[ehenningsen]

Jesse, it's not just Fahey that favors it, the royals do, creighton does, Downtown businesses do, council men do, this would be a money making machine!!

[jesse--james]

That's what they said about the Qwest center... And now look -- it's behind on paying itself off - with property tax payers being stuck with the bill in about 2 years.

[ehenningsen]

The Qwest Center is doing way better than expected, the method for which it pays itself off is the travesty..

Think about this...

Omaha has 450,000 people and to FIX Rosenblatt it would cost each citizen an average of $55.56
While a new State of the art facility that would help stur even more economic pluses with many times better parking resources and very close to other restaurants, bars, and amendaties in downtown, while giving the zoo the space to have some major expansions on the former rosenblatt (garbage-stadium) site would cost each citizen about $111.12 per citizen, wow how badly that would hurt us, let's forget the idea the economic impact alone would pay it off in a few short years..

[jesse--james]

Originally Posted by ehenningsen

the method for which it pays itself off is the travesty....

My problem with a new stadium is that I fear the repayment method for this new stadium will be similarly written. If the CWS would sign for another 15 years based on a new stadium.- or if Uncle Warren would shed some of his "pocket change" away from the Gates Foundation and name the stadium after his late wife I just might be supportive of a new stadium.

Because the backloaded payments for the Qwest are going to shiv Omaha taxpayers in about 2 years we shouldn't build a new stadium unless one of those two scenarios come to light.

[Wandulonian]

This whole conversation is dumb. A new stadium for Creighton is a great idea. The Royals are fine where hay are, as is the CWS. Moving it would be a moronic idea, and would ineviteably lead to its departure.

[jesse--james]

Originally Posted by Wandulonian

This whole conversation is dumb. A new stadium for Creighton is a great idea. The Royals are fine where hay are, as is the CWS. Moving it would be a moronic idea, and would ineviteably lead to its departure.

Thank you for speaking up.

[ehenningsen]

I would agree with you, but the NCAA has shown great support in the new downtown stadium proposal, and upon studies of OTHER cities that have built new stadiums in their downtowns respectively have seen an increase in attendance for their minor league teams...

On a side note, since the Qwest Center expansion, Creighton's basketball team has jump all the way up to the top 15 Nationally for attendance average per game, as well as being in the top 10-20 in the world for concert ticket sales, and the NCAA connection to the Qwest Center and the major hotel developments and retail in Nodo due to the Qwest Center, I believe this was an integral part of the major condo boom in downtown as most projects have started AFTER the success of the Qwest center and the retail projects and National conventions and events it had brought to the city and downtown area... we are in a middle of a boom due to the image change the $3 billion dollars that have been invested downtown in the last 5-7 years (most projects where influenced by FNB, Conagra, and most importantly the Qwest Center), with this in mind another $50,000,000 for a stadium is really not asking very much for such a state of the art stadium that would be used by Creighton, the Royals, the NCAA (who has strong interest in it) and it's design is also for other major events outside of baseball.. this would without a doubt boost the north downtown area... don't kid yourselves the project would cost 1/5th of the FNB building, a 1/4th of the UP headquarters, 1/7th of the Qwest Center, 1/2 of the Holland performing arts center, or... the same as the Hilton hotel in downtown!! It's not that much... Don't forget major parking advantages and closeness to major retailers and hotels, as well as the impact it would have for the Henry Doorly Zoo and the future expansions in store for it!! Near the airport, close to the Qwest and Civic... Any way you look at it, there are way to many economic outcomes that come out of a stadium like this that would ever make it a bust... Every time someone comes up with a good proposal for this city, people run into a corner of their closet and declare the proposal stupid because it costs a few dollars... Some people do not realize that you cannot get something out of nothing..

We're going to have to spend half the amount anyway on a much less impressive, less respected, broken down, ugly, and much less economically stimulating stadium that cannot possibly be in a worse spot for any event it attracts..

[mattpoulsen]

Wandulonian,

The problem is the NCAA has openly said that, at the very least, Rosenblatt needs to be upgraded...to the tune of $25 million. In addition, all officials associated to the NCAA and CWS would welcome a new stadium and the new stadium would seal the CWS in Omaha for the next decade. It would drive it off...it'll secure it and the NCAA has said that.

[jesse--james]

Ahhhh -- now we see that the NCAA LIKES the tradition and heritage of Rosenblatt Stadium !!!!! And that the $25 million will not ALL go to upgrading Rosenblatt. -- Much of that money will be used to "eminent domain" surrounding homes to create a buffer zone around the stadium. Players actually look forward to playing on the same field that their heros did when they were in college. LONG LIVE ROSENBLATT!!!!

[jdw123]

I don't live in Omaha, but a new stadium will NOT increase revenue. The only thing that will increase baseball revenue is to get a MLB team. A new stadium for a AAA team will NOT increase attendance because no one cares about AAA. And that's pretty standard nationwide.