Downtown Baseball stadium talk firing up

KC_JAYHAWK · Post by **KC_JAYHAWK** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 8:14 am

Right, I'm with Grid, we don't have to abandon the Truman Sports Complex by building a new baseball stadium downtown. Arrowhead is/will be an icon in the likes of Soldier Field or Lambeau Field. It's fine where it is but needs some renovations. Put some money into Arrowhead, get it up to par with the newer stadiums and then build a smaller Wizards only stadium next to it. Maybe throw in a Bass Pro. Plus BP would love all that parking to display their boats/RV's. And then build a new baseball stadium between downtown and CC or perhaps even in the Vine/Jazz District.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 8:37 am

Yes keep Arrowhead isolated....it is meant to sit alone and be a beacon to tailgaters around the country.....that makes the atmosphere on Sundays

StL_Dan · Post by **StL_Dan** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 11:33 am

KC_JAYHAWK wrote:I don't see the rationale of pumping alot of money into an area that has not seen any development in 30 years when that money can be infused into a downtown project and help revitalize a downtown that's lacking entertainment. Rip out the seats of Kauffman, plus the Scoreboard and fountains and all you are left with is a big piece of poured concrete. Now take those seats, scoreboard, jumbotron and fountains and incorporate them into a new stadium downtown with the vision of developing the surrounding area with restaurants, bars, lofts and retail and you've got an exciting, vibrant downtown. Nothing in my mind will come from pumping money into the surrounding area of the Truman Sports complex except a bunch of people scratching their heads in wonderment.

BTW in place of Kauffman we could build a Wizards only complex or put a Bass Pro there next to a Kansas City Sports Museum.

WELL SAID.

If we are all pro downtown, what in God's name is so darn difficult to understand about needing a downtown baseball stadium?

StL_Dan · Post by **StL_Dan** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 11:41 am

bahua wrote:I agree, and I will further say that if any development took place hear the Truman Complex, it wouldn't really make sense, anyway. On foot, a person would have to walk a mile or more to simply leave the stadium grounds, and the area isn't very walkable anyway. They could make it walkable(spend money), but then there's still that mile or more.

If you ignore that, then you've got the problem that pre and post-game gathering places generally serve alcohol, and lots of it, often times. The current location of the Sports Complex is not within walking distance of anything except perhaps the Adam's Mark, a gas station or two, and a few hundred houses. It is not only built for driving in and driving out, it's located that way too.

With that in mind, it would be silly to create an entertainment district(spend money) that people have to drive to/from. The possibility of drunk driving is far too great. A stadium downtown would basically eliminate this obvious problem. Not to say that people wouldn't still drive drunk after a tough Royals loss- they just wouldn't have any excuse to do so.

Not because I get drunk before, during or after games, having a downtown baseball stadium would be another excellent light rail stop.

In my case, from Jo Co.

I'm not concerned about driving and parking downtown, I'd do it in a heartbeat if light rail weren't available to a downtown stadium, but the luxury of leaving my truck at home and taking a 2 or 3 dollar train ride downtown would be really nice.

We could walk to restaurants like Fiorellas or take the rail to Gates or over to 18th and Vine for a visit before or after a game then head back to the plastic prairie.

tat2kc · Post by **tat2kc** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:46 pm

I am concerned about a stadium at the washington park. The building nearest the park are being actively converted to lofts, or are otherwise occupied. How much space in the crossroads would have to be set aside JUST for the stadium, not including parking? Am I correct in thinking that the stadium itself could stretch from Pershing Rd. to past 20th St? I may be thinking too big, but aren't we talking about 9 sq. blocks at minimum? Maybe I am wrong, but wouldn't a ballpark sited in that area stretch wider that the space available between main and grand?

Let's say the entrance was at Pershing Rd, in Washington Park. How far north would a baseball stadium stretch, at minimum?

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:03 pm

Find the financing and a location that won't destroy a significant amount of KC history, and find financing and a new use for Kauffman...I'll support a downtown stadium.

KCDevin · Post by **KCDevin** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:18 pm

a new use? you mean for the current kauffman? why not Minor League Baseball? Then create Royals Stadium (a good name

) downtown.

Brooksider · Post by **Brooksider** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 10:25 pm

I'm all for a downtown stadium like most of you and think the K should have been built there in the first place, But I won't vote for any tax to build a new one downtown since there is nothing wrong with the present stadium.