Soccer Stadium in Minneapolis (cancelled)

[nfschauer]

Looks like there are currently two businesses there from Google Street View. If built, they would need to relocate or those small businesses would be out of work. The light rail would be going buy there as well, which could be an argument for the new stadium.

[Beachclub]

The Farmers' Market is one of my favorite places in Minneapolis. It attracts a large group of people from a variety of backgrounds on a daily basis for 8 months out of the year. It is the largest open air market in the Upper Midwest and it is on my list of must visit places for visitors. I believe a large part of its success is due to decades of stability, I mean, this place has been in operation since 1937, generations of people have the Farmers' Market as a shared experience. The market is the kind of thing that can anchor an entire neighboorhood and make it unique.

I'm all for bringing the MLS to Minneapolis, preferably in a soccer specific stadium. My biggest desire is that whatever is built strengthens and adds to the Minneapolis Farmers' Market in its current location, and doesn't attempt to move it. Something like Providence Park in Portland would be about perfect.

[holmstar]

Everything I've read states that if the soccer specific stadium were built, the farmers market would stay. Nobody is talking about moving it.

[Beachclub]

I guess my previous post should have specified that I was responding to this:

If this were to happen, I'd want to see a pretty substantial plan for redeveloping the entire Farmers Market / West Loop / Royalston Station area, including relocation of the Farmers Market to the Yard/Armory.

I agree completely with twincitizen that a soccer specific stadium near the farmers market could serve as a catalyst for redevelopment of the Farmers Market / West Loop / Royalston Station area, and that such a redevelopment should have a well-thought-out plan. (I'd hate to see a suburban style stadium surrounded by parking, like Toyota Stadium in Texas, plopped down next to Target Field.) I disagree, however, that the plan should include a relocation of the Farmers' Market to Downtown East. Lets support the farmers market where it developed on its own.

[dingo]

If this were to happen, I'd want to see a pretty substantial plan for redeveloping the entire Farmers Market / West Loop / Royalston Station area, including relocation of the Farmers Market to the Yard/Armory.

That said, can the soccer team really not play at any of our existing stadiums? (TCF, Vikings, Target Field??) I don't care if it's ideal...just can it be done? We are really, embarrassingly bad at this stadium stuff. Huge mistake #1 was approving gobs of state money for TCF Bank Stadium without any discussion of the Vikings stadium needs. Actually, it was tearing down Memorial stadium and becoming the only Big Ten University to not have its own on campus stadium. The smart thing is realizing that mistake and correcting it. That's as shortsighted as it gets. Huge mistake #2 was not moving the T-Wolves to St. Paul, and instead spending $100MM to renovate Target Center when it should have been torn down. I would go one step further and say that Xcel should not of been built and the Hockey team should of moved into a renovated Target Center. Hence not having to build Xcel. The second one is obviously debatable (since the T-Wolves may not have wanted to go to St. Paul and who could blame them), but the Vikings and Gophers not sharing a football stadium is just insane. The metrodome site is literally adjacent to campus, and now directly linked by rail. A separate on-campus stadium is not worth the several hundred millions of dollars in public and student funds.

Interesting Take... Here are my thoughts on the same subject. I guess its all how someone looks at it, and what their priorities are.

[Wedgeguy]

From what I know, Mary's Place is owner by her, and they would have to do an eminent domain to get any of her property. She said a few years ago that she will not move or sell, so they would look pretty bad trying to take any of her property. They will have to due like the Twins did and get the most out of a small piece of land and not expect some grand Stadium footprint.

[TroyGBiv]

I think that we are probably saturated with stadium/arenas in the downtown. It is a lot of space dedicated to limited use. The whole warehouse district should focus on residences - another stadium in that area will leave the neighborhood streets empty most night of the year. I am not trying to be negative - if you look at land use this area a soccer stadium will work against the much needed density and diverse uses. It would be great to use the vikings or TCF stadium. Just my two cents... I do want to soccer franchise here - I used to go to the Minnesota Kicks all the time!

[BigIdeasGuy]

Ultimately the decision on whether or not the stadium will get built will be made by MLS and not by anyone local. Only they have the power to award a new franchise so they will have to make a decision at some point on which ownership group to go with. (This is assuming the Pohlad/McGuire group is able to put together the land needed to build the stadium which could be rather tricky considering that there will be many different owners of the land the stadium would be built on including the city.) I would give a slight edge to the Pohlad/McGuire group simply because MLS would much prefer a team playing outdoors in their own stadium compared to indoors in an NFL stadium.

[uptowncarag]

If this were to happen, I'd want to see a pretty substantial plan for redeveloping the entire Farmers Market / West Loop / Royalston Station area, including relocation of the Farmers Market to the Yard/Armory.

That said, can the soccer team really not play at any of our existing stadiums? (TCF, Vikings, Target Field??) I don't care if it's ideal...just can it be done? We are really, embarrassingly bad at this stadium stuff. Huge mistake #1 was approving gobs of state money for TCF Bank Stadium without any discussion of the Vikings stadium needs. That's as shortsighted as it gets. Huge mistake #2 was not moving the T-Wolves to St. Paul, and instead spending $100MM to renovate Target Center when it should have been torn down. The second one is obviously debatable (since the T-Wolves may not have wanted to go to St. Paul and who could blame them), but the Vikings and Gophers not sharing a football stadium is just insane. The metrodome site is literally adjacent to campus, and now directly linked by rail. A separate on-campus stadium is not worth the several hundred millions of dollars in public and student funds.

Sorry, TCF Bank Stadium was not a mistake. The Gophers and Vikings should not be sharing a stadium.

[go4guy]

^Agreed. They should have never shared one in the first place.

[FISHMANPET]

Is there a reason for that other than "dude, sports?"

[mattaudio]

How about the site across 7th from Mary's Place? Probably big enough.

[grant1simons2]

That's the trash burner. I can tell you right now that they would not be moving

[grant1simons2]

Hey can we combine these threads.. Cause there are 3 currently made

[David Greene]

That's the trash burner. I can tell you right now that they would not be moving

Not any time soon and not in time for an MLS sadium, but there are too many advantages to moving or dismantling it for that not to happen in, say, 20 years.

[mamundsen]

I was out of town this weekend... how was the soccer doubleheader at TCF this weekend???

I heard they were going to have over 30,000 tickets sold and real grass brought in for the game.

The other things I've heard before to consider. MLS wants outdoor soccer sized stadiums, which are roughly 1/2 the size of NFL. The season starts in early March and goes until early December. Those would be some COLD games.

[grant1simons2]

You know whats funny is that the more I scope out the area the more I see the perfect place for Marys Place to move if need be.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit? ... DDTGOMKD0s

Stupid little map I make. Should be noted that I cut half of that large building off because part of it is Stark and the other is up for lease. Stark could move to the North one and everyone could be happy. The article had mentioned a big plaza (I think) and Mary's place would fit perfectly in the empty lot that is not a park... for some reason.

Edit: Stadium footprint is 11.1 acres as apposed to bbva compass stadium in Texas which is 13.1 acres

[Nathan]

But what if they can’t make a go of it financially? What happens to the downtown soccer-specific stadium if they lose money and their team relocates or folds?

then we can build a Kmart there.

[mattaudio]

Sorry for my snarky garbage burner comment. I figured everyone had known I snark about that.

Regarding Mary's Place on Grant's map. First, that area west of 94 was "the projects" back in the day. I remember going through there growing up when I had relatives living in near north. They tore it all down in the late 90s. Granted, the replacement was suburbanism, but at least it was well thought out suburbanism. And as far as providing affordable housing that is more mixed-income and humanizing, they did a great job. I do think we have failed our poor by concentrating them away from view, whether Mary's Place / Salvation Army in Mpls or Dorothy Day in StP. It was probably the cities responsible for this through zoning and whatnot. But I hope we can decentralize these services a little more, and improve access rather than decrease it. Moving a major institution to the far side of the 94 viaduct seems like it would hurt access for people who need it the most.

[Didier]

Skipping back to TroyGBiv's post on page 1, I actually think this is an ideal location for a stadium and that the Vikings stadium probably should have been built here. Besides the area already having the infrastructure to host big events (ABC ramps, Target Field Station, Cedar Lake Trail), this area is not close to being a new residential enclave. With I-94 effectively putting a wall at the edge of downtown, a stadium is a fairly good use to abut that wall. What other significant building would want to go there?

By default, this stadium would not be used nearly as much as the other major stadia in the area. Part of this is due to natural grass, which can't take the same pounding as turf. Still, a conservative estimate is that an MLS team would have at least 20 dates per year, between preseason, regular season and tournaments. Combined with 81 Twins games, that gives the area activity basically all summer. I'd imagine the stadium could also have limited use hosting high school soccer games and, in theory, Minneapolis would be a solid market for the NWSL. Other MLS stadiums are also used for small college football, although off the top of my head the only local school that could possibly make sense is a high school, Cretin-Derham Hall. Outside of special events, though, only the MLS games would really be considered "major" events.

If this does happen, I think BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston is the likely model. It was an approximately $100 million stadium in an area (I think) is similar to this one, near the downtown baseball park but without much else going for it. The MLS team paid for the entire construction of the stadium, but public money went into the total cost in return for partial ownership.

Harris County Commissioners will take up the interlocal agreement Tuesday. Dynamo owners have promised to pay the estimated $60 million in stadium construction costs and the city and county have pledged $20 million toward infrastructure improvements around it. The county also agreed to pay the city $7.5 million, half the cost of the land, in exchange for the ability to jointly own the stadium after its expected completion date in April 2012.

Source: http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/arti ... 705689.php