They are not building a new baseball park

Being around the city people you are correct. I really believe it would be the most surprising thing in my life if they did. You would not believe the winning on the last one.

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Just got back from watching John Anderson in concert in Chipley and one of all time favorite songs "Seminole Wind" was his last song and mentioning the gambling aspect you are 100% correct in that only the tribe can operate a casino.

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They are not building a new baseball park

 

Agreed.  There's absolutely no need.  The Baseball Grounds are a beautiful and still fairly new facility. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I don’t think you all are get my thinking. I’m not saying build a new baseball stadium just to build it. The one we have is more than fine.

 

However, if you want to build a soccer stadium, an option could be to just convert the baseball park into the new soccer stadium. Portland did this (minor league baseball park into a soccer stadium) to rave reviews and cost savings.

 

Only by going this route would there be a need for another baseball park.

 

Or you could just leave the baseball park as is an build a soccer stadium wherever else downtown. My suggestion was just addressing the thought that many I’ve talk to had about where each stadium would make the most sense to be placed. 

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

Just got back from watching John Anderson in concert in Chipley and one of all time favorite songs "Seminole Wind" was his last song and mentioning the gambling aspect you are 100% correct in that only the tribe can operate a casino.

 

 

It is true that at this time the only land-based casinos allowed in Florida are on Seminal property however, that’s very likely to change within the next few years.

 

Several times the gamming lobby has tried to get a casino bill passed. Each time the very strong Disney lobby has been able to kill the bill. But the votes are getting closer and closer so I can see the day when it passes.

 

Disney’s main concern is having casinos anywhere near their “family” business. I can respect that. I think a good compromise could be something like a 100 mile radius to buffer Disney and Orlando from the “evil” of casinos. This would not only keep Orlando our but also Tampa. It would allow them in South Florida and here. If Jax representatives are smart they’d try to broker a win/win deal like this. Allowing them in only certain places has already been discussed in Tallahassee but only with respects to South Florida because no one from Jax has spoken up and said what about us.  

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

I don’t think you all are get my thinking. I’m not saying build a new baseball stadium just to build it. The one we have is more than fine.

 

However, if you want to build a soccer stadium, an option could be to just convert the baseball park into the new soccer stadium. Portland did this (minor league baseball park into a soccer stadium) to rave reviews and cost savings.

 

Only by going this route would there be a need for another baseball park.

 

Or you could just leave the baseball park as is an build a soccer stadium wherever else downtown. My suggestion was just addressing the thought that many I’ve talk to had about where each stadium would make the most sense to be placed. 

 

I think the more realistic solution is that if the team builds a practice facility on the Shipyards that the new soccer stadium goes where the current practice fields are located.

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I noticed this too. This too me is similar to what New England did with Patriots Place. Being a small market team Orlando is wise for doing it and the Jags would be very wise to also do something with the Shipyards that could pay off for the franchise.

 

 

I really wish the Maxwell House and county jail weren’t across the street. Their presence in that prime spot is another eyesore on what should be a jewel area bridging downtown and the sports complex.  

 

 

Two very good points Generation J.

 

Completely agree about the similarity of Patriot Place.  I totally see Khan revamping downtown like Kraft did at Foxboro. 

 

I also see the Prison and Maxwell House as a microcosm of what is wrong with downtown.  Prime real estate taken up by a jail and a manufacturing plant.  First step for me would be to move the prison somewhere else. 

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60% of the Time...It works everytime...

They ought to use the Shipyards property and turn it into a world class dodgeball arena (that could double as a monster truck hall-of-fame facility).

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Nice work FBT... I kinda felt that the canvas roof would'nt come to fruition and I'm happy to feel good about the ship yard projects...


NH3...

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"AZANE"

I think the more realistic solution is that if the team builds a practice facility on the Shipyards that the new soccer stadium goes where the current practice fields are located.

Keep the practice fields as they are, incorporate an indoor practice field and a soccer facility on the ship yard property. That overall area would truly be an Sports Complex...


NH3...

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"AZANE"

Soccer stadiums? Baseball parks? 

 

Jacksonville is having to be extremely innovative to make the Jaguars competitive as a sports franchise, and you folks are wanting to add yet another sports franchise to the mix?

 

This city cannot support another pro team. And minor league teams just won't cover what it'll cost to build out the shipyards. 

 

Khan and whoever gets involved with this Shipyards project will have to be extremely creative to make it work. It has to make this part of Downtown Jacksonville a destination year round, not just for seasonal periods of time.

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Soccer stadiums? Baseball parks? 

 

Jacksonville is having to be extremely innovative to make the Jaguars competitive as a sports franchise, and you folks are wanting to add yet another sports franchise to the mix?

 

This city cannot support another pro team. And minor league teams just won't cover what it'll cost to build out the shipyards. 

 

Khan and whoever gets involved with this Shipyards project will have to be extremely creative to make it work. It has to make this part of Downtown Jacksonville a destination year round, not just for seasonal periods of time.

 

 

Point taken.

 

However, the area does now have a pro (albeit minor league) soccer team that either does now or will soon want a soccer specific stadium. I guess the question is how best to pay for it and what level of participation should the city/tax payers play? Some say no part. Some say a minimum part. Some say a major part. Boards like this is where people talk about it freely.

 

I for one think the city should be involved but I don’t want a stadium paid for 100% by the city like EverBank, the Baseball Grounds, and the arena. I think the days of local governments paying 100% of the cost to build stadiums/arenas are over. At least I hope so.

 

I’d love to see the Armada pay a sizable amount and corporate naming rights account for a big part as well to lessen any part the tax payers might need to contribute. 

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

Soccer stadiums? Baseball parks?


Jacksonville is having to be extremely innovative to make the Jaguars competitive as a sports franchise, and you folks are wanting to add yet another sports franchise to the mix?


This city cannot support another pro team. And minor league teams just won't cover what it'll cost to build out the shipyards.


Khan and whoever gets involved with this Shipyards project will have to be extremely creative to make it work. It has to make this part of Downtown Jacksonville a destination year round, not just for seasonal periods of time.

The city has an NASL team that starts play next year. It has to have a soccer stadium to play in.

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Point taken.

 

However, the area does now have a pro (albeit minor league) soccer team that either does now or will soon want a soccer specific stadium. I guess the question is how best to pay for it and what level of participation should the city/tax payers play? Some say no part. Some say a minimum part. Some say a major part. Boards like this is where people talk about it freely.

 

I for one think the city should be involved but I don’t want a stadium paid for 100% by the city like EverBank, the Baseball Grounds, and the arena. I think the days of local governments paying 100% of the cost to build stadiums/arenas are over. At least I hope so.

 

I’d love to see the Armada pay a sizable amount and corporate naming rights account for a big part as well to lessen any part the tax payers might need to contribute. 

 

And what kind of clout do the Jax Armada have that they can demand a soccer specific stadium? They're a minor league team. 

 

The Shipyards is a prime location that could really be a focal point of reviving downtown Jacksonville. Do we really want that utilized for a minor league team of a sport that is at best...5th out of the major team sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey)?

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The city has an NASL team that starts play next year. It has to have a soccer stadium to play in.

 

Then let them build it out of their own pocket somewhere else. Exactly what kind of huge-revenue event can a new soccer specific field generate that we can't already get from Veterans Stadium, ballpark, and Everbank field?

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Then let them build it out of their own pocket somewhere else. Exactly what kind of huge-revenue event can a new soccer specific field generate that we can't already get from Veterans Stadium, ballpark, and Everbank field?

What exactly has anybody said? All that was suggested was if the Jaguars build a practice facility on the Shipyards that the existing practice field would be a possible spot for a soccer stadium.


Its just a suggestion.

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And what kind of clout do the Jax Armada have that they can demand a soccer specific stadium? They're a minor league team.


The Shipyards is a prime location that could really be a focal point of reviving downtown Jacksonville. Do we really want that utilized for a minor league team of a sport that is at best...5th out of the major team sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey)?

There is pretty much a zero percent chance of a soccer stadium being built on the Shipyards.

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What exactly has anybody said? All that was suggested was if the Jaguars build a practice facility on the Shipyards that the existing practice field would be a possible spot for a soccer stadium.


Its just a suggestion.

 

It's a suggestion that doesn't make sense given what we're discussing here in this thread....which is what to do with the Shipyards. There's no reason for the city to build something new (either a baseball park or soccer field), and especially not at the Shipyards.

 

Let Armada figure out where to build their own stadium at.

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At some point... are we going to have Casinos and/or video poker like Waffle Houses?  How many of these things can people really support?  I'm not against gambling but these places are already in enough places.

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The Khan Years

Patience, Persistence, and Piss Poor General Managers.

The city has an NASL team that starts play next year. It has to have a soccer stadium to play in.

They don't "have to have a soccer stadium to play in."


I would imagine a high school facility could probably handle the anticipated crowds. Let's see how things go before we invest a dime into any sort of facility for minor league soccer.

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.