As I suggested in post 36, F Douglass Museum could be housed on the grounds until such time that a foundation steps in to build a separate museum. The team may be able to save tax dollars with this device, depending upon how the stadium deal is constructed. I think it would be prudent to offer an incentive to the locals (rather than to their council rep, hizonner thebiatchsetmeup) to support the Poplar Point stadium. As FD's house is well up the ridge, I don't think there is anything historical that would madate using the PP site as a memorial to FD. GM
Mea Culpa GM! I missed that post. You're ahead of me...I would have never consider the tax incentive. Agreed on the history part, as I cannot figure out why Poplar Point is especially important for the memory of F Douglass, as there are already two prominent houses and grounds in the area in his memory. From my understanding the motivation stems from it being the prominent open space in a primarily african-american neighborhood. Cheers, Tim
Name? Who knows. But I can tell you one thing: after a few choice summer evenings when the air is thick and hot and the wind is blowing from the South, dragging the funk from the Blue Plains sewer farm along with it, people will be calling it a lot of things. None of which I care to print here.
Sorry, I missed it too. I'm not sure about that either, though it's probably a combination of the factors you mentioned plus the sense that Douglass could always receive more of his due (a fact reinforced by his house, which could use a great deal of work). perc
The city should name the road in front of the stadium United Road. And that would name the stadium as well. Mark
They could name the parking lots after the supporter's clubs, and have a lerge grassy area between them, and on the way to the stadium for tailgates. Sort of like this: (drawing obviously not to scale, as it was done in 5 minutes.) http://www.moral-decay.com/Images/lots.jpg
For me I like: 1. New RFK, as the old one will likely be gone by then. 2. Fredrick Douglass Park 3. Anacostia Road
Re: Anacostia Road, is there one? There's an Anacostia Drive, which is basically just a park access road; but I can't find an Anacostia Road anywhere near the site. Could rename I guess . . . .
Heh! I like it. I'm sure someone already posted my original suggestion back in 1997, when this topic first came up: "Marion Barry Stadium" aka "The Crack House" seriously, I hope we can name the stand at the Northside the "Marco Etcheverry Stand" aka "El Diablo's Playgound" Sachin
We should be so lucky. If they did that, it would make our next few years of exile all worth it. Are you watching, Stephen Zack?!
I was prompted by some earlier discussion of the potential uses of the Poplar Point area to read a biography on Frederick Douglass. I read the one by William McFeely. Frederick Douglass was a local, born on the Eastern Shore, learned to read (which was illegal) and escaped from slavery in Baltimore, and later in life returned to live on Cedar Hill, overlooking Poplar Point and the Capital. Naming the park, development, or stadium after Frederick Douglass seems to me to be entirely appropriate. Also, the development presents an opportunity to provide facilities for memorials, museums, and/or other things. Whatever is built for commercial reasons (offices, housing, retail, stadium) will need to be offset by some public use space. And the time to negotiate this is at the beginning of a project. Let's hope DC, AEG, and the other developers can accomodate everyone in this process.
Poplar Point has to be it....They won't have Adidas buying naming rights, this place will be a preferred pitch for the US Nats and as long as Nike is footing their bill they aren't going to want them playing at Adidas Park. I know it sounds silly but it is a consideration.....
Don't be so sure...DC United and Adidas have been working together since DC's inception, I think it would be the best possible corporate sponsor(And I would be suprised if we wound up without one)...Either Anacostia Road or Poplar Point works for itself though...And there should be some refrence of Douglas around the arena, a statue or something...but not the actual stadium. Unless it's name for a major US Soccer coach/player, I don't think it would be a good idea.
If a corporate sponsor is willing to offer serious cash (if I were Nike, I'd jump all over this to screw Adidas' premier team), then make it Sponsor Park at Poplar Point. Otherwise, build community relations. Anacostia, as many have mentioned, was the home of one of the most corageous, patriotic, and honorable Americans. Douglass is probably one of the 5 most famous African-Americans in history. He's probably DC's most influential and important native. If there's anyone non-soccer and non-money related who ever deserved a stadium named after them, it's Douglass. He embodies the best that DC and America have to offer and currently doesn't have sufficient honor in his native city. Name the stadium after him. There are ZERO negatives to doing this. And the positives? -Ward 8 residents would hate us less -Ward 8 residents might actually respect us for bringing great honor to Douglass -Ward 8 residents might be more open to the spill-over beneifts of a SSS -Other fans could never make fun of our stadium name -It would be both a phenomenal PR move and the right thing to do Clearly, my call is for Frederick Douglass Park at Poplar Point. The Park can be replaced with name type of your choosing...but I love the location in the name and I love embracing one of DC's finest native sons.
I think DC Residents would much rather have a Baseball stadium named after Douglass then a Soccer Stadium. I don't like naming stadiums after people personally, even Soccer Related, though I would accept it more if it were after a soccer person, no denying if someone did deserve it who was no soccer it was Douglass.
I recognize that the stadium itself will probably have its naming rights sold to a sponser. Remember, it will be only partly a soccer stadium. That facility will be used many more times than the 15-20 per year DC United will use it. Just like Nissan Pavilion in VA, the frequency that a stadium is mentioned in the media will attact the dollars that cannot reasonably be passed up in any commercial venture. However, there will be plenty of things around and about the project that could be named that might not have the ad value the stadium will. The entire development, a name for a park, some adjacent facilities, monuments, etc. If Frederick Douglass memorials are worked into the whole development plan, that's a good starting point. In the end, the site will have many more visitors that have nothing to do with soccer than there will be of us, even if DC United sells out every game. The site can work for both purposes.
I agree. How about letting the corporate sponsor have the stadium naming rights and calling the area (including the commercial development and a Douglass memorial) Frederick Douglass Park - as in Adidas Stadium (United Bank Center) at Douglass Park. The supporter groups could then call it Poplar Point, Anacostia Road, Douglass Park, the Doug - whatever variation they wanted. Also, Anacostia Park, of which Poplar Point is just a part, is huge and something like a Frederick Douglass Heritage Trail could start near the stadium and run to the north along the river. It would take some of the pressure away from having to do everything at Poplar Point. It probably wouldn't take a whole lot of money and could be worked into the financing package the council will have to approve (thus it could be financed by the TIF or the city). Heck, make a library part of the deal and Councilmember Graham is sure to vote for it.
Anacostia Road is a traditional name for a soccer ground and makes sense considering "D.C. United" is also a traditional name for a club...