Arena Renderings (Albuquerque, Columbus, Tijeras: real estate, loft, condo)

[abqsunport]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Funkymonkey has got it right. The proposed arena with its side on Central is like a dead wall killing all vitality on Central, our "Main Street" The arena would also only be occasionally in use and most of the time the area would be a dead zone.

If anyone thinks that arenas bring vitality to an area then they should take a look at downtown Phoenix with its massive stadiums and see that the downtown is still dead. The stadiums ripped out the fabric of urban street life--most people drive there, park, and later drive away.

I don't think in this economic climate an arena here will fly, especially if taxpayers have to foot a considerable part of the bill.

Yes, but are arena has something proposed that Phoenix's doesn't. It includes a huge area of retail, restaraunts, and a hotel that is desperatly needed. People will go to restaraunts. People will go shopping. And eventually there might actually be jobs downtown.

[casden]

...and isn't Phoenix what Albuquerque is trying very hard not to become.

Phoenix is a city that is notorious for endless suburbs and housing subdivisions where most people drive to go anywhere. I thought that is what Albuquerque is trying really hard to prevent. This is why developers and planners are creating high density residential in that area, why they're trying to attract retail and entertainment to that area, this is why the Rail Runner runs through that area, and why they are proposing things like the stadium and the modern streetcar.

If this is what Albuquerque wants it just makes no sense at all to build a stadium 10 or 15 miles away from the city's core.

I'm sure many studies and alot of thought has gone into the decision to propose an arena in that area.

I don't think these ideas and proposals are solely based on what's happened (as far as development), or what people are used to in Albuquerque thus far. They're also based on the potential benefits they can have on the city.

Without this foresight it seems that cities stagnate and it's citizens begin to have lower expectations for what their city can become.

Albuquerque and Phoenix are two completely different cities. I'd like to think that Albuquerque is starting to move in a direction that will allow it to break away from a pattern where development has a 98 percentile dependancy on cars.

It seems that there are many people and public officials (surprisingly) that want to increase the percentage of development that is more pedestrian oriented and less dependent on automobiles.

If these plans are backed and they come to fruition Albuquerque could become even more unique in the western US and Albuquerquens will tend to expect more high quality projects, that will only enhance the face of the city.

[abqsunport]

Exactly Casden!

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by funkymonkey

I'm not opposed to having a vibrant downtown or living in a vibrant downtown.

I disagree with the idea that having an arena downtown would improve the area. There'd be a huge dead zone along the arena. Traffic in that area would be ridiculous. There'd be tons of noise.

Do you see tons of retail, shops, restaurants, bars in close proximity to the arenas already in ABQ? No!
Do you see high density.. or even low density residential development in close proximity to the arenas already in ABQ? No!

Though there may be exceptions, people in general don't want to deal with the headaches that large crowds next door would bring.

people dont live around Tingley cause its in the fairgrounds and The Pit is surrounded by other stadiums and just down the road on Gibson they are building alot of apartments or townhomes.

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by casden

...and isn't Phoenix what Albuquerque is trying very hard not to become.

Phoenix is a city that is notorious for endless suburbs and housing subdivisions where most people drive to go anywhere. I thought that is what Albuquerque is trying really hard to prevent. This is why developers and planners are creating high density residential in that area, why they're trying to attract retail and entertainment to that area, this is why the Rail Runner runs through that area, and why they are proposing things like the stadium and the modern streetcar.

If this is what Albuquerque wants it just makes no sense at all to build a stadium 10 or 15 miles away from the city's core.

I'm sure many studies and alot of thought has gone into the decision to propose an arena in that area.

I don't think these ideas and proposals are solely based on what's happened (as far as development), or what people are used to in Albuquerque thus far. They're also based on the potential benefits they can have on the city.

Without this foresight it seems that cities stagnate and it's citizens begin to have lower expectations for what their city can become.

Albuquerque and Phoenix are two completely different cities. I'd like to think that Albuquerque is starting to move in a direction that will allow it to break away from a pattern where development has a 98 percentile dependancy on cars.

It seems that there are many people and public officials (surprisingly) that want to increase the percentage of development that is more pedestrian oriented and less dependent on automobiles.

If these plans are backed and they come to fruition Albuquerque could become even more unique in the western US and Albuquerquens will tend to expect more high quality projects, that will only enhance the face of the city.

I tottally agree.

and another thing is , just cause Phoenix's downtown is dead it dosent mean ours will, Phoenix has had poor planning all along, there are so many cities that have downtown stadiums and a few others having theirs built, I dont understand why someone would expect a city to place their arena on the outskirts of town.

Portales built their university football stadium halfway inbetween Clovis and Portales back in the day with the hopes of attracting the people from Clovis and they thought that one day Clovis and Portales might grow out towards each other, now it is still in the middle of nowhere and alot of people dont wanna drive out of town to go to a game, Im sure if it were in town more people would like to go.

[ABQSunseeker]

Couldn't disagree more. Stadiums tear out the urban fabric downtown and create dead zones. Most new urban planners with their emphasis on restoring vitality to pedestrian life don't include arenas and stadiums downtown. To do so, I think, is rearguard thinking, and Albuquerque needs to think creatively about its future. Phoenix is the model of urban planning we want to avoid, not replicate.

[Rob Martinez]

Denver has a downtown baseball stadium and arena, and their downtown is thriving.

It is incorrect to assume the Phoenix model is the only one, or yields the only true results of such a venture.

Albuquerque already has condos and apartments in the area, restaurants, movie theatre, etc.

If not a downtown arena and hotel, then what?

[rybert]

Denver is a pretty good model. I really enjoyed my visit there.

Of course they also have an amazing light-rail/multi-modal system.

We were staying in the Tech Center and road the light-rail Downtown... it was awesome!

[funkymonkey]

Originally Posted by Rob Martinez

Denver has a downtown baseball stadium and arena, and their downtown is thriving.

It is incorrect to assume the Phoenix model is the only one, or yields the only true results of such a venture.

Albuquerque already has condos and apartments in the area, restaurants, movie theatre, etc.

If not a downtown arena and hotel, then what?

How many people live in direct proximity to the stadium & arena in Denver?

Specifically, how far away from condos, etc. are the Denver arenas compared with those in Albuquerque and their relation to the proposed arena?

Last time I went in the area of Coors Stadium (admittedly a while ago) the area was completely dead. Sure, there were nice areas elsewhere, but not in direct proximity to the stadium.

[rybert]

LoDo seems to be a thriving area in Denver.