This week we learned two surprising developments with FC Dallas - the Hall of Fame construction has received a significant reduced redesign, and the number of Hunts in control of the club has also fallen off.

First the construction: Wednesday a story from Valerie Wigglesworth who'd attended a Frisco City Council work session broke the story on the changes. On the agenda was the the following item: "Presentation and discussion regarding proposed scope changes to the Soccer Complex capital improvements and any actions necessary to accomplish proposed changes."

Turns out it was a big deal, and a surprise. While the general public and media were unaware for the last six weeks the Hunts have been in a "Plan B" mode, in retrospect we all kinda knew something was going on. Here we are more than halfway through the MLS season and other than giant blue tarps and that new wooden wall, it has appeared that nothing ever got rolling in terms of demolition or construction on the south end. So, anyone concerned about the lack of activity should at least should feel better that something, even if it was a redesign, was going on.

And while the addition of the US Soccer Hall of Fame remains the answer to a question that was never asked, in a phone interview with Hunt, the club's President was adamant the changes are a, "more efficient and better design for everyone involved".

A face lift of Toyota Stadium, now over 10 years old is needed. Its age can be seen throughout the facility where the bolts holding the seats in place have rusted and stained the concrete. The sun has faded much of anything painted red into more of a pink and washed out the oversized banners meant to celebrate club heroes and its one Championship. Before some kick offs a maintenance worker can be seen using a can of bug spray under the seats of some season ticket holders. A little fresher upper certainly would do the joint some good.

Toyota Stadium is getting that, just not in the same way as presented earlier this year. Yes, cost of materials have skyrocketed, but that is not new. The building boom of North Texas didn't just happen in the last six weeks. Hunt points out they've "done tons of construction projects" and budget overruns are not unusual and he reminds us the original Pizza Hut Park project was "way over budget". So the focus on missing those original construction estimates to a point where now the original design was going to come in at a $16 million hit to the Hunt pocket isn't where he wants fans to focus because he knows even this new setup very well may come in over budget too.

Hunt is clear what is driving the changes are based on his concerns over the original design. Those changes include removing the entire 2nd floor and moving the US Soccer Hall of Fame down to the ground level. This was to address, Hunt explains, the growing fan feedback the original location was "too exclusive". The point to the Hall of Fame is to operate as a museum and having it on a 2nd floor location could provide some deterrents to attending, whereas being on the ground level makes for easier access to everyone. "There's no hiding behind there was some giant price increases and we needed to look at some efficiencies, but we also had to take feedback from our fans too. We're running this as a museum the rest of the time we don't have events at the stadium. I have to run this as a sustainable model. Obviously it was not a sustainable model in Oneonta, NY and that's why they shut their doors in 2010. Having it at grade (on the ground floor) will allow a lot more people to see it and to be used a lot more frequently."

It should be noted, even on the ground level entry into the Hall of Fame will still be restricted to ticket holders with seats in those sections or the possibility of those seated in other sections purchasing an "add-on" to allow for entry during games. Point being, moving the museum down a floor hasn't suddenly given it an "all-access" status.

Hunt insists the new, more streamlined design will make everything "more accessible and friendly". Seats in the section are now "down and closer" to the field and all of the new amenities in the original design are still in place. Locker rooms, media space, AV and data upgrades and more remain. The much discussed awning, providing shade and cover, also got a reduction but due to "a much better angle to provide cover" it is now lower and is "a dramatic improvement". Everything above ground gets a new shape and look. A redesign of the face of the building pointed towards Main Street, including the large crest shaped tower that previously featured the club's logo at the top. The new face is mostly glass and with the center still featuring some sort of different elevation.

As for the other surprise; there now are less Hunts involved in FC Dallas. During Hunt's comments to the council he offered, with a qualifier of "...it's not widely known and we don't talk about it very much" he and his brother, Clark, had recently assumed all "responsibility for the club". Hunt Sports Group is made of the children from two different Lamar Hunt marriages. Dan informed the council the other siblings no longer wanted to bare the "ongoing operational costs" of FC Dallas or Toyota Stadium. Dan offered he and Clark now both have committed an, "additional $45 million over the next nine years" into the club operations and the Hunt family in total have invested, "almost $120 million in 20 years".

Why the others removed themselves and if the other siblings retained any sort of voting rights or say in the club, Hunt's explained, "other interests" and "how complexed our family businesses are structured", but ultimately, "Clark and I carry on the operations and they fall on the two of us". The manner in which this has been revealed is just a bit odd. Is it being downplayed because it really isn't a big deal, or was there a seismic family shift indicating something larger was happening? Doubtful we'll ever know, though it does raise questions.

Does this news change how FC Dallas will operate as a business? By subtracting siblings not named Dan or Clark, does that mean we're about to see a new, more opened wallet FC Dallas? Unlikely, the Hunt brothers still operate on the premise this is a business and that previously used term "sustainable model".

Does removing siblings also remove available dollars? Was the $16 million over run more than Dan and Clark wanted to spend themselves? If Dan and Clark are now having to fund projects, purchases and the capital to run day to day operations, does that mean what already runs as a famously lean-n-mean ship gets leaner or begins to expand because there's fewer votes needed for approval? Like everything about Major League Soccer the profit and loss numbers are a big mystery and no one outside of the owners themselves can really tell you how much money clubs are making or losing. It doesn't take a business major to recognize the Hunts run FC Dallas as a proper business, with a bottom line and make every effort to reign in expenses - both on and off the field.

Back to the construction: Hunt suggests new drawings will be made public, "in three or four weeks, at the latest" and "major dirt will begin flying in the next couple of weeks". They still expect everything to be completed and open for the start of the 2018 season and maybe by then we'll better understand the impact of the family changes.