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Are you suggesting that a places like Clive's and Kintaro aren't walking distance from the NSC Stadium?
Are there places that are closer to the proposed Minneapolis stadium site?
I had this same discussion on another forum. Eventually the millennial posters admitted they just don't like Blaine. It's considered "conservative", you have to drive to get there, etc. The bottom line is Blaine isn't hip & trendy. I suggested St Paul. Why not work with the new CHS stadium where the Saints will play in DT St Paul? New stadium could be adapted, they only play there part of the year, right on the new Green Line, plenty of places to hang out before the games, etc. No, no, no. that was too far from Minneapolis. Then I suggested the old Midway Stadium site or somewhere in that area where land is cheap, unlike DT Mpls? I noted that the Midway location would have built in fan bases from the local Asian & African communities, it also has lot's of college students over there & a nice little hipster scene as well. You step off the Green Line and there are several bars/restaurants to choose from, plus it'd be cheaper and more accessible to both DT's. Nope. Bottom line was the millenials claimed this is "their" team and they want it in the trendiest, most expensive part of the Metro area and frankly....they want you to pay for it & stop being a grouch about it too.
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
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Stadiums out in suburbs just aren't going to become a thing. People such as myself prefer going to downtown Minneapolis or St Paul rather then going to somewhere like Blaine. Not to mention it's so much easier for everyone to pour into the center of the metro rather then putting it out in Blaine or Plymouth or whereveer.
Same exact reason why the majority of things like the Guthrie (Also publicly funded, not just stadiums), Science Museum (also publicly funded), Sculpture Park (again, public funding has been spent on this) and all the other museums and tourist attractions are in Minneapolis or St Paul and not out in Medina or Farmington.
Now I know someone will mention Mall of America, please note I said the majority, NOT EVERYTHING. And the location of the mall had a lot to do with the location of the land available right next to the airport. Theres plenty of things out in the suburbs, but theres a reason why most of the biggest, most popular attractions are in the two core Cities, Minneapolis and St Paul, and not out in Blaine nor Plymouth nor Andover.
Stadiums out in suburbs just aren't going to become a thing. People such as myself prefer going to downtown Minneapolis or St Paul rather then going to somewhere like Blaine. Not to mention it's so much easier for everyone to pour into the center of the metro rather then putting it out in Blaine or Plymouth or whereveer.
Same exact reason why the majority of things like the Guthrie (Also publicly funded, not just stadiums), Science Museum (also publicly funded), Sculpture Park (again, public funding has been spent on this) and all the other museums and tourist attractions are in Minneapolis or St Paul and not out in Medina or Farmington.
Now I know someone will mention Mall of America, please note I said the majority, NOT EVERYTHING. And the location of the mall had a lot to do with the location of the land available right next to the airport. Theres plenty of things out in the suburbs, but theres a reason why most of the biggest, most popular attractions are in the two core Cities, Minneapolis and St Paul, and not out in Blaine nor Plymouth nor Andover.
I see why you say that, but i personally was very disappointed when the Vikings turned down the Arden Hills site..... Downtown Minneapolis has a lot of amenities and all but i just don't agree with putting a huge 50,000 plus capacity stadium in a big compact city with horrible parking and poor public transportation....
Arden Hills would have had no public transit but it would made up for it with its good location and great parking.
Stadiums out in suburbs just aren't going to become a thing. People such as myself prefer going to downtown Minneapolis or St Paul rather then going to somewhere like Blaine. Not to mention it's so much easier for everyone to pour into the center of the metro rather then putting it out in Blaine or Plymouth or whereveer.
You can go downtown to multiple different stadiums now. Doesn't sharing some resources with people with different preferences make sense?
I'll point out that the United are drawing 9,000+ attendance now in a stadium that supposedly has a capacity of 8,500 (maybe that figure is old?). There is a market of people who do attend games in the current location.
You can go downtown to multiple different stadiums now. Doesn't sharing some resources with people with different preferences make sense?
I'll point out that the United are drawing 9,000+ attendance now in a stadium that supposedly has a capacity of 8,500 (maybe that figure is old?). There is a market of people who do attend games in the current location.
I think the point with the proposed soccer stadium is that it will not be a publicly-built stadium. Downtown Minneapolis is the hub of the metro area, and the stadium's location is where the team's owners want it to be.
I assume, that like all business owners, the team's ownership group has done its due diligence in regards to the location, fan base, accessibility features, and nearby amenities which they feel best meets their needs.
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
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Yes, there is a market in their current location. I got tickets next weekend myself and if the schedule didn't often conflict with my work schedule i'd be attending a lot more. Theres no denying downtown Mpls or St Paul is a much more desirable location, especially among the target demographic.
I followed this religiously for the past few years, unlike most people who probably had no clue we were getting a pro soccer team (nor knew we even had a soccer team of any kind) until they saw it in the headlines. The league has all the leverage. A big reason they went with Minnesota (over other competing markets like Sacramento and Las Vegas) and the group led by McGuire is because they were going with their own stadium in one of the trendiest, most popular (theres a reason why downtown Minneapolis and not Blaine is one of the most popular areas in the metro) Theres a few exceptions like Seattle and Atlanta, but in general MLS wants their own stadiums along with every other pro sports league (and you would too if you were commissioner of a pro sports league, whether you admit it or not)
The press conference at Target Field (that I watched live on their website) when they announced Minnesota was awarded the expansion team, Dan Garber, the commissioner, kept talking about soccer specific stadiums. The league has the leverage, if Minnesota is unable to reach a deal to get the stadium built, we will lose the team and it will go to another market who is willing to get a stadium built. We don't have leverage, we can't just be like "Oh looks like a stadium isn't happening guess MLS will have to be happy with Blaine"
Nope, they'll just take the expansion team away.
Not to mention this stadium is going to be privately funded, they just want the same tax breaks given to every other business (Best Buy, Target, 3M, Target Center, New Vikings Stadium, Xcel Center, Target Field, Guthrie Theatre, Science Museum, etc.) so yeah they obviously can choose where they want it.
Hypothetically, if the political opposition to building and/or subsidizing a new soccer-specific stadium for the Minnesota United FC is too strong to overcome, what happens? Does MLS then re-award the franchise to the Wilfs, who had the new Vikings stadium designed to work as a soccer stadium? Or do they re-award the franchise to another market?
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bowen
Hypothetically, if the political opposition to building and/or subsidizing a new soccer-specific stadium for the Minnesota United FC is too strong to overcome, what happens? Does MLS then re-award the franchise to the Wilfs, who had the new Vikings stadium designed to work as a soccer stadium? Or do they re-award the franchise to another market?
Hypothetically, If that were to happen they will look at the Wilf group and any other competing markets and ownership groups, weigh their options and go with what they think is the best business decision for their business, just like the first time when it was between McGuire, The Wilfs, Sacramento and Las Vegas.
But yeah. Most likely something will get worked out. McGuire, Pohlads and Glen Taylor didn't come this far and are funding the stadium and the expansion franchise fee, they won't let a few millions in tax breaks be a deal breaker, they'll find a way, McGuire has already said he's open to letting the city own the stadium if need be. And Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, didn't award them the team if he wasn't confident they can't get something done. And it's worth noting as well that Minnesota hasn't ever rejected any previous stadium proposals, so most likely we aren't going to end up rejecting this one.
Last edited by Radical_Car; 05-23-2015 at 02:46 PM..
Yes, there is a market in their current location. I got tickets next weekend myself and if the schedule didn't often conflict with my work schedule i'd be attending a lot more. Theres no denying downtown Mpls or St Paul is a much more desirable location, especially among the target demographic.
I followed this religiously for the past few years, unlike most people who probably had no clue we were getting a pro soccer team (nor knew we even had a soccer team of any kind) until they saw it in the headlines. The league has all the leverage. A big reason they went with Minnesota (over other competing markets like Sacramento and Las Vegas) and the group led by McGuire is because they were going with their own stadium in one of the trendiest, most popular (theres a reason why downtown Minneapolis and not Blaine is one of the most popular areas in the metro) Theres a few exceptions like Seattle and Atlanta, but in general MLS wants their own stadiums along with every other pro sports league (and you would too if you were commissioner of a pro sports league, whether you admit it or not)
The press conference at Target Field (that I watched live on their website) when they announced Minnesota was awarded the expansion team, Dan Garber, the commissioner, kept talking about soccer specific stadiums. The league has the leverage, if Minnesota is unable to reach a deal to get the stadium built, we will lose the team and it will go to another market who is willing to get a stadium built. We don't have leverage, we can't just be like "Oh looks like a stadium isn't happening guess MLS will have to be happy with Blaine"
Nope, they'll just take the expansion team away.
Not to mention this stadium is going to be privately funded, they just want the same tax breaks given to every other business (Best Buy, Target, 3M, Target Center, New Vikings Stadium, Xcel Center, Target Field, Guthrie Theatre, Science Museum, etc.) so yeah they obviously can choose where they want it.
If these are the same tax breaks given to every other business, then why do they need special legislation from the Minnesota Legislature to get things done? The "privately funded" line seems to me to be rhetoric/marketing to make people think that public money isn't funding the stadium, public money is just being given to the people funding the stadium. That hardly seems to be a distinction in any practical sense.
I also don't much care about whether the team is MLS or not. I'd prefer to go to a lower cost game where I can sit closer to the action, particularly when the level of play isn't clearly all that different (5-5 between leagues in U.S. Open Cup last year).
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