Building a Football Stadium

[RoughRiders9]

Hey, now with the football season coming up, I've been starting to make some football concepts on my own time. One of the teams that I've made for myself is based in Des Moines. I'm also taking a similar route with my baseball team, the Iowa Oaks, by building a football stadium for them.

I'm going to tell you my ideas about the stadium and I want to hear your opinions on them. Maybe some Iowans who's familiar with the area could help me out here...

-45,000-seat Stadium

-Located right next to Jordan Creek Mall (largest mall in Iowa)

-Plenty of parking at the mall

-PLUS new parking lots specifically for the stadium

-Stadium is East to West. When viewing to the east, you can see the Des Moines skyline in the distance, with the farms in the West.

Reason why I chose this particular location is because it's a wide-open area with a lot of room for the fans to move around. And it's right next to a large mall with many restaurants and bars. After a game, the fans could just walk over to the mall/restaurants/bar and spend the rest of their day there.

If I were a fan attending a game at this stadium, I would probably go something like this:

Wake up, go tailgating in the stadium's parking lot at around 10, enter the stadium at 11:30 for the noon game. Game ends at around 3. Walk over to the mall with friends and chill there until around 6 or 7, then hit up the restaurants from 7 to 9. Then go to the bars from 9 until whenever.

What I'm asking is do you think this would be a good location to place a football stadium?

Here's a picture to help you understand the layout a bit. The green circles are the possibilities of where the stadium will be. Keep in mind that the actual football field will be very small in those circles, but I made it a bit larger to give more room for the stadium itself plus the parking lots as well. The interstate is about half a mile north of the mall. The mall is Jordan Creek Town Center on the right middle part of the image.

Thanks a bunch,

RR

P.S. If you could think of any good names for an Iowa based team, let me know, because I'm not sure if I want to use the Barnstormers, lol.

[dfwabel]

You cannot ever have a football stadium run East-West, period! It is called the Sun. Qualcomm is one of the few which goes E-W.

Lincoln Financial Field is North -South; LP Field is N-S; Raymond James runs N-S. Oakland Coliseum runs N-S. Even Cowboys Stadium runs NE-SE and that was probably due to minimum standards and calculations. Change that, then I will then talk about the amount of parking needed to tailgate before a game. Before then see what the University of Minnesota has for parking and tailgating at their new facility. You have no mention of acreage for the stadium footprint or parking, so you have underestimated everything.

[RoughRiders9]

You cannot ever have a stadium run East-West, period! It is called the Sun.

Lincoln Financial Field is North -South; LP Field is N-S; Raymond James runs N-S. Even Cowboys Stadium runs NE-SE and that was probably due to minimum standards and calculations. change that, then we will then talk about teh amount of parking needed to tailgate before a game. Before then see what the University of Minnesota has for parking and tailgating at their new facility. You have no mention of acreage for the stadium footprint or parking, so you have underestimated everything.

Well, I'm a bit of n00b when it comes to football stuff, lol. Thanks for the corrections.

[dfwabel]

You cannot ever have a stadium run East-West, period! It is called the Sun.

Lincoln Financial Field is North -South; LP Field is N-S; Raymond James runs N-S. Even Cowboys Stadium runs NE-SE and that was probably due to minimum standards and calculations. change that, then we will then talk about teh amount of parking needed to tailgate before a game. Before then see what the University of Minnesota has for parking and tailgating at their new facility. You have no mention of acreage for the stadium footprint or parking, so you have underestimated everything.

Well, I'm a bit of n00b when it comes to football stuff, lol. Thanks for the corrections.

Have you Googled: "Xanadu" (for the Jets/Giants) or even for "Patriot Place"?

Patriot Place: "Your Mall Concept"

FYI, the original Tampa/Houlihans Stadium was across from a two story mall called, Tampa Bay Center. While opening in 1976, the same year as the team, part of their demise was the fact that they could not legitimately confirm parking revenue on Sundays from the mall or the Bucs. We just to park there walk around for 40 minutes, then go to the Bucs game and watch them get their a$$ kicked. Part of that property is now the team's HQ.

[illwauk]

The only names I can think of for a football team in Des Moines are Reapers, Capitols and Monks (Des Moines literally translates into "of the Monks")

[DelayedPenalty]

Based soley on location, the top left location makes the most sense. The others are too close to established communities, or the mall. There appears to be more acreage north of the proposed stadium for parking. Like dfwabel said, distinguishing between mall parking and stadium parking can get difficult when large stadiums are built in close proximity.

Keeping in mind though that this is just a concept, I'd say the top left would be the best spot.

[Burmy]

IOWA REAPERS.

Need I say more?

[aci]

The Iowa Lottamonies?

[Viper]

"Des Moines Prowlers" (or even "Iowa Prowlers") keeps popping into my head, though it seems that nickname would work better for a basketball team than football.

[RoughRiders9]

Iowa Crop Dusters

Iowa Dusters

[PackerBadger]

You cannot ever have a football stadium run East-West, period! It is called the Sun. Qualcomm is one of the few which goes E-W.

Lincoln Financial Field is North -South; LP Field is N-S; Raymond James runs N-S. Oakland Coliseum runs N-S. Even Cowboys Stadium runs NE-SE and that was probably due to minimum standards and calculations. Change that, then I will then talk about the amount of parking needed to tailgate before a game. Before then see what the University of Minnesota has for parking and tailgating at their new facility. You have no mention of acreage for the stadium footprint or parking, so you have underestimated everything.

N-S is the ideal. (And, by the way, the press box must be on the west side, unless you want to blind every announcer who goes there.) But Texas Stadium isn't N-S:

Nor is M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore:

Nor is Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte:

Oakland, BTW, used to have the field go one direction during baseball season, then after the baseball season ended, rotated the field 90 degrees for the rest of the Raiders season.

Is Oakland N-S or not? This says it is:

This says it isn't (the arrow didn't attach; it suggests left field is north):

[PackerBadger]

One more: Giants/Jets Stadium:

[PackerBadger]

One more: Giants/Jets Stadium:

Here's a crazy thought: Why not build a combination football/baseball stadium based on the one combo stadium that actually worked: Mile High Stadium in Denver?

The east stands apparently moved farther east:

Football:

Baseball:

The taxpayers of Iowa will thank you.

[RoughRiders9]

Lol, I like that idea.

In my "fantasy" world, Des Moines is a large market enough to support the 4 major professional sports teams, Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Hockey. I've already created a baseball stadium for my Iowa Oaks, but the basketball and hockey team will share an arena that's already built in Des Moines.

For a moment there, I've thought about putting a football field in the baseball stadium, but I deicded it wasn't the best for a FOOTBALL team. The stadium is designed for baseball only, and it's in a bad location for a football game. Football games are more of a day-long event for the fans, while a baseball game is more of a afternoon or evening events.

So as for now, the baseball team will have its own stadium, same with the football team. Basketball and Hockey will share.

But thanks for all of the ideas you've contributed! I'll gladly keep those in mind while I design my stadium.

In the meanwhile, I'm still thinking of a good team name for IOWA, not Des Moines. I want it to be Iowa *insert team name here,* not Des Moines blahblahblah. Also, please do try to make the team name sound "NFLish," not too minor-leagueish.

[Burmy]

I still think my Iowa Reapers name is the best of the bunch...

[RoughRiders9]

I still think my Iowa Reapers name is the best of the bunch...

What is Reapers?

[Cola]

I still think my Iowa Reapers name is the best of the bunch...

What is Reapers?

A person (or machine these days) that reaps crops when they are ready for harvesting. To reap is to cut or gather.

A reaper is also the tool used BY a reaper. Usually associated with death...as in the Grim Reaper.

[WideRight]

Iowa Tractors

Iowa Hogs

Iowa Tigerhawks

Iowa Scarecrows

Iowa Hogmollies

Iowa Hammers (mmm....ham!)

[vicfurth]

...Where's the concept?

[NolesFSU]

I live right by Jordan Creek Mall that would be awsome