I haven't read the document yet, but it's our own little Xmas miracle that its even completed. The Sun has a brief article. The Maryland Stadium Authority site has the complete study as well as a press release on the study. The press release link seems a bit wonky so I'd just read the 125 page study and skip the fluff piece. Not sure if it will be much of a page-turner but it does include a bit of stadium porn which is always nice.
I think the upshot of the study is that the better fit for Baltimore is the smaller DII stadium. The larger stadium is contingent on too many things and the level of corporate interest wasn't very high. There is some question as to the viability of the Carroll-Camden site given the inability to build out a series of rec fields to support youth tournaments as part of the income generating program.
Why does this report really matter... there is no team looking to be here - unless you believe another Pete Medd lie about waiting it out a year. They can't really think they can come back. No one will support them in this area and I haven't heard of any other groups who are interested. Its too bad b/c it could have good here.
I think one needs to read between the lines to find the important point of the study. I think it is trying to say that neither alternative -- moving DCU to Baltimore, or developing a smallish stadium for Crystal Palace Baltimore stands a good chance of success. It seems to me that the study is (discreetly) recommending a approach midway between those two. Get a D2 team with a better business model/track record than CPB has, and build an 8 to 15K seat SSS (with supporting facilities) for it in Westport! Of course the study doesn't say that -- it can't -- that wasn't one of proposed options; but I think that opinion comes through quite strongly when you read the various analyses.
Agreed. The Westport site is the better site as plans for a hotel, ofices and the like was already proposed to join a stadium there. The extra youth/tournament fields, while a nice idea and a potential revenue boost for any team, would force the stadium to be moved too far from the city center to make a pro team successful. I believe the Freedom wouldn't be having as many issues if they weren't all the way out in Germantown. An 8k stadium with potential to expand would be a good design. The parking issue would be addressed by the access to light rail at Westport as well as garages that would come with other development. Merge the plan with US Lacrosse, build a tournament facility with extra fields on the east side of Baltimore County and then go hat in hand around town trying to find money to do all this with the Arena/Convention Center likely to garner more private financing then another stadium would.
I can't believe I'm reading and responding to this thread as it relates to a possibility of a stadium for the CP organization. Hogwash. There is an undercurrent that CP is now facing legal action by a group of its creditors. A stadium can't/won't be approved without a viable tenant. A new USSF D2 team must emerge with solid management and at least 5 yrs. financing guaranteed before the City/State can take the leap (esp. with the new indoor Arena on the docket). A substantial amount of private funding would also be needed as the public sector budgets are already strapped and there are seemingly better options for bond sales than a new minor league soccer stadium lacking a viable tenant. However, CP does have franchise rights to Baltimore, so new ownership could emerge to entice the new stadium development. We're talking 2-3 years for completion though (Note: Montreal allegedly built its soccer stadium in 1 year). So a temporary stadium venue would be needed. There is no suitable venue in the city and a team would have the same problem as CP did in drawing a loyal and substantial fan base.
Loyola's new place is a great facility with a nice view towards Remington/Charles Village. The only real problems are no mass transit link (it's a bit of a hike from the cold spring light rail stop) not much parking on site (900 spaces for a 6k seat facility is lower then the recommended 3-1 ratio for seats to cars) potential conflicts with Loyola sports events and summer camps, and not many immediate pre/post match watering holes unless you re-cross the JFX. Rent could also be a concern but I have no idea what that might be so I'm not counting that. If the fan following ever exceeded parking capacity you'd have to bus people in from another site as the facility is located on a large hill with no real street parking nearby. Personally I'd be fine with it, I'd just show up early The parking issue will be a major factor no matter where you go though. Homewood field is a good facility but no real parking. Unitas stadium has parking at TU. Morgan has a nice facility as well and a parking garage next to the field. Each of the CCBC campuses have a stadium and parking would be fine on weekends not so much on week nights. With all the facilities Baltimore has I'd like to see an effort made to garner a world youth or concacaf tourney. Maybe even the Pan Am Games. Though I think we're light on aquatic and velodrome facilities to host the latter. Just dreaming again.
Looks like there will be no development on this...whatsoever. Vision is required; I could spend some time here on a discourse betwixt myself and the current mayoralty on this very question - vision - but that would be cruel.
Jay Brodie (BDC) is on Dan Rodrick's show right now and he basically just declared the small stadium part of the study to be a non-starter. He said that the math didn't work.
That's what I thought the study outlined, and this confirmed it. So it's either DC United in Baltimore, or nothing.
Not overly familiar with the Baltimore area, so humor me with this question, ok guys? Are you saying that without a new stadium being built, there is no feasible place for a D2 Baltimore team to play?
No, they could work out a deal with any number of local colleges. For instance, they had been playing matches at UMBC, which isn't in the city, but they could probably work something out at Loyola's new facility, or even at Hopkins. None of those are ideal for a soccer club looking to operate a profitable operation though, because they would be tenants and not owners.