Stadium Update

keep going down state line past the water park and you'll run into it.

anyways everywhere is a dangerous part of town anymore anything can happen anywhere

 

Yeah, I was referring to the original STAR bonds, which cover the entire area. They were set up to bring the race track and surrounding retail, and redirect 100% of state and local sales tax. Kansas City simply can't compete with those incentives.

As for minor league, that's just my perspective. It's at the corner of the metro in an area that I think a lot of people think of as 1) far away and 2) a tourist trap. Maybe we can offer 2 for 1 night with the T-Bones.

Whether fair or not, a lot of people consider Legends to be another world when it comes to the KC metro. I'm sure we all hope to launch the Wizards to higher popularity and success with the launch of the new stadium. In order to do that, I think you need to integrate the team in to the local sports culture. Having the team out at Legends will severely hurt that, IMO.

 

The Grandview Triangle is on the south side of town which is an edge from where I sit. Legends is very accessible from most of NKC and JoCo, Lawrence and Topeka. Some group gets "alienated" no matter where you put it.

And, again, this is a moot discussion. OnGoal surely had the WyCo option all along, opted for Three Trails, and now THREE TRAILS IS NOT GOING TO WORK through no fault of OnGoal's. I had no problem at all with Three Trails, but if it is not going to be built arguing about which location is better is pointless. The best location is the one where the thing can actually be built, even if that was in Grain Valley or some other God-forsaken place like that

 

couldn't care less, i'm not one who gets offended on these boards. as my friend said once "internet boards are just a place where geeks go to bitch about shit".

and there are some really nice houses over there wasnt talking about that exact area and i probably got my distances mixed up.

 

right there is why i fell it's minor league there. that and this is why i fear it will be seen as minor league to all the other sports fans in town, well that and my own preconceived ideas of racing

 

And there are more people to the south and to the east of the Bannister location than there are in the same area to the west and north of the Legends area. And with the population growth southward, the triangle isn' as close to the south end of town as it used to be.

The Wizards are a KC team, not a Lawrence or Topeka team, shouldn't they be focusing on making themselves accessable to those locations instead of Topeka or Lawrence, where there season ticket holder base is probably WAY smaller than the other areas.

You're right some group will, but you alienate fewer when the stadium location is surrounded b population, which the Legends area is not.

 

This is a good point.

One thing to remember is that people come to Legends. They come to shop. They come to eat. They go to the auto races, movies, etc.

They also come to Wizards games. We shouldn't overlook the fact that ownership notices the near-capacity crowds we get in a weird minor-league baseball stadium. I don't think it's too farfetched to believe that we couldn't get near capacity crowds with a state-of-the-art stadium in the same area. Everyone I talk to likes the area, the highway access, ability to grab food and drinks before and after the game, etc. That area has proved itself to the average, weary, skeptical person.

There's just as much room to build a whole complex out there eventually similar to the plans at Bannister.

I wonder if OnGoal hasn't been somewhat nervous about moving the team from an area where they are getting good support to an area with a questionable, surrounding area. No matter the development around it.

I don't see why they can't build and develop an impressive complex (near Legends) for years to come.

 

I think OnGoal agreed with your reasoning, They tried to get it to Three Trails. It is not going to happen. The debate here is no longer where the stadium goes. OnGoal has now gone through two locations with no success. I believe that if the Legends option does not pan out the Wizards will have to leave.

 

Not true either.

Grew up there. It's fine.

 

No argument that the debate is likely over (unless KC comes out of the wood work to sweeten the deal at Bannister, which is very unlikely), but I can still be upset that the location is on the edge of the metro area. I understand why they're changing locations, doesn't mean I have to be happy with it even if I will still drive out there no matter what.

 

Somebody needs to get us a bigger picture of that stadium rendering.

 

I would add that the advantage of the Bannister site from its central location is somewhat offset by the risk that the retail portion of that development would fail (a risk that explains why it can't even be built in the first place). Even if Three Trails got built, I am not sure the soccer piece alone can sustain the retail piece long term. And if the retail side fails, the Wizards could be much worse off than if they had never built the thing.

Whether one loves or hates Valley West, it has the racetrack and the T-Bones, plus two retail locations, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela's, that are tourist draws in their own right. By being a fifth piece to the puzzle, the Wizards' development just adds to an already strong mix rather than carrying the whole load. I think it is much more economically secure location for that reason.

 

FYP

The stadium property is literally next door to the city limits.

 

I am ready to get out of CA park now! I has been an acceptable interim location, but playing on a too-small field in a baseball park is really "minor league". The only way the Wizards are going to grow and build their program into a truly major league operation is to build the stadium NOW! If that means the Legends, then I am 100% behind the decision.

Everyone makes good arguments, about pros and cons, but the bottom line is if you are a true soccer fan, you will be there. If you are just looking to go because its close and you have nothing else to do,,,,,well just stay home.

I have never had a bad experience at the Legends. Great food, entertainment, excellent access, and an area that shows no slowing because of the economy. Go with a winner, especially when they want you and are willing to pay for it!

 

It is sad that the number one tourist destination in Kansas is that Cabela's. No shit.

It would make good business sense to build your stadium near that.

I do agree with a lot of the sentiment on here about it being on the outskirts of the city.
A centralized location would be great. Just north of Crown Center, east of the Freighthouse would be badass.

I also have no problem with people on the Missouri side being upset that it's leaving the state all together. I was disappointed when JoCo voted it down and it moved to Missouri. If I lived in Missouri, I'd be mad about Kansas getting all those dollars when it was supposed to be at Bannister.

But at this point, I just want the stadium done. I want it done right, but location doesn't matter to me. There's nowhere to put it centrally. It will have to go where it fits. And having a government willing to make it happen is very important.

 

I live in Excelsior Springs and it takes me about 30-40 minutes to get to the CAB. The ideal place for me would be Riverside because they have all that room just on the north side of 635 after crossing the river from Kansas. However, I would rather it move to where retail has shown to be successful instead of trying to build something from scratch. Let's just hope that they build it right and market it right. That is the key to being successful.

 

The Dallas North Tollway?

And that doesn't even take into account the utter cluster******** that is egress from PHP.

I'm sure that it may have improved since I've last been there, but I know that our first trip out there was a total nightmare, and I nearly missed my flight after MLS Cup 2005.

 

i liked that area as well when i lived in riverside but the lack of roads there would be a nightmare, flood plane, and it seems with all the infrastructure work they have something planned for it already

 

It looks like the proposed BRT line would essentially take over the current Minnesota/State Avenue Route (Route 101) - I take this route a couple of times a week to work and it is already convenient and generally on time - that a proposed BRT line that streamlines the route further shows that perhaps the Unified govt. is, in fact, the govt. body that wants development.

Unless the plan would include a downtown stadium with city views etc. I don't really see the difference between putting the stadium at one outdoor shopping/employment area over another - that is, except, that Wyco seems to want the stadium and KCMO doesn't. As I said earlier, how long does it really take to demolish an already deserted mall?

 

I'm not sure when you take the 101, but for me, it's rarely on time..

I would hope that the BRT line would not replace the 101, but rather act more like the existing MAX and the South Oak - with the South Oak providing more local stops along basically the same route.

And (to keep it stadium related) that would be a great way to get downtown fans to the game - I'd even be able to convince my wife to do it if it wouldn't take 90 minutes from the southern terminus of the MAX.