46 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

BSL: Picturing Baltimore With A New Arena & Soccer Specific Stadium

http://baltimorespor...ecific-stadium/

 

Nothing that we haven't said and debated in other threads.... just a restating of some of my thoughts.

[BSLMikeLowe]

What will Baltimore have first, a new arena or a new rail line?

[BSLChrisStoner]

What will Baltimore have first, a new arena or a new rail line?

 

Probably good odds on the new bus routes still dropping off in-front of Royal Farms Arena in 2025.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Probably good odds on the new bus routes still dropping off in-front of Royal Farms Arena in 2025.

 

At least the new colors look great on a map.

[DJ MC]

I can't see any chance of Baltimore building a soccer-specific stadium anytime...well, ever right now, but certainly not soon. The United have things pretty much set down in DC, and the Bohs apparently aren't even playing in a real stadium anymore.

 

An arena has so much potential use as a public space that it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I can't see any chance of Baltimore building a soccer-specific stadium anytime...well, ever right now, but certainly not soon. The United have things pretty much set down in DC, and the Bohs apparently aren't even playing in a real stadium anymore.

 

An arena has so much potential use as a public space that it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

 

$35M seems doable to me. That doesn't get you to an MLS caliber SSS, but it gives you a base which can be expanded on. Certainly capable for NASL.  If the soccer community partners with the lax community, should be plausible. 

In the article we mentioned NASL's San Antonio and the different stages of their stadium... that really looks like the ideal plan to emulate to me.

Separately, the article below is interesting...

 

 

SI: Defining characteristics for new wave of MLS soccer-specific stadiums
http://www.si.com/pl...minnesota-miami

[DJ MC]

$35M seems doable to me. That doesn't get you to an MLS caliber SSS, but it gives you a base which can be expanded on. Certainly capable for NASL.  If the soccer community partners with the lax community, should be plausible. 

 

But right now that means you're building a lacrosse stadium with the hope that a higher-level soccer team might come someday.

 

I think Baltimore could support a soccer club, but they need to come first and establish themselves before I give them a stadium, unless it's a franchise-relocation situation like the United would have been. Let them play at Homewood or Unitas to establish themselves.

 

(Just as an aside, doing some research on NASL stadia, remember when the Orioles used to hold spring training at Al Lang Stadium in Tampa? Yeah, it's a soccer stadium now, for the Rowdies.)

[NewMarketSean]

I think a more plausible thing is UB gets athletic fields, including a multi-use stadium that could be leased out to various minor league sports teams. And when I saw "stadium" I mean something along the lines of UMBC or Shepherd University.

 

Anything more than that relating to soccer just isn't going to happen.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I think a more plausible thing is UB gets athletic fields, including a multi-use stadium that could be leased out to various minor league sports teams. And when I saw "stadium" I mean something along the lines of UMBC or Shepherd University.

 

Anything more than that relating to soccer just isn't going to happen.

 

For the record... I don't think you are 'wrong'... but that gets back to what I was trying to say in the article.
 

There is a level of defeatism that is so ingrained in us locally at this time, that I find it depressing.

If we can't do x,y. and z because 1,2,3 need to be our priorities... can we figure out to address 1,2,3 so that other things become more plausible?

 

Of course it's far easier to say fix 1,2,3 then to find legitimate solutions. Hopefully we can at-least start working towards answers.

[DJ MC]

For the record... I don't think you are 'wrong'... but that gets back to what I was trying to say in the article.
 

There is a level of defeatism that is so ingrained in us locally at this time, that I find it depressing.

If we can't do x,y. and z because 1,2,3 need to be our priorities... can we figure out to address 1,2,3 so that other things become more plausible?

 

Of course it's far easier to say fix 1,2,3 then to find legitimate solutions. Hopefully we can at-least start working towards answers.

 

I'm with you 100% on the arena. I just don't see any point in a soccer stadium without any glint of a real soccer team in the near future.

 

I think a more plausible thing is UB gets athletic fields, including a multi-use stadium that could be leased out to various minor league sports teams. And when I saw "stadium" I mean something along the lines of UMBC or Shepherd University.

 

Anything more than that relating to soccer just isn't going to happen.

 

Is there a plan for that? Where would they go?

[NewMarketSean]

I'm with you 100% on the arena. I just don't see any point in a soccer stadium without any glint of a real soccer team in the near future.

 

 

Is there a plan for that? Where would they go?

I've heard it discussed...not sure.

[RShack]

For the record... I don't think you are 'wrong'... but that gets back to what I was trying to say in the article.
 

There is a level of defeatism that is so ingrained in us locally at this time, that I find it depressing.

If we can't do x,y. and z because 1,2,3 need to be our priorities... can we figure out to address 1,2,3 so that other things become more plausible?

 

Of course it's far easier to say fix 1,2,3 then to find legitimate solutions. Hopefully we can at-least start working towards answers.

 

I completely agree that there's a dearth of "let's do cool stuff"... and that that needs to change...  but I do question whether a soccer stadium is the best way to get people juiced about doing cool stuff...

[BSLChrisStoner]

I completely agree that there's a dearth of "let's do cool stuff"... and that that needs to change...  but I do question whether a soccer stadium is the best way to get people juiced about doing cool stuff...

 

If the idea was to build a SSS immediately capable of housing an MLS team, I'd agree.... that would be a tremendous expense for just maybe. What I'm proposing here is something fairly minimal, that ties to the local lax community, and can be built upon as time goes... I see some advantages there.... but I also recognize it's not priority a,b, c, d, etc etc for the city. etc.

 

Just hoping we can start addressing those priorities, so other things like this can be pursued.

[BSLMikeLowe]

If you're going to do something cool, I really think it needs to be the arena. Yes, a soccer stadium would be cheaper, but the arena would just serve so many more purposes that I think it would be worth the extra cost.

[BSLChrisStoner]

If you're going to do something cool, I really think it needs to be the arena. Yes, a soccer stadium would be cheaper, but the arena would just serve so many more purposes that I think it would be worth the extra cost.

 

I want both, but yes... the Arena has to be first.

 

It's crazy thinking I've been talking about a new Arena (certainly not alone) since at-least '09, and it's still years at the earliest from shovel to dirt.

[RShack]

I want both, but yes... the Arena has to be first.

 

It's crazy thinking I've been talking about a new Arena (certainly not alone) since at-least '09, and it's still years at the earliest from shovel to dirt.

 

People have been talking about it ever since they first tried to watch a hockey game from upstairs in what used to be called the Civic Center  

[mweb08]

The government spending public money on stadiums was the focus of my American Gov lesson today.

 

I used the following resources:

 

http://articles.balt...imore-tradition

 

http://articles.balt...center-ballpark

 

[mweb08]

I heard something on NPR this morning about Royal Farms arena leading the nation in tickets sold for it's class of arena (10-15k capacity).

[NewMarketSean]

Yeah, it's been #1 arena of its size for some time now. Probably mostly because it's a smaller arena in a big city.

 

I'll be there for the MD/Princeton game...interested in seeing how it handles basketball. Never seen live basketball there before.

[Chris B]

Wasn't there a Bayrunners basketball team (who knows what semi-pro league that was) that played at the arena like 15-20 years ago?