1.9 million people and sports team... (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: 2009, houses, to buy)

[xGrendelx]

According to Forbes, Virginia Beach's population growth is all but slowing down. We're expected to have 1.9 million people in the area by 2030 and very likely to have a professional sports team by then. I knew we were growing, but I had no clue we were supposed to approach 2 million people any time soon. Anyone else feel like we're really unprepared for that? Maybe in 20 years we'll be able to handle that kind of population, but we better get crackin'.

Here's the article:

America's Next Sports Cities - Forbes.com

[SiestaBay]

I don't see it happening really soon. Our infrastructure is severely lacking and getting through to people around here when it comes to growth is like bashing your head into a brick wall.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

According to Forbes, Virginia Beach's population growth is all but slowing down. We're expected to have 1.9 million people in the area by 2030 and very likely to have a professional sports team by then. I knew we were growing, but I had no clue we were supposed to approach 2 million people any time soon. Anyone else feel like we're really unprepared for that? Maybe in 20 years we'll be able to handle that kind of population, but we better get crackin'.

Here's the article:

America's Next Sports Cities - Forbes.com

Here are things that will guarantee the area never gets a team.

1. The "area" is comprised of 7 large independent cities. Most professional towns are one major city, surrounding by much smaller suburbs, and are all within the boundaries of one county. For instance, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Miami, and Kansas City are either just as big as Va. Beach or smaller, but those cities dont have to worry about negotiating with Norfolk, or Newport News. Miami-Dade County decides to build a stadium in Miami, Fulton County decides to build one in Atlanta, or Clay County decides to pop one in Kansas City, and the whole 2 million plus metro area automatically is forced on board.

2. The "area" is largely in poverty. If you scissor out Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, every other city has median household income far below the national average. Are there enough rich people to buy $50 NBA tickets every night? Doubt it.

3. The "area" has no major corporate presence. Not only is this painful for college grads to deal with, that means no major corporate ad dollars, luxury box licenses, corporate meetings, half time sponsorships, blah blah blah. Who is going to pony up tens of thousands of dollars for a corporate box? Mom and Pops Hot Dogs? Yeah, thats not happening.



As for the area handling that many people.......it better get "crackin'" building affordable housing. Unfortunately, the large stock of 250k+ houses arent cutting it.

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

Here are things that will guarantee the area never gets a team.

1. The "area" is comprised of 7 large independent cities. Most professional towns are one major city, surrounding by much smaller suburbs, and are all within the boundaries of one county. For instance, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Miami, and Kansas City are either just as big as Va. Beach or smaller, but those cities dont have to worry about negotiating with Norfolk, or Newport News. Miami-Dade County decides to build a stadium in Miami, Fulton County decides to build one in Atlanta, or Clay County decides to pop one in Kansas City, and the whole 2 million plus metro area automatically is forced on board.

2. The "area" is largely in poverty. If you scissor out Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, every other city has median household income far below the national average. Are there enough rich people to buy $50 NBA tickets every night? Doubt it.

3. The "area" has no major corporate presence. Not only is this painful for college grads to deal with, that means no major corporate ad dollars, luxury box licenses, corporate meetings, half time sponsorships, blah blah blah. Who is going to pony up tens of thousands of dollars for a corporate box? Mom and Pops Hot Dogs? Yeah, thats not happening.



As for the area handling that many people.......it better get "crackin'" building affordable housing. Unfortunately, the large stock of 250k+ houses arent cutting it.

I can see where you're coming from, but the article only talks about Virginia Beach. No where does it say anything about the other cities of Hampton Roads, so the 1.9 million people and the possibility of a sports team coming here is exclusively directed at Va Beach. Sorry if I confused you by saying the "area". I meant MY area, which is Va Beach.

[damian]

the 1.9 million is for "metro" virginia beach including all the other localities in Hampton Roads. And please cite that this area is largely in "poverty". The percentages are no greater when you look at the metro area than any other metropolitan area in the country. The biggest reason for the lack of a sports team is not the "7 cities" thing but rather because the population here is so transient because of the military and government. Most people that move here come from other areas with sports teams, thus their allegiance is for their home team.

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by damian

the 1.9 million is for "metro" virginia beach including all the other localities in Hampton Roads. And please cite that this area is largely in "poverty". The percentages are no greater when you look at the metro area than any other metropolitan area in the country. The biggest reason for the lack of a sports team is not the "7 cities" thing but rather because the population here is so transient because of the military and government. Most people that move here come from other areas with sports teams, thus their allegiance is for their home team.

Where did you see 1.9 mil for the "metro" Va Beach? The metro population is already 1.8 mil. I can't really see why 100,000 more people spread over all of Hampton Roads would really make that much of a difference, so much that Forbes would take notice and actually bet on our area as one of the next sports areas.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by damian

the 1.9 million is for "metro" virginia beach including all the other localities in Hampton Roads. And please cite that this area is largely in "poverty". The percentages are no greater when you look at the metro area than any other metropolitan area in the country. The biggest reason for the lack of a sports team is not the "7 cities" thing but rather because the population here is so transient because of the military and government. Most people that move here come from other areas with sports teams, thus their allegiance is for their home team.

According to this sites estimates

Norfolk Median income- 40,701
Newport News- 45,359
Portsmouth- 44,374
Hampton- 46,571

Why dont we compare that, to say, Fulton County, which has a $58,837 median income or how about Allgheny County in Pennsylvania $46,401, or Hamilton County, Ohio, $48,416.

The percentages are grossly different. Norfolk, VA is one of the lowest median income cities over 150k people in the COUNTRY.

The only major league counties that are financially worse off then the Hampton Roads area and around the same size population wise that I found were Denver County, CO (home of Denver), Oklahoma County, OK (home of Oklahoma City), and Cayuhoga County, OH (home of Cleveland), and Jackson County, MO (home of Kansas City), Allegheny County (home of Pittsburgh).

However, the Denver County metro area has almost 2.5 million people (a figure the Hampton Roads area will not likely reach until 2050ish), Jackson County is just part of the Kansas City metro area which is home to almost 2 million (and they also can barely support anything other then the Chiefs). Allegheny County has about the same number of people, and about the same median income, however, is home to a number of fortune 500 companies, but still barely supports anything outside of the Steelers.


As for the transient thing, and people having other allegiences.....thats complete bunk. That has nothing to do with anything. The Ravens moved right in to Redskins territory and carved out a huge fan base. The Baltimore-Washington DC area has more out of area born residents then Hampton Roads according to this site. The transient nature of the population would be one of the last things someone would consider when planning a relocation of a sports franchise.

The top 3 are

1. Lack of corporate presence
2. Lack of affluent population
3. Lack of financing and stadium (largely due to infighting amongst the seven cities)

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

I can see where you're coming from, but the article only talks about Virginia Beach. No where does it say anything about the other cities of Hampton Roads, so the 1.9 million people and the possibility of a sports team coming here is exclusively directed at Va Beach. Sorry if I confused you by saying the "area". I meant MY area, which is Va Beach.

Virginia Beach will NEVER reach 1.9 million people. It took over 40 years to get half a million, and take a look at all of the cities with more people....you notice something? Huge corporate presence, thriving down towns, museums, culture, athletics, thriving universities.......while Virginia Beach continues to be an overpopulated resort, except it lacks the weather and culture value of other overpopulated resorts such as Orlando, Miami, and Honolulu.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

Here are things that will guarantee the area never gets a team.

1. The "area" is comprised of 7 large independent cities. Most professional towns are one major city, surrounding by much smaller suburbs, and are all within the boundaries of one county. For instance, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Miami, and Kansas City are either just as big as Va. Beach or smaller, but those cities dont have to worry about negotiating with Norfolk, or Newport News. Miami-Dade County decides to build a stadium in Miami, Fulton County decides to build one in Atlanta, or Clay County decides to pop one in Kansas City, and the whole 2 million plus metro area automatically is forced on board.

2. The "area" is largely in poverty. If you scissor out Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, every other city has median household income far below the national average. Are there enough rich people to buy $50 NBA tickets every night? Doubt it.
3. The "area" has no major corporate presence. Not only is this painful for college grads to deal with, that means no major corporate ad dollars, luxury box licenses, corporate meetings, half time sponsorships, blah blah blah. Who is going to pony up tens of thousands of dollars for a corporate box? Mom and Pops Hot Dogs? Yeah, thats not happening.



As for the area handling that many people.......it better get "crackin'" building affordable housing. Unfortunately, the large stock of 250k+ houses arent cutting it.

Actually, Suffolk's median income is about 59,000. I checked.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Actually, Suffolk's median income is about 59,000. I checked.

That is true, but that is mostly because the rich people (who probably would call Virginia Beach home a few decades ago) are moving out to Suffolk, because its a little cheaper to build their mansions. Every wealthy person I know lives in Suffolk, or in Chesapeake right on the Suffolk border.

Suffolk still has a relatively small population, not large enough to signficantly sway the areas total income.