Triple A Baseball Coming to El Paso! (Houston, Dallas: city hall, lease)

[katzpaw]

The Tiguas bought the Diablos last year and spent money sprucing up Cohen Stadium. The downtown deal a has a no compete clause so the Diablos will be kicked out of Cohen by 2016.

Why can't AAA use Cohen? Why build a new stadium downtown with insufficient parking - or is the plan for developers to benefit from paid parking garages?

[Ms Kitty 98]

Originally Posted by Chuco

I think the current location they are looking at is pretty good to me. It's in downtown, easy to get to and there is plenty of parking spaces in the area. Downtown needs this boost, and many business owners will be jumping up and down if this deal comes to pass. The Triple-A teams play about 70 home games a year, so there will be lots of fans lined up to finally see Triple A ball played here for our city and they will be spending time and money in downtown, which is great for its revitalization.

One of the conditions for moving the team here is that a stadium needs to be built by spring 2014 or 2015. The city already owns the city hall property and can move everyone out and tear down the city hall building and build a stadium all within the next two years if it wants to. The Paisano Cotton location that you are talking about is not owned by the city and maybe the railroad doesn't want to even sell that land now. The city and the sports group are on a timeline to build this stadium soon, or we can lose out on getting a team this time around. Lets say that the city buys up the railroad property and pays millions for the land you mentioned, the deal can also be delayed by many reasons and then the city would have to clear and clean the land from the railroads. It would probably cost the city many more millions than just tearing down the current city hall (that needs many repairs) and building a stadium all within a couple of years.

The city hall is a prime location and its almost ready to go, other areas such as the Paisano Cotton area are not. There are 32 triple A teams in America and they rarely go on sale, so you have to jump at the chance when a team does have a for sale sign out there. Other cities were competing with El Paso to get the Tucson team and if we don't get it now, there will be others who will jump to grab them. I applaud the Fosters and Hunts for working for two years to get us a team, and hopefully their hard work will pay off real soon.

Thank you there Chuco for sharing your insight view, the most important matter is to get the baseball team, especially since it is going to be a triple AAA team to El Paso. And you are probably right about the railroad land off Cotton and Paisano, this was just my own view if there was a possibility that the city could acquire that railroad property. If city hall is willing to relocate then the city will have to build a new city hall in the neighborhood of 100 million dollars. As for the property where the new stadium is being consider, the only parking would be at the convention center and at Paul Fosters new parking garage at the Mills building.
You have to take into consideration that the only other parking would be in the neighboring Sunset District, where the residents there might take up issues with people parking in front of their homes. As was the issue with the Kern Place neighborhood residents complaining about the Cincinnati party goers and the UTEP games as well.If you take a look at the El Paso Times demographics rendering of the playing field itself including the dugout stands, it takes up about 75% of the property. So there is not going to be much room for a stadium itself and let alone no room for future expansion at all. Maybe if the railroad company would allow the city to cover the Bataan Memorial between city hall and the civic center,giving it a little extra elbo room. Well what ever the outcome I hope that they do it right, and that we don't have to hear about the flaws a couple of years later just like they messed up the Cohen Stadium location back in the 80's.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

Why can't AAA use Cohen?

They could but the private sector (Foster & Hunt) bringing a AAA baseball team to El Paso was contingent on a modern downtown baseball stadium.

Second, various local reports have stated Cohen needs about 50 million in renovations to meet AAA standards.

Third, baseball games are not the endgame of this plan. Foster & Hunt and the City are following a model used in Reno and Oklahoma City to revitalize downtown. Using Cohen Stadium wouldn't work.

Originally Posted by katzpaw

Why build a new stadium downtown with insufficient parking - or is the plan for developers to benefit from paid parking garages?

We actually don't know there will be insufficient parking. That could, and probably will be, addressed in the plans for the stadium.

[Ms Kitty 98]

According to Pacific Coast League officials, they don't want to relocate a franchise in El Paso due to nearby violence! unfortunately, El Paso has to absorb another Francisco Cigarroa "University of Texas Chanchellor" style slap in the face, or could this be the fall out from Francisco's own mouth?

[Chuco]

Originally Posted by mistabinks

They could but the private sector (Foster & Hunt) bringing a AAA baseball team to El Paso was contingent on a modern downtown baseball stadium.

Second, various local reports have stated Cohen needs about 50 million in renovations to meet AAA standards.

Third, baseball games are not the endgame of this plan. Foster & Hunt and the City are following a model used in Reno and Oklahoma City to revitalize downtown. Using Cohen Stadium wouldn't work.

We actually don't know there will be insufficient parking. That could, and probably will be, addressed in the plans for the stadium.

I agree with everything you said there Mistabinks.

Plus, I am pretty sure that the city council wouldn't cancel the new stadium deal & bringing in the new Triple-A team just because there is insufficient parking spaces atm. They will make sure they get the stadium and the team and then worry about building garages or adding parking spaces wherever they can.

Originally Posted by Ms Kitty 98

Thank you there Chuco for sharing your insight view, the most important matter is to get the baseball team, especially since it is going to be a triple AAA team to El Paso. And you are probably right about the railroad land off Cotton and Paisano, this was just my own view if there was a possibility that the city could acquire that railroad property. If city hall is willing to relocate then the city will have to build a new city hall in the neighborhood of 100 million dollars. As for the property where the new stadium is being consider, the only parking would be at the convention center and at Paul Fosters new parking garage at the Mills building.
You have to take into consideration that the only other parking would be in the neighboring Sunset District, where the residents there might take up issues with people parking in front of their homes. As was the issue with the Kern Place neighborhood residents complaining about the Cincinnati party goers and the UTEP games as well.If you take a look at the El Paso Times demographics rendering of the playing field itself including the dugout stands, it takes up about 75% of the property. So there is not going to be much room for a stadium itself and let alone no room for future expansion at all. Maybe if the railroad company would allow the city to cover the Bataan Memorial between city hall and the civic center,giving it a little extra elbo room. Well what ever the outcome I hope that they do it right, and that we don't have to hear about the flaws a couple of years later just like they messed up the Cohen Stadium location back in the 80's.

You're welcome Ms Kitty, we need good conversations here about our city and this is a good one and a very important one IMO.

I'm sure the council and the sports group will be thinking about the parking spaces for sure. How else will get they get the people into the stands for the games? They will have a plan, I'm sure of that, but first and foremost we need to get the team and secure it for our city.

One other point is that we also need to remember that the city hall building is in need of many repairs. The last estimates to repair the building were around $12 million to fix all sorts of problems there. Just a couple years ago, the city officials were already talking about building a new city hall building after having so many problems at the current city hall.
The EP Times wrote about these problems a couple of years ago:
City Hall to get new building or renovation - El Paso Times

Last month KVIA also had this story on the possible relocation of a Triple A team and also why the city hall area is the prime spot for a new stadium.
City Hall Could Fall To Make Way For New Ballpark - News Story - KVIA El Paso

Ortega said clearing out of City Hall and bringing it down to build a ballpark could happen in the next eight to 16 months, and negotiating for another site downtown could take several years.

[Chuco]

Originally Posted by Ms Kitty 98

According to Pacific Coast League officials, they don't want to relocate a franchise in El Paso due to nearby violence! unfortunately, El Paso has to absorb another Francisco Cigarroa "University of Texas Chanchellor" style slap in the face, or could this be the fall out from Francisco's own mouth?

Do you have a link that shows this?

If what you say is true, then they will get to know us soon enough. We are the safest large city in the country for the second year in a row. The city officials from here and the sports group I am sure will let them know that. We are basically safer than any other Triple A city that is out there, they really have no need to worry.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by Ms Kitty 98

According to Pacific Coast League officials, they don't want to relocate a franchise in El Paso due to nearby violence! unfortunately, El Paso has to absorb another Francisco Cigarroa "University of Texas Chanchellor" style slap in the face, or could this be the fall out from Francisco's own mouth?

As Chuco said, do you have a link or a source?

Hey, we "educated" the UT Chancellor, no reason we can't school some PCL officials as well. Viva El Paso!

[Ms Kitty 98]

Hello again sorry for the delay, here is the link
Diablos Future Uncertain as City Mulls New Team, Stadium | KTSM News Channel 9

View the story with Beau Bagley about Isotpes Ballpark, Albuquerque, NM

[Ms Kitty 98]

Oh and by the way, Ms Kitty was the name of my cat who is now R.I.P.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by Ms Kitty 98

Hello again sorry for the delay, here is the link
Diablos Future Uncertain as City Mulls New Team, Stadium | KTSM News Channel 9

View the story with Beau Bagley about Isotpes Ballpark, Albuquerque, NM

Yeah, I had a hunch it was something similar to that.

I don't take offense to the comments at the end of the video. Take a look at the other Triple A markets - specifically those in the PCL. El Paso is definitely a smaller market. We have a lot to prove. I can't wait for the opportunity.

The concern about violence no longer phases me. The women's bowling championship had concerns. The CUSA basketball tournaments had concerns. Wash Rinse Repeat.

Heck, even I would believe El Paso was a war zone if all I had to go on was national articles. According to the Washington Post, helicopters were circling the Sun Bowl last Saturday in anticipation of drug cartel violence. Obviously that was a big fat lie. It is all a big "meh" to me at this point.