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Unrealized Stadiums


raysox

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On 3/29/2017 at 11:48 AM, dfwabel said:

Because it is a copy of Charles Deaton's original Truman Sports Complex plan.  The Truman was to originally have a roof, but a six month labor strike in 1970 pushed the opening back a year.

 

Deaton ended up suing the Detroit-based firm, O'Dell, Hewlett and Luckenbach, who presented the Detroit/Pontiac plan, for libel in 1972.

 

I was going to say, I kinda assumed it was the same firm. But, that's an interesting twist. Cool!

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3 hours ago, the admiral said:

What is the etymology of "Gardens" as a venue name?

For Madison Square Garden, via the Rangers' site:

https://www.nhl.com/rangers/team/history-of-madison-square-garden

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Garden I was located at Madison Square: 26th Street and Madison Avenue. It was originally opened in 1874 (at a cost of $35,000) by the legendary P.T. Barnum as "Barnum's Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome." However, it was soon renamed "Gilmore's Garden" when the lease was auctioned off to bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore (the term "Garden" was used often during this period to denote a place of public gathering and entertainment).

I'm guessing Garden vs Gardens was just a style choice.

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I'm not sure if any concept art was ever even made or released to the public, but what is now the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN north of Minneapolis was built on the site of what would have been the main hub of Minneapolis's failed 1996 Olympic bid. Had Minneapolis been the Olympic host instead of Atlanta, the main Olympic Stadium would have been built on the site of the outdoor stadium where Minnesota United FC (and its various predecessor clubs) played their pre-MLS seasons, while the complex now known as Schwan's Super Rink (actually a set of several ice rinks connected to a single concourse) would have hosted some of the more obscure events. The complex also includes a cycling velodrome, which is still in use.

 

As it turned out, the NSC did host the 1990 US Olympic Festival, and a few vestiges of its original purpose do remain: Part of the original running track is still in place behind the bleachers opposite the main grandstand (the rest was removed so that the soccer pitch could be moved closer to the grandstand) and they even erected a cauldron tower, which still stands today, next to the grandstand (though I'm not sure if it's ever been actually lit).

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1 hour ago, Viper said:

I'm not sure if any concept art was ever even made or released to the public, but what is now the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN north of Minneapolis was built on the site of what would have been the main hub of Minneapolis's failed 1996 Olympic bid. Had Minneapolis been the Olympic host instead of Atlanta, the main Olympic Stadium would have been built on the site of the outdoor stadium where Minnesota United FC (and its various predecessor clubs) played their pre-MLS seasons, while the complex now known as Schwan's Super Rink (actually a set of several ice rinks connected to a single concourse) would have hosted some of the more obscure events. The complex also includes a cycling velodrome, which is still in use.

 

As it turned out, the NSC did host the 1990 US Olympic Festival, and a few vestiges of its original purpose do remain: Part of the original running track is still in place behind the bleachers opposite the main grandstand (the rest was removed so that the soccer pitch could be moved closer to the grandstand) and they even erected a cauldron tower, which still stands today, next to the grandstand (though I'm not sure if it's ever been actually lit).

It was also talked about in the bidding for the 1994 World Cup.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/14/01/the-1994-bid-how-the-us-got-the-world-cup-part-3

 

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On 3/30/2017 at 9:02 AM, McCarthy said:

 

That looks strikingly similar to what became Paul Brown Stadium.

 

. . . right down to the oddly shaped structure for the scoreboard.

 

If it included the super-long escalator at one end of the stadium, it would really look similar.

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38 minutes ago, leopard88 said:

 

. . . right down to the oddly shaped structure for the scoreboard.

 

If it included the super-long escalator at one end of the stadium, it would really look similar.

The escalator I refuse to ride because I don't want to be a statistic in the "Hundreds Die in Escalator Collapse" story. There's other ways to get to the upper deck. 

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14 minutes ago, McCarthy said:

The escalator I refuse to ride because I don't want to be a statistic in the "Hundreds Die in Escalator Collapse" story. There's other ways to get to the upper deck. 

 

I'm 100% with you on that.  That thing looks scary as hell.  The only way it makes sense to me is as some sort of odd architectural quirk that someone decided to add.

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What's more interesting? A Three Rivers stadium that looks a lot like Kaufmann Stadium (and a million times better than the concrete donut that was Three Rivers).... or an entire stadium and parking garage built over the Monongahela river?

 

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Also interesting: original designs for PNC Park.

 

pirates2600.jpgnewpark.jpg

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On 3/26/2017 at 8:27 PM, BringBackTheVet said:

Drawing of one of the proposals for where to put the Phillies stadium.

 

1.  There's a new huge morman temple there and an apartment / condo tower that is also owned by the LDS.

2.  Philly's / PA's two tallest buildings aren't even built and in the picture yet, and this is probably from 2001 or 2002.

 

BSG_Phillies_1.jpg

 

 

This was a GREAT CONCEPT.  This proposal was to be Broad Street and Spring Garden to just north of 15th and Callowhill.  The the new Mormon Temple complex is really 2 blocks past the Right Field corner.  You would have seen the apartment tower.  The fans in left field would have had a wonderful view of the Center City core, while Home plate an behind the bases would have the great Inquirer/Daily New building in center.  Driving by car and parking would have been a problem... the subway station would have been mobbed.  At the time, you would have had a really long walk to the park from the Market/Frankford EL.   It would have cut the fan base off from South Jersey and Delaware for the first time in 40 years.  This is why, for Philadelphia Metro Region (Over 5 million people), it worked to create the stadium complex in deep South Philly.

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Love it when churches get into the residential real estate business. "Bayside Meadows," a United Methodist Church Community.

 

It would have cut the fan base off from South Jersey and Delaware for the first time in 40 years.

oh no not Delaware

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6 hours ago, the admiral said:

Love it when churches get into the residential real estate business. "Bayside Meadows," a United Methodist Church Community.

 

oh no not Delaware

Hey! I work in Delaware...yeah, you're right...it sucks.

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1 hour ago, jmac11281 said:

Hey! I work in Delaware...yeah, you're right...it sucks.

 

I heard there's a screen door factory there.

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