Arena Renderings (Columbus: neighborhoods, movies, living in)

[abqsunport]

Unfortunatly, if it came to a vote, I would have to really think twice about voting yes. Why waste money on something that won't be utilized and will hamper development. I don't know what's worse, to have nothing or to have something that won't work. There are two types of change...change for the better and change for the worse. Is it good change to build something that will be obsolete and too small by the time it is completed? I don't have the answer. Why buy a shirt too small when you can just as well save the money? On the other hand, if we don't build something, there will never be anything. So I don't have the answer on how I would vote on this kind of measure.

[desert sun]

I dont think this arena should be compared to Rio Rancho's, there are many differences, RR's is about 20 miles to the center of ABQ and some places further,its in the middle of nowhere and on a 2 lane street and RR has little money.

[Rob Martinez]

This can be debated round and round.

Saying there are a lot of people who want a bigger arena isn't enough to get the powers that be to build it bigger. You have to have proof and market studies that show that.

They just did a $700,000 study, and it said 12,500 is the right capacity. My disagreeing is irrelevent. That is what the study said.

Now, if someone wants to go to the city council and ask why the capacity isn't, say, 16,000, they may have an answer. And my guess would be they would say, "The study said 12,500 is the optimal capacity for an arena in Albuquerque at this time, given the market size and economic situation here."

Then what are we going to say? "But we want it to be bigger 'cause the one in Omaha is bigger."

That's not a viable argument.

But maybe a coalition of concerned citizens can ban together and form a group to challenge the study, then convince the mayor and city council to build bigger. I am not being facetious, I think it will take more than just posting here about it.

I am ok with the arena plans. I am ok with a bigger arena.

I am just not getting emotionally invested in either.

[rybert]

Well I guess the real question is:

Who the he!? authorized a $700,000 study?

[Rob Martinez]

Originally Posted by rybert

Well I guess the real question is:

Who the he!? authorized a $700,000 study?

THAT is the question of the day!

What's weird is that a couple of years ago a 10,000 seat arena was going to be built at 1st and Central, and Mayor Marty pulled the plug on that when it was realized public money would be needed to construct it. Now, here we are, three years later, and a new study says 12,500.

If we wait two more years, maybe another study will say 15,000!!

[rybert]

lol!

[desert sun]

Fargo,North Dakota(pop.90,000) has a good looking 18,500 seat arena, its used for their university football team,concerts,musicals,and trade shows, it has also hosted concerts like the Rolling Stones,Aerosmith and ACDC will be there in January but not in ABQ. Bon Jovi also played to more than 24,000 in there, could we draw that much?


Anyways it would be cool to have something,I guess 12,500 is better than nothing.

[SIZE=4]FARGODOME[/SIZE]

[finmqa1]

Originally Posted by desert sun

Fargo,North Dakota(pop.90,000) has a good looking 18,500 seat arena, its used for their university football team,concerts,musicals,and trade shows, it has also hosted concerts like the Rolling Stones,Aerosmith and ACDC will be there in January but not in ABQ. Bon Jovi also played to more than 24,000 in there, could we draw that much?


Anyways it would be cool to have something,I guess 12,500 is better than nothing.

[SIZE=4]FARGODOME[/SIZE]

Well UNM has a 38,000 seat football stadium. If the university allowed more bands to play there, we could land some really big shows to the football stadium.

I would have to agree with Rob on this, I think that if the market could sustain a bigger center they would do so the first time, afterall that would mean more money for the developers anyway. I have no doubt we could sell 18-20,000 tickets for certain shows, but I am not sure about doing it on a consistent basis.

My arguement would be that the developers and those consulting need to look at the bigger picture. If it were a big show, or sporting event, you have to factor in the entire state's population as well as that of El Paso, Lubbock, Amarillo, and parts of Souther Colorado, and Eastern Arizona. For many of these folks this would be the closest event center, which would push the population in which it can draw from well over the 2,000,000 mark.

[abqsunport]

Rob, only parts of the study have yet to come out. And the study has only shown that a hotel would be viable with a said arena of that size. Also, I think you might have confused that Albuquerque could support that size arena with that would be the optimal size.

[Rob Martinez]

Originally Posted by abqsunport

Rob, only parts of the study have yet to come out. And the study has only shown that a hotel would be viable with a said arena of that size. Also, I think you might have confused that Albuquerque could support that size arena with that would be the optimal size.

Are there any studies that show Albuquerque can support a larger arena?

My only reason for asking is that the mayor, city council, and those who fund such things are going to want demographic data for our city to support a larger arena.