Stadium/Arena Saga Omnibus

[BBTV]

8 hours ago, GDAWG said:

full of high-density and high-value residential units

 

8 hours ago, GDAWG said:

a potential for a large "captive audience" of people who could afford tickets to lots of Rays home games and take short walks to each of those games.

 

Is there any evidence that sports stadiums draw people to actually live near them?  I'd personally not want to live in a complex featuring a major sports arena (and I go to tons of games via my 2-mile walk or short subway ride) and if they're high-value units, are the people affording those units really die-hard baseball fans?

 

I can think of DC as an area where high-value units sprouted up near a ballpark, but there's also so much other stuff in that area that it would eventually have been developed anyway, and, well, Tampa St Pete isn't DC.

 

This sounds like a recipe for disaster, and a situation similar to Marlins Park, where they built it... but nobody came.  If what people here say is true about the stadium location being the issue, then the owner should put his money where his mouth is and sell the team to outside investors (if there even are any, now that Vegas is taken) rather than subject it to another 30 years of poor attendance and support.  

 

If I'm one of the 35 Rays fans that exist, and i believe that the geography is the issue, then I'm beyond upset right now and would probably bail on the club.

[GriffinM6]

1 hour ago, BBTV said:

 

 

Is there any evidence that sports stadiums draw people to actually live near them?  I'd personally not want to live in a complex featuring a major sports arena (and I go to tons of games via my 2-mile walk or short subway ride) and if they're high-value units, are the people affording those units really die-hard baseball fans?

 

No statistical evidence, but I can guarantee you that many of the people who live at the apartments at The Battery where the Braves play are die-hard fans and go often. This new proposed St. Pete plan would be very similar to The Battery, including the fact that there's dogs**t public transportation in the area.

 

Not a fan of it, and hope the city of Tampa can work something out eventually with St. Pete to get the Rays across the bay.

[BBTV]

If the stadium is in such a bad location, why would anyone want to live in that location - especially with no good public transit?  If it’s bad to get to, why would you want to get to it to get home evry day?

[dont care]

1 hour ago, BBTV said:

If the stadium is in such a bad location, why would anyone want to live in that location - especially with no good public transit?  If it’s bad to get to, why would you want to get to it to get home evry day?

It’s hard to get to from Tampa, anywhere south is a breeze. But Tampa is hard to get to period, doesn’t matter what way you come from

[Sec19Row53]

A newspaper report says a Brewer stadium funding plan could be unveiled Monday.

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2023/09/15/600-million-american-family-field-spending-plan-could-have-local-cash/70868156007/

[leopard88]

This is kind of a big deal.

 

Report: Rays set to announce stadium deal in St. Pete

[Burmy]

Good ne

Just now, leopard88 said:

This is kind of a big deal.

 

Report: Rays set to announce stadium deal in St. Pete

I was hoping for Tampa and Ybor City to work out...but any port in a storm, I suppose.

 

With this, expect the expansion application process to begin any day...we all know about Nashville, hearing rumblings about Salt Lake as a dark-horse, hoping Portland can get its act together, don't know who'd spearhead a Charlotte group (though it would be nice to have the bigs in the Carolinas), wondering what plan Montreal will hatch next and whether Mexico (CDMX or Monterrey) or Virginia will try to come up with anything.

 

The Most Unwanted Song said it best: "Saddle up, boys; the desert is a-callin'.  Yahoo, yahoo, yahoo."

[TBGKon]

4 minutes ago, Burmy said:

Good ne

I was hoping for Tampa and Ybor City to work out...but any port in a storm, I suppose.

I feel the same about St. Pete.  Tampa proper was more of a selfish preference for me as I live on the Tampa side in south county, but it did make sense  to center within the population.  Whatever keeps them in town is fine by me.

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

Would it be built in the adjacent parking lot and then demo the Trop?

[McCall]

I always thought the location of the Trop, in addition to it's abandoned Hope Depot vibes, was one of the biggest contributors to low attendance, that it's difficult to get to on a daily basis for season ticket holders.

[BBTV]

Just now, McCall said:

I always thought the location of the Trop, in addition to it's abandoned Hope Depot vibes, was one of the biggest contributors to low attendance, that it's difficult to get to on a daily basis for season ticket holders.

Yep.  It’s interesting how the narrative has changed to the point where it’s a desirable place to live (despite allegedly being such a terrible place to get to from either direction) and an acceptable place for a new stadium (despite the location being given as the reason for the poor attendance). 

[TBGKon]

38 minutes ago, tigerslionspistonshabs said:

Would it be built in the adjacent parking lot and then demo the Trop?

Yes, most likely.  Here's a conceptual site plan that was released when the Rays/Hines development was brought up earlier this year.  The current Tropicana Field is located in the area surrounding the light blue tower F2

 

[TBGKon]

2 minutes ago, McCall said:

I always thought the location of the Trop, in addition to it's abandoned Hope Depot vibes, was one of the biggest contributors to low attendance, that it's difficult to get to on a daily basis for season ticket holders.

This is true about the location being distant from the population center, but the ability to have a Battery Atlanta style district is available in St Pete.  I do not believe many of the Tampa options gave the flexibility for a district.  The development of the district will offset is said to possible look enticing to offset any attendance dips.

[spartacat_12]

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't two of the main issues people have with Tropicana its location and the fact that it's a closed dome? If so, they aren't fixing either of these problems, although I guess the new roof will at least let some sunlight in.

 

This feels like it could be another Marlins Park situation.

[GDAWG]

2 hours ago, Burmy said:

Good ne

I was hoping for Tampa and Ybor City to work out...but any port in a storm, I suppose.

 

With this, expect the expansion application process to begin any day...we all know about Nashville, hearing rumblings about Salt Lake as a dark-horse, hoping Portland can get its act together, don't know who'd spearhead a Charlotte group (though it would be nice to have the bigs in the Carolinas), wondering what plan Montreal will hatch next and whether Mexico (CDMX or Monterrey) or Virginia will try to come up with anything.

 

The Most Unwanted Song said it best: "Saddle up, boys; the desert is a-callin'.  Yahoo, yahoo, yahoo."

 

Probably not as their focus is trying to convince the Washington Commanders to put their new stadium in their state.  

[SFGiants58]

1 hour ago, spartacat_12 said:

This feels like it could be another Marlins Park situation.

 

That's exactly what it is, not fixing the root of their issues and just moving the low attendance to a new building.

 

I'd think it was a good idea if public transit in the area expanded to service the new stadium and provide an alternative to over-congested highways. But this is the Tampa Bay Area we're talking about, so that won't happen.

[dont care]

29 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

That's exactly what it is, not fixing the root of their issues and just moving the low attendance to a new building.

 

I'd think it was a good idea if public transit in the area expanded to service the new stadium and provide an alternative to over-congested highways. But this is the Tampa Bay Area we're talking about, so that won't happen.

What public transport?

[SFGiants58]

12 minutes ago, dont care said:

What public transport?

 

The public transport that just does not exist in Tampa Bay Area.

[TBGKon]

2 hours ago, spartacat_12 said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't two of the main issues people have with Tropicana its location and the fact that it's a closed dome? If so, they aren't fixing either of these problems, although I guess the new roof will at least let some sunlight in.

While it may be a fixed roof, I believe they're going to have the Vikings type of ETFE roof, which is transparent, lightweight, and durable material.  There's also being thought that it will have some wall panels that can open up on the sides to allow some of the outside in, while still remaining covered.

[TBGKon]

50 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

That's exactly what it is, not fixing the root of their issues and just moving the low attendance to a new building.

 

I'd think it was a good idea if public transit in the area expanded to service the new stadium and provide an alternative to over-congested highways. But this is the Tampa Bay Area we're talking about, so that won't happen.

If the goal is to include a Battery Atlanta style district, St Petersburg may be the only option.  I don't believe that any of the currently considered sites on the Tampa side would allow for that.