Sports in Austin

[drummer]

Same point is true for reviews on purchases, hotels, and restaurants. Folks who are generally pleased generally don't say anything at all.

[We vs us]

https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...consideration/

City parkland could vanish from soccer stadium consideration
A resolution is in the works that would remove two city parkland sites from consideration as possible locations for a proposed soccer stadium. Council Member Ann Kitchen is sponsoring the resolution, out of concern about and growing opposition to Butler Shores Metropolitan Park and Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metropolitan Park as stadium sites. The stadium would be built by Precourt Sports Ventures to host a Major League Soccer club that the group hopes to relocate to Austin from Columbus, Ohio.

Kitchen said she expects to have a draft resolution posted on the City Council Message Board on Tuesday, and expects the matter to be considered at the Feb. 15 Council meeting. She has voiced her opposition to the possible use of city parkland from the beginning of Precourt’s overtures to city leaders to bring the team to Austin.

“I continue to be excited to see the support for a soccer stadium, and I am happy to hear there’s interest, but it needs to be in the right place and I don’t think our parklands are the appropriate place,” Kitchen told the Austin Monitor by phone on Monday. “My resolution would clarify to staff what we think is appropriate in terms of locations. From my perspective, parkland should not be on the table because we need to protect open space for the future, and there are a number of other good locations I’d support.”

It really is like a slow motion train wreck.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by We vs us

https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...consideration/



It really is like a slow motion train wreck.

Not surprising.

The fact that Kitchen is against it doesn't change anything from before.


If the motion is passed by the rest of the council (especially before hearing the report they themselves commissioned) then it's a change/newsworthy.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by We vs us

https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...consideration/



It really is like a slow motion train wreck.

These people are just putting their fingers in their ears and saying, "La la la la la, I don't care what you say. La la la la, I can't hear you!" They're like children. It's sheer idiocy.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by paul78701

These people are just putting their fingers in their ears and saying, "La la la la la, I don't care what you say. La la la la, I can't hear you!" They're like children. It's sheer idiocy.

Any reasonable and reasonably intelligent person should be able to see the potential value here and be willing to negotiate something beneficial. People like this drive me nuts. I don't understand how they get along in life by immediately making enemies out the other side of things. Instead of taking a contentious, negative nancy view and seeing Precourt as the enemy, they should be looking at them as potential partners. It would be much more productive.

Welcome to the Neighborhood: America’s Sports Stadiums Are Moving Downtown:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/b...velopment.html

[freerover]

PSV needs to be aggressive about what improvements they want to bring to the table. This was already going to be a very very rare example of when a sports stadium was completely privately financed. This might be the first time that a city turns away a completely privately financed stadium. It should generate some national news if the Crew explore other options.

Also, the monitor says that the rally was at Butler Park. I wonder if everyone is clear that the proposal is for the baseball fields at butler shores. The parkland that might be demoed anyway for a new arts center.

In terms of the vote, you definitely have Kitchen, Houston, and Pool. I think they could easily get Alter and Garza as well. It might come down to Renteria. He was an opponent of Butler Shores but he might have a lot of constitutes that support redevelopment money for Guerrero park. It's also worth noting that Troxclair is up for a tough re-election and might not want to take any risky stances. You could also see Adler make a speech about why it's the wrong thing to do but still vote for Kitchen's proposal because of public pressure. He does the same thing whenever they gut his really good downtown puzzle proposal.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by freerover

I wonder if everyone is clear that the proposal is for the baseball fields at butler shores. The parkland that might be demoed anyway for a new arts center.

i've already seen a misinformed post or two on nextdoor from some hyperventilating neighbors who think someone is going to bulldoze butler park. they were corrected by others but the damage was likely done.

PSV needs to get ahead of this with some sweeteners quickly or they will lose the narrative (which was already going to be a tough sell). I think they should loudly offer renovated or even integrated space for the Parks and Rec Dept Office/Dougherty Arts Replacement, and work out a deal with AISD's sports departments. Perhaps even put out some renders of upgraded hike and bike trail areas or something. All of that would cost some serious money, but would still be just a rounding error compared to the value of the waterfront land they'd be borrowing.

Kitchen and the NIMBY bloc were always going to be a no. Zilker, Bouldin Creek, and ANC are a solid no as well. The Zach is contractually obligated to say no.

Everyone else is persuadable. Even the little league is on board if they get better fields out of the deal.

If they can hammer home the simple comparison:

little known, underutilized baseball fields
vs.
pro sports + benefits to city parks, arts, and AISD

I think that's a winnable argument if it has to go to public vote. But they need to start that campaign yesterday

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

i

If they can hammer home the simple comparison:

little known, underutilized baseball fields
vs.
pro sports + benefits to city parks, arts, and AISD

I think that's a winnable argument if it has to go to public vote. But they need to start that campaign yesterday

I love this way of proposing a value proposition the community can't refuse.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

little known, underutilized baseball fields

Anyone know the actual deal with these fields? Are they truly publicly accessible, or are they like the ones at Walnut Creek Park, that are technically reserved for sports leagues at all times?

If the later, then the conversation is basically replacing sports fields used by a private entity with another sports field used by a private entity.

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Anyone know the actual deal with these fields? Are they truly publicly accessible, or are they like the ones at Walnut Creek Park, that are technically reserved for sports leagues at all times?

If the later, then the conversation is basically replacing sports fields used by a private entity with another sports field used by a private entity.

My Colleague lives in that hood and has kids in little league. He says the fields are locked until used by the league. So right now it is not a community benefit or open space. It is also slated for the park dept building...

The narrative needs to be that this is NOT open public space currently and will not be in the future, regardless of MLS.

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

My Colleague lives in that hood and has kids in little league. He says the fields are locked until used by the league. So right now it is not a community benefit or open space. It is also slated for the park dept building...

The narrative needs to be that this is NOT open public space currently and will not be in the future, regardless of MLS.

BOOM wish the people on reddit would understand this.

[abigdeal]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

i've already seen a misinformed post or two on nextdoor from some hyperventilating neighbors who think someone is going to bulldoze butler park. they were corrected by others but the damage was likely done.

PSV needs to get ahead of this with some sweeteners quickly or they will lose the narrative (which was already going to be a tough sell). I think they should loudly offer renovated or even integrated space for the Parks and Rec Dept Office/Dougherty Arts Replacement, and work out a deal with AISD's sports departments. Perhaps even put out some renders of upgraded hike and bike trail areas or something. All of that would cost some serious money, but would still be just a rounding error compared to the value of the waterfront land they'd be borrowing.

Kitchen and the NIMBY bloc were always going to be a no. Zilker, Bouldin Creek, and ANC are a solid no as well. The Zach is contractually obligated to say no.

Everyone else is persuadable. Even the little league is on board if they get better fields out of the deal.

If they can hammer home the simple comparison:

little known, underutilized baseball fields
vs.
pro sports + benefits to city parks, arts, and AISD

I think that's a winnable argument if it has to go to public vote. But they need to start that campaign yesterday

One fundamental problem here that I see is that the Dougherty Arts people, the NIMBYs and the Zach people are all the same people. Or pretty close to the same group of people. So it's going to be a wall that's hard to break through.

Agree on putting it to a vote. if Kitchen et al think it should go down, they should ask the public about it.

[ATXboom]

Interesting... what are peoples thoughts on a public vote?

I assume city wide... perhaps the burbs pull through to overcome the NIMBY southside? Maybe a public vote is what makes it happen??

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Interesting... what are peoples thoughts on a public vote?

I assume city wide... perhaps the burbs pull through to overcome the NIMBY southside? Maybe a public vote is what makes it happen??

My fear is the potential impossibility of countering all the lies and misinformation (Butler Shores vs. Butler Park, parkland vs. existing sports fields, etc. )

Easier to have 6 informed council members instead of 51% of the electorate.

[the Genral]

As long as the Austin City Counsel members continue to show the same sophistication as counsel members from 'Green Acres', then we'll all be...

For those of you too young to remember...https://youtu.be/6DkUCpMTeHc

I will literally be playing that theme song in my head every time I hear or think of who is running this city.

[427MM]

The resolution Council Member Kitchen is looking to bring in Feb. is disappointing to say the least. She and her colleagues passed the resolution looking for space in the city and that resolution identified the Toomey Ball-fields--as it should have done as it's amazingly underutilized. For those of you on Facebook make sure you follow MLS2ATX. This location would do wonders for our city! Also, take The Trail Foundation's survey on this: https://the-trail-foundation.apps.um...-at-the-trail/

[SkyPie]

I am happy that Richard Suttle is the attorney representing PSV. He has a history of taking tough projects like this (that otherwise make perfect sense) and somehow making them happen.

[We vs us]

The involvement of Bill Bunch (per the Monitor article) is, I guess, no surprise. But man I can’t stand that guy. He’s also one of the most active opponents of the convention center expansion.

[abigdeal]

Tovo out. Well, shit.

Momentum is building to remove Precourt Sports Ventures’ preferred city parkland sites for a Major League Soccer stadium from consideration by the Austin City Council.
Kathie Tovo, a critical swing vote on the council in the soccer saga, told the American-Statesman on Tuesday night that Butler Shores Metropolitan Park and Roy Guerrero Metropolitan Park are generating too much public outcry to consider giving up parkland for a sports venue.

“They don’t appear to have support from the community, primarily Butler Shores, but there are general concerns about Guerrero, as well,” Tovo said. “Based on all the calls and emails our staff is getting, I don’t think either site is a viable option.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by abigdeal

Tovo out. Well, shit.

So how many of those calls and emails are coming from Columbus residents, I wonder?