Stadium News and Speculation VIII | And Now, Anacostia (Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov)

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I went to the Ny @ DC game a couple weeks ago after seeing LA @ NY (Fit a Yankee -Tiger game in between). Yankee stadium and RFK really showing their ages..(Giants seems in good physical condition, although the hallways also seem very dark-can't believe already being replaced) RFK looks good on TV, but otherwise, dark,dank and past its time....I do like old stadiums from a history and tradition standpoint, but DCU deserves better..

I see 3 options at this time-

1/ When the Nats get out, can RFK be modified well for soccer only- in otherwords, between seasons? Take the upper deck off and on the lower deck, fill the end zones in for example. Parital or full roof.. Or are we talking having to move out for 1 or maybe 2 seasons for a refurb? Any engineers or designers out there who can comment on the posibilities?
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2/ Find a temp site, tear down RFK and build a new SSS at the same site. Good subway access and from I understood from talking to many fans , good walkup crowds.. moving way off into suburbia hurts the walkup and changss your marketing. This would have to be a little larger than normal SSS or expandible for National team games, afterall, this is the nations capital.
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3/ Come up with yet another site, if its not Popular Point..
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I don't feel the league would be stupid enough to move the team, not after the team was just sold to local ownership..The buyers bought a successful franchise and I hope they want a stadium to match.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Way more time required than one off-season... plus there's the whole cost/benefit analysis that scuppers this idea.

Possibility, but DC wouldn't go through this headache to give the land away to MLS, which is what MLS would require. Nix.

Well, obviously we all hope the same (except for the suburban lunatic fringe who want the team to relocate to Loudoun County, VA). However, this is a business and if a good fit can't be found in DC, VA, or MD, I'm sure they will weigh the possibility of a move to greener pastures.

 

The Real Stadium News and Speculation VII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

The field will be redone once the Nats leave although the end zone bleachers have been lost over the years, but major upgrades to RFK would cost more than a few new stadiums. One of the problems with RFK is the team doesn't own it.

Once again, DCU does not own RFK so they wouldn't be able to just go ahead and build on the RFK site. Building there would probably take longer than anything potentially happening at Poplar Point. It wouldn't be a bad site and would save me a transfer on the METRO, but the land is federal land and DC would have to build the stadium after environmental studies and cleanup which could take years. That is only assuming DCU were allowed to build...

Basically, what Lowecifer said and then some.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

And here's a little part of the 'then some'...

What Lowcifer knows, canammj, is that the major owners (MacFarlane and Chang) live in San Francisco and the minor ones (Davis and Laetner) are based in North Carolina.

So other than local real estate and development involvement of MacFarlane and that Davis went to Bladensburg High School, there are no local ties binding them to the area.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I was talking about the sss that is being built on the outskirts of Philly not Lincoln Financial Field where the Eagles play.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

There's talk about Philadelphia finally landing an expansion team. A big part of them landing that team is securing state assistance for a SSS in Chester, PA.

MLS is expected to announce two more expansion cities by the end of the year ( I suspect MLS Cup ).

But with no expansion, there is no SSS in Chester. They're not going to build it with the hopes of one day landing a team.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

A report of what happens would be the great start of a new thread.

And if there was any way you could capture who was there it might give us an idea of whether those guesses that a Fenty contributor is a lead possibility for a sweetheart contract are true or not.

It's not difficult to link up names with who contributed to his campaign.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

This might have been covered already, but does anyone know what the new changes in language mean for United's chances. It talks a bit about how anyone who names any type of partner entity (landscape designer, builder, etc.) will be considered to have a non-responsive proposal. What is this about. It might be seen as an attempt to get United to unravel their proposal and set them back?

Also, since I'm lazy right now, when does the city intend to decide on this issue as far as the REFI or whatever the heck it is?

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

From their web site,

Which, given that the request for RFEIs went out on August 10th, makes their originally promised decision within 90 days of that date clearly no longer in the plans.

Responses are due on October 19th at noon. Then the decision activity stretches out, apparently until 2008. At least we will have avoided the 60 to 90 day jokes.

However, we, as in Spaceballs, seem to be surrounded by assholes.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Often times, responses to these proposals will be mini-books on the resumes of all the partner firms and how together they will create blah blah blah blah. Cutting down the volume of crap to get to meat of a proposal is a sign, I think, that DC is serious about moving forward as opposed to beauty contests. The serious developers will be hiring the best supporting casts anyway, or so the thoery goes.

A more cynical thought would be that DC wants to limit the amount of "friends and family" pressure from people related to Barry.

I've heard that pretty much every major DC developer is being prodded by the Fenty admin to propose something, I know of at least one NY based developer who has declined given the environmental/engineering issues and the timeline of building something (+/- 10 years in their opinion).

 

Ward 8 Residents to Speak Out at Mayor’s Poplar Point Bidder’s Conference

Didn't see this elsewhere

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 11, 2007



CONTACT

Andrew Willis 202-277-5262

Chris Weiss 202-222-0746



Ward 8 Residents to Speak Out at Mayor’s Poplar Point Bidder’s Conference



News conference to be held at 8 a.m. tomorrow, prior to 8:30 a.m. departure of bidder’s conference on Odyssey yacht



WASHINGTON, DC – A diverse coalition of Ward 8 residents advocating equitable development, restoration of Poplar Point as a park and the implementation of an authentic resident-led planning process will host a news conference tomorrow to announce their effort to shape the redevelopment of Poplar Point, and to release the results of a survey of several hundred Ward 8 residents.



The news conference will precede the Poplar Point bidder’s conference hosted by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The bidder’s conference will take place on the Odyssey, a yacht anchored at the SW waterfront, from 8:30 a.m. to11:30 a.m.



Residents working as ONE DC Anacostia have, since Mayor Fenty’s announcement in July of an open bidding process for the Poplar Point site, gone door-to-door in neighborhoods near the site, interviewing their neighbors to discover their preferences for new development. The group collected resident opinions on a soccer stadium, on restoring Poplar Point as a park and on specific needs related to affordable housing and neighborhood-serving amenities. This is the first time the opinions of Ward 8 residents have been carefully solicited.



Members of the Point is Our Park Coalition will also announce the results of their petition, which calls for restoration of Poplar Point as a full part of Anacostia Park.



WHAT: Anti-stadium Ward 8 residents announce results of survey and petition, and call for equitable and park-friendly development



WHO: Ward 8 and other DC residents, including members of ONE DC Anacostia, Friends of the Earth DC, DC ACORN, DC Jobs with Justice, Earth Conservation Corps, DC Environmental Network



WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 8 a.m.



WHERE: Outside the Odyssey dock, 6th St SW and Water St SW

Directions: http://www.odysseycruises.com/dc/directions/directions.cfm

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Nice timing, ONE DC.

Thread title changed - let's continue the general stadium discussion in here.

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Thanks for changing the thread title. Now I no longer have to change it in all of my posts. What was that ONE DC Anacostia/Poplar Point blog that somebody was posting the link to in everything?

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

It would have been wise for United to "unleash the hounds" for this one, but it's likely too late now.

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

I'm considering reviving the thread I stickied after the "faux unleashing of the hounds" that contained all the councilmembers contact info and mayor's info.

I believe that the time to unleash the grassroots for ourselves is now.

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

If Fenty ends up screwing this up, I say we go V for Vendetta on his ass.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Would you expect anything less from the town that hosts our Federal Gov't?

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Depending upon what happens about Poplar Point, this could be part of a suggested 12 step program:

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Oh, I know I'm an asshole. I've made no arguments about that, hell, most of my girlfriends love me for being an asshole.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

But whose in charge here....ahhh.....I see its Major Asshole. Carry on then.

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Hell, Alec, I wasn't suggesting you for that 12 step self recognition program. It was aimed at a certain AF.

Additionally, how could anyone wise enough to live amongst those beautiful North Carolina mountains ever consider himself an asshole?

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

If everything is going according to plan, I believe the pre-RFEI conference is going on right now. Even though it seems we have already spent an incredible amount of time worrying about any substantial news to come out, I'm still nervous with anticipation hearing what comes out of this, if anything.

I should know better and be prepared for no news whatsoever!

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

I think he's an asshole for lording it over us.

 

Re: Stadium News and Speculation VIII | Email Fenty at Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov

Okay, so I'm editing the last stickied thread right now (to update it to the current situation).

If b1968k or anyone else that provided talking points for folks could shoot me a PM to update these talking points that we have right now, that would be great (as I actually have to do some work at work today ).