium in downtown Houston involves a number of moving parts. The ownership of the Houston Dynamo is going to provide the bulk of the financing for the $85 million project. The City of Houston has purchased land earmarked for the project should a stadium be consummated.

The Dynamo are in also negotiations with the city and Harris County to help bridge the gap in the financing. Texas Southern University, which has already reached an agreement in principle to be a tenant, will make a one time payment of around $2.5 million that will also go toward the financing of the project.