News 6-13-07 Baseball Stadium
Post your commentsPosted by: Wiley_N_Reno - 6/13/2007 2:17:07 PM
Ballpark location? clear out an area of blight along E.4th St. and adjacent to the river. Corner of Sage and E.4th.?? my 2 cents.
Posted by: Rob - 6/13/2007 4:56:32 PM
Although I really liked the Sparks site, this may be good for the city of Reno. I'd like to see a stadium somewhere along the river in downtown. A new stadium down there could help blighted areas become new again.
Posted by: Bugsy - 6/14/2007 9:26:59 AM
If Reno gets the oppurtunity to get a baseball stadium downtown, they have to take advantage of it at any cost..Game days WILL liven downtown with pedestrians and fill the resturaunts and bars before and after the game..It will bring the familys downtown and that will push out the drugies and bums that hang out downtown. This is exciting news!
Posted by: indamernreno - 6/14/2007 10:26:43 AM
I think putting it downtown along the river is a must. I dont know if the Montage developers have too much money tied up right now, but It would seem a good idea to work with SK baseball and help close the deal. What about the other Condo tower developers? GSR? How cool would it be to look out your condo window at a river and nice ball park with the mountains in the background. If not right downtown then how about a bit east of downtown? I am shocked that a dump transfer station and gravel/rock construction yard are taking up river land. Obviously past planners didnt see the river as an asset 20 years ago. In other cities ballparks have help bring back blighted areas, perhaps this can happen in reno. The entire River from farad to lockwoood should be protected or enhanced
Posted by: Chet Erickson - 6/14/2007 11:42:33 AM
And who is going to pay for this stadium? Who is going to put up the funds to acquire the site needed? Do the environmental remediation? Relocate any displaced businesses and/or residents? Seems the first critical step in this process is to first come up with an idea of how much money this project will cost based upon the different sites being considered. If tax payers dollars - either redevelopment funds, city funds or funds generated from the rental car tax fund - is used to pay for this project, shouldn't we have a much more public process to discuss these site locations? Shouldn't there be a wider discussion on what return we the taxpayers are getting? Who is this project going to benefit? I would also like to point out that minor leagure semi-pro sports have never had a great track record in this town. Be it baseball or hockey or whatever, every new latest and greatest proposal ends up dead on arrival. Haven't we been down this path before? How many of you out there remember the exact same plan to bring a minor league team to town just a few years ago and locating the team/stadium where Grant's Landing is being built next to the Automobile Museum or the proposed site at the now closed Parklane Mall? It seems we've been down this path all too frequently. Elected officials should be reminded of these issues before they begin to think about their legacy. Ribbon cuttings for the sake of ribbon cuttings is NOT how to develop a downtown. If you review every single plan the Redevelopment Agency and City has adopted for downtown, NOT ONCE is a baseball stadium even hinted at. Why did we as a community invest the time and money in these plans if all we do is abandon them at the earliest convenience?
Posted by: Toby - 6/14/2007 4:18:50 PM
If you want to "push out the drugies and bums that hang out downtown" I think you need to close the numerous cheap hotel/motels in the downtown corridor. Also, the homeless shelter should have been moved farther east on 4th street.
Posted by: Miek Van H - 6/14/2007 8:03:05 PM
Hi Chet I believe the stadium would be built using some kind of room tax, not out of your pocket at all. Also, when they were talking about putting a stadium downtown where Grant's Landing is, at that point a team hadn't even been purchased. Very premature. Now, we have a team, and just need a stadium, and considering they paid over $13 million for the team, I doubt the a stadium project would fall through the cracks this time around. Especially when funding is there for it to be built, and the team is there, they just need to pick a location.
Posted by: Mike Van H - 6/14/2007 8:08:02 PM
It's also important to note that bringing entertainment and retail downtown has always been the city's plan since the inception of the Downtown Regional Master Plan. While a baseball stadium isn't incorporated into the master plan, venue-specific projects like that rarely are, rather, they fall under more general terms such as 'entertainment venues.' A baseball stadium downtown would benefit retailers downtown immensely. I think a baseball stadium would compliement, not conflict with, any of the reginal plans already developed. Also, it's not written in stone the stadium will even go downtown, there are 4 undisclosed locations in mind. Since it's their venue, they have a right to put the stadium wherever they want, particularly when City Money, State Money is not involved.
Posted by: Bugsy - 6/15/2007 12:49:45 AM
When it comes to getting money to build a stadium, your missing one of the biggest parts when it comes to stadiums today and that is naming rights and corprate sponsorships. Also season tickets and luxury boxes. Im sure the casinos will put there fair share in advertisements and there luxury boxes for their high rollers. That alone could pay for at least half the stadium. And your right regarding getting rid of the motels to push out the tweakers and bums. But that is just part of it. That is a whole other story.
Posted by: Chet Erickson - 6/15/2007 1:24:09 PM
The word is, is that Reno Redevelopment Agency was largely responsible for short-circuting the baseball stadium plans in Sparks. I wonder what they could have offered?? Mike Van H - I've forwarded you idea of additional room taxes on to some friends at the major hotel/casino properties throughout the area. I'm sure they will be super pleased to hear that idea considering the majority of them killed an idea to increase room taxes to pay for the Sierra Spirit program. In case you don't know, 100% of all room tax revenue collected from downtown Reno properties is already spoken for - the majority of room tax revenue for the next 20 to 30 years will go to pay off the debt that the City issued for ReTrac. I'm pretty sure the RSCVA would also be happy to hear that idea considering that the room tax revenue they collect from hotels region wide is their only funding source. indamernreno - WHAT condo developers? There are only three underway in downtown Reno - Montage, Belvedere and Palladio and Palladio's developers are broke. All the other great condos even this site lists - Kings Inn, Wingfield Tower, Waterfront Tower haven't even broken ground and it appears Kings Inn and Waterfron are dead. Don't forget that Chambolle and the Metropolitan both failed (anyone remember those projects?). I'll be sure to share this idea with those developers that are left as well. I'm sure they'll be happy to know that the sentiment is to pillage them for the needed funds. Bugsy - why do you think selling box seats and corporate naming rights will work this time? When the Reno Events Center opened the City tried and royally failed to get a corporate sponsor for naming privelages and they could only sell about half of the 12 or so box seats available - only 4 hotel casino properties acorss all of Northern Nevada bought one. But hey Bugsy, I'm sure it will work this time based on - uh - what exactly are you basing this idea on again? What evidence of this approach EVER working in Reno exists? Are you going to personally buy season tickets, a box seat or even buy the naming rights or do you expect someone else to pay for something you want?
Posted by: Mike Van H - 6/15/2007 3:51:52 PM
Chet - What was the Metropolitan? It so happens I dont remember that one, LOL. Chambolle died because BCN Development wanted to build a taller structure and the City capped them at 7 stories I believe, which given that property value, I can see how a condo development there wouldnt quite work with only 7 floors and limited number of units, and 2 of those 7 floors devoted to parking.
Posted by: Ken - 6/15/2007 8:46:46 PM
I'd like to see it be time for baseball in Reno again. I wonder what would happen to the Silver Sox with a new team coming to town? Seems like they could take the sox AAA and focus on one franchise? On the issue of funding, I think if sports is going to happen in Reno at this level of population and tax climate, the initial construction of stadium and marketing of the team is going to have to come from the private sector. If the stadium is excellent and the marketing gets people to come to it, and people in Reno end up really liking their baseball, public subsidies could be in the tea leaves. Later. For now the money has to be arranged by the backers. For siting, East Fourth along the river (take out some of the dumpster and tire yards) would be an excellent location. They should build the biggest stadium possible, as the region continues to grow and appreciate its baseball, it wouldn't hurt to have a huge and much beloved ball park in the middle of the city.
Posted by: JEFF - 6/16/2007 7:43:20 AM
THE ABOVE COMMENT BELONGED IN THE FORUM FOR THE STADIUM. NOT HERE, MY ERROR.
Posted by: Toby - 6/16/2007 8:47:38 AM
WELCOME JEFF. If the stadium is built near downtown, I think it should be small but impressive. There should be a larger grass area running from 1st base, the outfield, to 3rd base. They could always add stands in the outfield later. The grass area should have plenty of tress. A play area for little kids who get bored and a high tech game venue for the teens.
Posted by: JEFF - 6/16/2007 11:43:22 AM
I AM FROM ST PAUL, MN. IF I COULD SOMEHOW FIND A WAY I WOULD LIKE TO RELOCATE TO RENO, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY I HAVE AN INTEREST IN POSTING THE FOLLOWING: IN DES MOINES, HOME OF THE TRIPLE A CUBS TEAM THEY BUILT A GREAT OUTDOOR STADIUM DOWN IN THERE REVITALIZED WHAREHOUSE DISRTICT(CONDOS, BUSINESSES ETC) ALONG SIDE OF THE DES MOINES RIVER. AT NIGHT THAT PART OF THE TOWN COMES ALIVE, BARS, RESTUARANTS MUSIC AND NIGHTLIFE, ALL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE STADIUM. PEOPLE MINGLING AND GOING FROM ONE SPOT TO ANOTHER ON FOOT, AND UNLIKE THE TWIN CITIES THERE APPEARED TO BE NO THUGS ON THE STREETS, HOW REFRESHING. JUST A THOUGHT FOR RENO ON THE TRUCKEE PERHAPS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE ART DISTRICT AND CONDOS.
Posted by: Bugsy - 6/16/2007 2:32:25 PM
Chet please!!!!! Dont compare a city event center to a baseball stadium. More people sponsor a baseball team because its more marketable than a "city event center"? Besides your example is out dated and Downtown is becoming more popular and is changing for the better in redevelopment.(look at what this web site is called) I would buy season tickets and by reading other peoples postings, It looks like they are in support of this possibilty also..