The other thing that would make some sense would be to put exterior retail on the Rose Garden facing outward. It would liven up the dead area around the arena.
I dont think there is enough room to accommodate the full entertainment district and a baseball stadium by simply tearing down the MC. Vulcans vision is for the "entertainment district" is something similiar to what the Cordish Company built in Kansas City but on a smaller scale.(http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/index.cfm?page=gallery) Shops, large covered outdoor concert/bar area, a small concert venue (similiar to Roseland/Crystal Ballroom), restaurants, small hotel, and something unique to Portland and very cool would be the Nike museum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_&_Light_District Cordish built the Nokia area around the Staples Center (I think) and is doing something similiar in Phili and Baltimore. http://www.wachoviacenter.com/pressbox/639.asp http://baltimore.org/dining-and-nightlife/11595/
AAA Beavers attendance I found here. http://www.triple-abaseball.com/Attendance.jsp;jsessionid=EF36FE218E0AEA583A1FCBE0CDCB6527 They have 71-72 home games every year. So 2008 they had 392,512 fans. So heres their average stats with 72 games calculated. 2008 5,451 2007 5,402 2006 5,570 2005 5,510 So because of the RG project with its shops and restaurants. This attendance might go up. But where the ballpark has been now there hasn't been any changes.
The new baseball stadium. The new concert hall. The Convention Center hotel, which looks like it could actually happen, the Lloyd District is the next area of Portland to boom. Also, this nifty tower will also add some pizaz to the area:
The Portland Beavers don't make the Rose Quarter anymore of a destination than the Winter Hawks do right now. Put more money into areas that people actually want to go to. How about a Pearl-like renovation of the Hawthorne district? How about a facelift for St. Johns? As pointed out previously, the Rose Quarter is isolated, meaning you have to have a reason to go there. Shops and such make little sense since the Lloyd Center is a few MAX stops away, restaurants are dependent on either location or a cult-like following, and minor league baseball is small-time. Hell, if we're just looking to spend money for no reason, I'd rather they put the MLS stadium at the Rose Quarter; at least some people will go to those games.
I hear what you're saying, but the Blazers and Cordish disagree with you. They are on board with the baseball stadium in the RQ idea. The MC would have to come down, and they may need to replace one of the above-ground parking garages across from the RQ with a below-ground option, but it can work. There's a ton of room on that land, and like I said, if that glass monstrosity comes down, you've got much more room to work with. By the way, the Blazers also own the land just north of the grain silos all the way to the river, and they've talked about including that land in this development as well. -Pop
If they tried to build it to accommodate MLB, it would cost about 5x as much money (conservative estimate) on a hope and a prayer that MLB will move to Portland in the near future. Now THAT'S a waste of money. By the way, the worst kept secret in sports is that MLB is not coming to Portland in your or my lifetime. Book it. -Pop
You know how many games were played because of the roof? I would be it's something like maybe 10 times in close to 10 years.
Plus I do remember a rain delay there because it takes so long for the roof to close, and the field got soaked because they didn't have proper covering for the field.
Well, then I fail to understand the need for a new stadium. I personally don't give a rats ass about the Beavers, and I know I'm not the only one. Is this REALLY the time to build a new AAA stadium? Why?
Portland can build whatever stadium they want for Triple A ball. When the major league team comes, the stadium will be built in Hillsboro. Intel Stadium . . . a park designed only for baseball (and with the latest technology including free wi fi at games). The Hillsboro A's Book it.
Mayor's office releases a couple renderings of the new RQ with the baseball stadium and the LIVE! district. Check options A and B in the link here. I personally like option A, although they'll have to do some rethinking those first and third base lines. 380' to right and only 310' to left? But I like the walking bridge from the Yellow Line Light Rail station, and a few of the other ideas in option A. Option B sucks, IMO. -Pop
310 to left could work if you put a mini-Monster up there. Could use it to sell ad space and stuff. Maybe some kind of suite seating in there, so you could have baseball-proof windows that doubles bounce off of and stuff.
Blazers are only fine with the baseball stadium in the RQ area IF it also allows them the space they need to build the full entertainment district. The Portland Public School buildings across Broadway would be the best place for the baseball stadium, IMO.
