Quote:
Originally Posted by eric cantona
as a native of this area i have to say that this proposal is no less of a problem than Lents was. my thoughts:
- traffic: anyone who regularly drives in Beaverton can tell you that getting to this location from 217 or 26 on or around 5pm on a weekday is a nightmare. not so much fun at other times, either. and believe me, people ARE going to drive to the games.
- big league baseball: fantasize about MLB? kiss that notion goodbye. can you imagine 30k or so humans trying to get in or out of this location? utter mayhem.
- adaptability: conversely, this site looks extremely constrained for AAA anyway, so it really doesn't matter.
- political will: you think after Beaverton and Paulson put big $$$ into a ballpark that they're going to sit back and watch MLB crush their revenue stream? you think taxpayers in Portland will vote for funding a new expensive stadium when one was built 5/10/20 years ago in the burbs?
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Traffic will be an issue, but then again, no matter what Beaverton does in its future, traffic will always be an issue...that shouldnt stop them from doing anything, but it is an issue they need to really start addressing...though, unlike Lents, this proposal isnt in the middle of a neighborhood and the number of parking isnt coming from street parking in front of people's homes. Plus at this site, a plaza can extend from the light rail stop to the stadium.
This is where I think Beaverton should think hard about taking this risk, if Portland goes for the Majors, I see them building the stadium at the PPS site with the help of state funding...this Beavers park does not have state funding, which is why the PPS site isnt an option right now for Portland. I think in the long run Beaverton will be screwed over when the Majors come to town...also, what makes you think Paulson wouldnt want to have his hands in a new MLB team in Portland if we ever got one....seriously, the only player who is gonna get the short end of this stick in the long run will be Beaverton.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric cantona
wherever the new AAA stadium is built it will need, at a minimum, easy access to rail, freeway(s), parking and, probably most importantly, the ability to be modified for the big show. anything else is throwing money down the crapper.
urbanlife: if you feel like it, i would love to see this cut and paste stadium placed on the open area adjacent to I5 at PIR. the site i've talked about before straddles N Broadacre Rd. right near the PIR max stop. it's a grassy area that's used for overflow parking for the better attended races, to the best of my knowledge. great freeway and transit access. lots of space for parking that can be shared with PIR.
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I do agree, this new ballpark should be built with the Majors in mind, which is what pissed me off about the whole ordeal with Leonard, this seemed to not be a factor for him. The MC was too small of a site for a MLB park, Lents was too stupid of a location for one, and from what I can tell, Leonard really wasnt all that serious about keeping the Beavers in Portland, he just needed to be a drama queen about "something."
Also, in regard to the PIR site...you can put this ballpark there and all its parking with room to spare....looking at the map at the same elevation as the Beaverton map was at, which is 200ft, it is easy to see that....though for Leonard, it is hard to see good ideas when your head is wedge that deep in your own ass. Which I do agree with you, if Portland was serious about keeping the Beavers and couldnt afford to pay the PPS to move, the PIR site should of been the second choice.