Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Better leave now if you want to make it to the game on time. And pack some trail mix.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Not much new here ... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8882/dc-united-eyeing-buzzard-point-florida-market/
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? I live in SW DC, right on M Street and a block from the Waterfront Metro. Regardless of which station you were to walk from, you'd be traversing a couple of blocks through some borderline neighborhoods. Not super-sketchy, but borderline. It may be a few more blocks of such if you walk from Waterfront versus Navy Yard, but not a whole lot of difference in the scheme of things. However, I simply can't believe no one's mentioned the primary draw of a Buzzard Point location...The after game drinking parties at Ziegfield's and Secrets! One word: FABULOUS!
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? No, nothing new, but good article with interesting comments. There's also another good article linked there that I hadn't before: How to create a successful urban stadium (Feb 2009) http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1700/how-to-create-a-successful-urban-stadium/
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? hahaha I should be more like this... "So if I fly into Reagan, is there some sort of water transportation to take me to a moor close to the site. Otherwise I'm not sure if Buzzard's Point is *really* the best place to put a stadium"
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? That's the answer! Water Taxis! How cool would that be? Arriving at the stadium by flotilla. It certainly beats what is being referred to as the Death March from the distant Metro stops. (In which case the name "Buzzards Point" is entirely appropriate, as I see pictures in my head of buzzards wheeling over the carcasses of fans who collapsed en route.)
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Walking to Buzzard Point from Metro = The Bataan Death March Getting to Buzzard Point via water taxi = The Middle Passage BIG Supporters waiting for a new stadium anywhere = The Donner Party
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Is 1 mile a decent walk for most people?' I thought Metro was important.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? That can't be the whole site, can it? According to Google Maps that is R St - S St, between 1st and 2nd, the current location of "Super Salvage".... If a professional soccer stadium only required one block of land, I'd think it would be a lot easier to find a proper location for one....
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? ok if that's the exact location, that's still about 0.8 mile. ok that's about twice the distance of RFK to RFK station, so I guess it's doable?
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? I can see Pauly ferrying folks in his "gnar shredding water taxi" now ........ I just can't see the stadium being squeezed into a single city block like that.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Apparently Pepco is going to close down the generating plant by 2012 but keep some of the other facilities. Perhaps the abandoned Pepco site could be merged with one of the Akridge parcels.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? The solution is patently obvious: Fans drive to RFK and park in Lot 8. After tailgating for several hours, they make their way down to the river and board massive barges which float them down the aromatic Anacostia River and under the new bridges to the dock near the stadium. After the match, they (the barges, not the individual fans) are towed back upstream to Lot 8. What could be simpler?
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? OK, so there's been a flurry of discussion of this topic in the past few days. Is there anything to get seriously optimistic about? Have we learned something new (and hopefully encouraging)? Has Akridge made any commitments or even noises about commitments? IOW, is there reason for me to lower my shields?
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? The only problem is that on weekends, it runs every 30 minutes on average *and*, like all WMATA buses, doesn't come close to staying on schedule. So what you have to do is figure from the timetable how long the trip will take from where you're getting on, and then show up at the bus stop at least 30 minutes before that. Not many people are gonna want to do that.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Wrong exit... http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou....872893,-77.009826&spn=0.012045,0.020428&z=16 And the stadium won't be right on the water's edge - it'll be a couple blocks north. Seriously people - don't start freaking out about the walk til we have something to walk to.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Yes, because there will be no tailgating.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Seriously optimistic? No. Cautiously optimistic? I'd say yes. Regarding commitments, I doubt we'll hear anything about that in the press in advance. Getting new investors is still a top priority, but I'd imagine talks with developers are looking at some kind of equity sharing arrangement - Chang is looking for both land and funding for a stadium, and in exchange he's offering a substantial interest in the actual team itself. This both adds the needed capital to the venture and secures local political and development connections. Package that with another, more 'conventional' team owner (Hendricks?) and we've got something to work with.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Bar. Attached to the stadium. Discount for season ticket holders. Done.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Other than a field and seats, I see this as the most important feature of any new stadium. And I'm serious.
Re: Stadium News and Speculation XXIV: In Buzzard We Trust? Good point. I'm not sure this would allow for the DC United Museum aka Marco Etcheverry / Jaime Moreno Hall of Champions.