Originally Posted by arkitekte
A couple of the major reasons why the City of Memphis is currently in the convention space problem that it is, is due to lack of vision and money. There is absolutely no logical reason for the City to hang tax payers, the City's bond rating or potential tourists (through tourism taxes) on the line to finance a 60,000 seat domed stadium for realistically 8 to 9 football games, a handful of conventions that might exceed the provided space in the new convention center and a few larger venue concerts/events.
1. If Tiger football needs a new home (which I think we do), it needs to be on or adjacent to campus. Tiger football doesn't need a domed stadium with 20,000 tarped seats, we need a 40,000 seat stadium on campus that will bring alumni back to campus and create a weekend long atmosphere. A stadium here brings various challenges and issues that are another conversation, but going downtown and leasing from the City is not in the best interest of the UofM.
UofM doesn't even practice on "campus" campus but down the road. There is no way that will ever happen. It's more of a pipe dream than my proposal. A new stadium would dramatically increase revenue from ticket sales due to value added seating like loge, club and suites. Sitting in suites at the LB sucks, I've done it numerous times, you are in orbit over the field. The ability to block off an upper deck tastefully (see Vancouver)with lightweight fabric at a coffered angle and projection tech would totally eliminate the boat shrink wrap look and the limit on overall tickets should improve pricing for even the most basic seat, which would all be chairback. Better yet, you can open it up if need be. The trend is smaller but swanky (see Baylor and TCU). There are several cheaper fabric retractable options out there, just not many in the states. The newer stadium in Poland is a great example as well as Vancouver. Those lower overall construction costs plus it doesn't have to NFL level but nice enough. Louisville got U2 this last tour.
2. Does BSMF need to expand? What could be offered in a domed stadium that can't currently be offered?
Yes it does. That is another big weekend of money coming in. I have read from the management in articles that they are limited in the ability to attract the type of headliners that you see at Jazz and Heritage and Bonnaroo due to space constraints. That's expressly due to space constraints at Tom Lee Park. I should add an expanded Mud Island Amp might help with that as well or make an even better B stage.
3. That could be said for almost every large structure in Memphis.
Your point? Sounds like there needs to a bunch more of it
4. It probably would attract larger conventions/concerts/sporting events, but unless hotel space downtown is addressed in the form of 4,000 to 6,000 hotel rooms, there is still going to be an issue. The excuse that Memphis hasn't hosted large outdoor concerts due to the lack of a modern stadium is a bunch of bunk. Memphis hasn't hosted a large concert for the same reason the Forum struggles to get main stream acts marketed for 15 to 20k seats.
Do you not think concentrating your convention center and large stadium on the same street as your arena and world famous entertainment district would lead to lots more hotels? I think it does. Right now, folks coming to the LB can choose East Memphis or elsewhere and Cook is far enough away that there's little synergy with Beale and South Main to help drive a larger hotel. Put those two literally on Beale, you get the large attached Hotel and likely another large hotel due to the critical mass it creates.
As for the concert issue with FedEx Forum, I see this dynamic at play with OKC and Tulsa. Tulsa gets better and more concerts. I figure it's got a lot to do with having a NBA tenant that takes up a good amount of days that make it harder to route large acts. Little Rock benefits from Memphis in the same way. Some largearkets with same issue still gets the shows because of their size and that sets the tour routing to begin with. That said, it's got a lot better over the past couple of years for Memphis on that front. But...instead of two Garth Brooks concerts in ohe same day making the time between the two a logistic nightmare, one concert at a stadium would have been a more ideal situation
5. I could see if the LMBS was routinely hosting playoff games and other larger bowl games, but even added with all of the items above, if a new stadium worth the SHC and Liberty Bowl game? Not so much.
Sometimes it is, it's just something you got to have to stay in the game
Would it make the Liberty Bowl a BCS bowl? Very doubtful, but it could certainly improve it's image and therefore, desirability for teams to come. That could lead to bigger names and rising to one of the top non BCS sights. It would certainly open up hosting Elite 8 round of the NCAA. Couple that with regular opening rounds and you get a more regular hosting cycle.
What's the price tag of a new domed football stadium these days? 1+ Billion
I'll agree that the idea of expanding the LBMS is stupid, but the City hasn't solely financed all of the improvements to the stadium, as you've stated above. The UofM is repaying the cost of seating improvements. Fred Smith donated the money for the video board. Additionally, how is the LBMS "treading water"? The LBMS serves the purpose that it needs to relatively well.
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