There seems to be much of a debate on where this stadium should be if/when it would be built. There may be other locations, but the two most debated ones are downtown Cleveland and north Summit County (Boston Heights). Which should it be? What are the pros (and/or cons) of each? a list: Downtown Cleveland: Pros: Possibly more support if combined with CSU/St Ignatius/etc More financial help if combined with CSU/St Ignatius/etc "Downtown aura" More Parking Variety Closer to nightlife Lake/City views @ stadium Some public transportation Easy access with roads Cons: Less family friendly atmosphere Cleveland city financial situation Downtown area "somewhat rundown" Away from possible Akron sponsors Boston Hills area (or comparable suburb): Pros: More centralized to NE Ohio population In middle of triangle of three highways (Boston Hills specific) including one that runs through Columbus/Cincinnati Easier to pull in sizeable Akron contingent Possibly in higher soccer saturated area (white collar sport in US) More tailgating encouraged b/c away from Cleveland restautant life? Possible development of new bars/pubs/restaurants near stadium? Cons: Isolated from nightlife Not as many avenues of entry/exit (including backroads) Travel concerns when stadium used in winter (plowing roads) for football for instance Lack of public transportation Further away from possible Cleveland corporate sponsors (west) Clevelanders have to drive extra 20 minutes I know I'm missing some... I don't know which I'm in favor of, or how both the Cleveland and Akron media would cover each location, but also consider that most will go to see the game of soccer either way if they are true fans.
I spent three years living on W 9th street (downtown). I hardly ever left downtown. About the furthest I ever got into the 'burbs was Cleveland Heights! I think it would be best downtown, as there's a lot of fun to be had there before and after the game, and it's heaps easier to get to than anywhere else.
Caught this article in the Plain Dealer this morning. Maybe some of you caught it elsewhere: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1080217844290720.xml It deals with baseball, but I wonder how it relates to the Wolstein soccer stadium issue and his funding demands. Your thoughts?