http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5118828 [Already started in MLS News, but thought a local thread was appropriate] For a longtime Fairpark supporter, it's all coming full circle. Please, God, let this happen!
From that article: I just called the City Council's Office. This will be an open session, open to the public. Meeting is at 12:15 in the council chambers of the City and County Bldg.
I hope someone gets video of it. I want to see the RSL supporters verbally beat down any opponents to the stadium plan. Because you know some old anti tax blue hairs will show up.
We all cheer for The Red Iguana, the Red Iguana, the Red Iguana. Last season's Morelia - RSL friendly (home team listed first) would have been even more fun to watch at the Fairpark.
Right. The city and County Building, on 400 South and State. A correction to my earlier post, the meeting is to be held in Room 326, not the Council Chambers.
You people have got to get to this meeting tomorrow and make your voices heard and your presence felt! Take off work however you've got to do it! It's the 11th hour and if I lived anywhere remotely close to Utah, I would be right there supporting you guys!!!! C'mon Salt Lake! IMO... I think we're going to find out if this team means as much to Checketts as he leads one to believe in light that he's now not going to be getting the massive development.
EMAIL, CALL, GO TO THE MEETING! We dont have much time.... here are the email addresses: mayor@slcgov.com city council: Council.Comments@slcgov.com Or phone Rocky (801) 535-7704 Do it now!
Is any deal better than no deal? Perhaps. The thing that gives me pause, and I'll admit I'm not a SLC or Utah resident though, is the fact that no mixed-use development will be part of this project. I'm guessing that means no dozens of soccer fields around it, for building the youth movement and training players in RSL academies. I sort of enjoy the idea of having youth playing in the shadow of the stadium, dreaming of someday playing professionally inside. I also think that creating the businesses around the stadium could create a greater mutual relationship between the community and the stadium. Perhaps this can still exist around the fairgrounds. I'm not sure how vast they are or how isolated it will make the stadium compared to the surrounding city. It was described as 10 blocks west of Downtown. Is it really that close? After the debacle by Sandy, I personally cringe at the thought of them still building the youth soccer fields. I almost want them to go to hell. Wow, this feels like one of the most speculative and uneducated posts I've made in several years.
YES it really is 10 blocks from downtown. Very accesible via bus and I believe the city had plans of expanding trax out to the airport anyways and the fairpark would be right on the route. I dont know about the area around the stadium out there but it would be pretty close to where the academy was going to be anyways (someone help me out on this...). It should have been planned downtown from the begining....most of us agreed on that. And....yes........Sandy....straight to hell boys........
My latest blog entry was about the Fairpark. I think it could work, hell, it might have to work. www.since96.blogspot.com cup
COme on RSL, what ever you guys have to do, get to that meeting. Be so loud and boisterous you get kicked out of that meeting. Fill the hallways. Don't let the council members leave without giving them a letter signed by all pleading for the life of your team. I and all other MLS fans will be cheering you on from afar. (and when it's done, SOMEONE please get on here and let us know how it went!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck guys and I hope that this stadium can be a reality, instead of having your team sold to another city. Unfortunately the folks at Salt Lake County are not visionaries, always expecting the worse and while sticking it to Dave Checketts.
From H-Town, Texas, I wish ya'll all the best with that fairbanks proposal. SLC's city council sounds very serious that they're doing everything they can.
I have a Journalism test tommorow or I would be there in a heartbeat. So if any of you are going to be there please spit on something for me to show them my distaste then make sure we don't leave without a team.
I've loved SLC the few times I've been there and I am looking forward to seeing the rapids play there many times. Keep up the good fight.
The proposed RSL Academy and youth fields are planned about a mile from the Fairpark location. So from a technical/team related POV, the Fairpark would work well, even better than Sandy. However as its been mentioned, numerous times, Checketts and Friends will not be able to do much development if any at the Fairpark location. Couldn't they just do the hotel, retail, corporate HQ on the Sandy land they already own???
Doesn't look like a lot of parking. When is the Utah State Fair held? I remember State Fair gamedays when the Burn played in the Cotton Bowl. It was fun, we got into the fair with our game ticket. Spent the day eating fried food and going on rides, then the game at night. Was always a bitch to find parking, but worth it.
There is additional parking planned on the south side of the park. Not sure on when the fair us held, but here is the website: http://www.utahstatefair.com/ My guess is August.