MLB Team in Vancouver - Where would you put them?

[go_leafs_go02]

This kind of relates to the debacle in Hamilton over where to build a new stadium for the Tiger-Cats.

With the renovation of BC Place, it appears baseball will not be able to play there anymore, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, let's say Vancouver gets awarded an MLB expansion team to start play in 2014.

Where would you put the stadium in Vancouver?

I'm trying to think of an ideal view to combine the city-space and the north shore mountains. However, maybe there's an even more groundbreaking location with a heck of a view, good access to transit and roads, but close to the city core.

and to complicate things, due to the setting sun, ballparks are always looking out in a more easterly direction. Here's an image for you


Therefore, IF the UBC line could be built, my choice would be Jericho Park/Beach.

[ozonemania]

That would be a gorgeous setting but I can't see how anyone in that area would be supportive of it.

How about False Creek flats? If we're talking about UBC Skytrain Expansion, VCC/Finning that area would work.

[mrjauk]

Two things:

Vancouver can not support an MLB team. We couldn't even hold onto a AAA minor-league franchise. With no revenue sharing or salary cap in place, how is Vancouver going to compete for players, who can command up to $25 million US per year to play the game. Toronto--with all of its corporate clout and muscle--is barely holding on to the Blue Jays due to the economics of MLB.

Second: Jerico Beach for a stadium?!? Are you kidding me?!? Do I really have to go into the myriad ways in which that is just a ridiculous idea?

[logan5]

Originally Posted by mrjauk

Two things:

Vancouver can not support an MLB team. We couldn't even hold onto a AAA minor-league franchise. With no revenue sharing or salary cap in place, how is Vancouver going to compete for players, who can command up to $25 million US per year to play the game. Toronto--with all of its corporate clout and muscle--is barely holding on to the Blue Jays due to the economics of MLB.

Second: Jerico Beach for a stadium?!? Are you kidding me?!? Do I really have to go into the myriad ways in which that is just a ridiculous idea?

Vancouver and BC can definitely support a major league team. Our province produces the best baseball players by far in this country. I can go into a myriad of reasons why we could support MLB. We lost our AAA team because our park is too small. If we built a proper park, which we could do at coal harbour, it would be the best ball park in North America, and we would be one of the strongest franchises in MLB. Baseball needs Vancouver.

[jlousa]

Wow you really believe that?
Can't believe we don't have billionaires lining up to build up a stadium and purchase a team for us.

[logan5]

If things are done right, I think Vancouver would thrive as a MLB city. Here's my list of reasons why it would work.

1. The baseball park - Historic Gastown would be a perfect match for baseball, which are both deep in history. With the water and the mountains as a backdrop, the park itself would be the most picturesque park in baseball. That in itself would draw fans out as well as the cool vibe of Gastown. Just going to the game itself would be a cool experience. If the Blue Jays weren't playing in the sterile environment they are in, attendance figures would be much higher. Baseball is much more of a social event than other sports, so the Gastown location and the stadium itself would cater to that.

2. Local talent - BC has the ability to produce MVP quality baseball players and could easily have a team roster with multiple local players. This would make a huge difference in drawing interest from fans. Something the Grizzlies could not do.

3. International talent - South Korea and Japan supply high caliber players to MLB and would be sure to attract some interest from our large Asian population. Baseball is fairly new in China, but is growing at a rapid rate, just like everything in China. It won't be long before China has players in MLB. If MLB wants to tap a mega market like China, Vancouver is the best place to do it.

4. Population - There would be a sizable population on the doorstep of Gastown Park. DT Vancouver has 90 000 people who live in the DT peninsula, making it the most densely populated 2 square miles outside of New York. As well as the dense surrounding neighborhoods - Kits, Mt. Pleasant, Commercial Drive, etc. A lot will come just for the social aspect, scenery and atmosphere.
Other U.S. cities don't even come close to matching that kind of population base so close to the stadium.

5. Stadium financing - A 20 000 seat stadium could be built to accommodate a triple A team, and then have it expandable to major league standards when the time is right, making building and financing the stadium much easier.

6. Solid ownership - Not sure who would be interested in bringing MLB to Vancouver, maybe Aquilini? Once we've established ourselves as the best franchise in Minor League Baseball, somebody would step up.

Now onto naming the team...

[SpikePhanta]

I'm pretty sure they said that bc place can handle a mlb team after the renos..
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/bl...221/story.html

The B.C. government has just inked a mega-deal with a private-sector partner to develop the lands west of B.C. Place Stadium, and sources are whispering words to me like "all-in," "double-down" and "baby needs a new a pair of shoes!"

Picture this, Vancouver: A huge new entertainment-and-retail complex, directly attached to the refurbished stadium with a snazzy retractable roof, and all anchored by — you got it — a shiny new casino.

That was the red-hot buzz burning along the government grapevine Thursday, as word leaked out that the B.C. Pavilion Corp. had signed the long-awaited development deal for the stadium lands.

"I can confirm that we have an agreement with a party and there will be an official announcement in about two weeks," said David Podmore, CEO of the Crown corporation that owns our loved-and-hated pillow-top stadium.

Podmore confirmed the air-supported fabric roof will be deflated once and for all in May, and construction will start immediately on the new, $563-million, retractable model.

He said the 700,000-square-foot parking lot between the Cambie Street Bridge and the stadium will be transformed into a commercial-entertainment extravaganza.

"We want to create an exciting environment that will reanimate and reactivate a plaza that, right now, is pretty sterile," he said.

When I put it to him that the private-sector partner on the project is Paragon Gaming of Las Vegas, and that the plans include a large casino, Podmore said: "I can't confirm that. I'm not denying that. I can certainly confirm Paragon was one of the parties that submitted a proposal."

Paragon Gaming owns the downtown Edgewater Casino at the Plaza of Nations near Yaletown. It has struggled at this location and would presumably be shut down under the B.C. Place plan.

Paragon Gaming is the brainchild of founding partners Diana Bennett and Scott Menke of Las Vegas. She is the daughter of William Bennett, who for many years ran the Circus Circus and Excalibur casinos.

Paragon spokeswoman Naomi Strasser also refused to confirm or deny that the company had landed the B.C. Place development deal: "Paragon did participate in a request-for-proposal, and that's really all I'm allowed to say."

Podmore said the B.C. Place lands will be developed under a long-term lease and will hopefully create a vibrant new area that will link Robson Street to the False Creek waterfront. He said Terry Fox Plaza and adjacent lands owned by Canadian Metropolitan Properties are also being redeveloped, and the lands east of the stadium will be leased and developed under a separate deal still in the works.

Meanwhile, the new roof and other upgrades to B.C. Place — to be completed in 2011 — will transform the entire area, he said.

"It kind of bugs me that people think we're just rebuilding a sports stadium," he said. "When we're done, this will be the premier multi-use facility on the continent."

The renovated stadium will be home to the B.C. Lions football team and the Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer franchise. The 2011 Grey Cup is already pencilled in and Podmore is dreaming even bigger.

"We have tried to make sure the stadium can still accommodate professional baseball," he said.

Is he saying Vancouver can land a Major League Baseball franchise?

"You never know," he answered.

Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger also played the don't-ask, don't-tell game with me about a B.C. Place casino. "I have my hands over my ears," he said, as soon as I mentioned Paragon Gaming. "I'm not confirming and I'm not denying."

Krueger — once the governing Liberals' fiercest opponents of expanded gambling, by the way — said plans for B.C. Place and environs will blow people away. "This will be like the transformation of the Expo 86 lands — possibly bigger," he said.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by SpikePhanta

I'm pretty sure they said that bc place can handle a mlb team after the renos..
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/bl...221/story.html

If that's the case - I see it working as an RFK type of setting like what happened when the Expos moved.

They played out of RFK stadium for 3 seasons I believe while a new place got built.

To think baseball would be sustainable in BC Place would be a long-shot. It's akin to the metrodome, although I know it will have a better roof.. However, modern stadiums focus on the neighbourhood/views around it primarily it seems.

That's why I proposed Jericho beach. That would be a heck of a view - I would like to know the major deterrents to that site - I definitley know of some, but why it would be asinine is something I would like more details or points of.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

That's why I proposed Jericho beach. That would be a heck of a view - I would like to know the major deterrents to that site - I definitley know of some, but why it would be asinine is something I would like more details or points of.

Are you serious? Do you not know anything of Jericho Beach Park and the surrounding area?

Jericho Beach Park is one of the most beautiful, charming and beloved parks in Vancouver. Its duck, turtle and beaver-inhabited pond is idyllic. The park is surrounded on all sides by a very quiet, highly established, highly affluent residential neighbourhood.

This is the last place for a major league sports stadium.

If MLB ever came to Vancouver and BC Place can in fact be configured to accommodate baseball, then BC Place is exactly where MLB would go.

[EastVanMark]

BC Place is completely unsuitable for baseball. You would need to build a completely different facility.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

BC Place is completely unsuitable for baseball. You would need to build a completely different facility.

Huh? Please detail why? It was built with MLB/NFL in mind. It's not perfect, but it's more than "suitable".

[Distill3d]

Whats wrong with just expanding on the current stadium at Queen Elisabeth Park if Vancouver ever got a MLB team? I just don't think there's any other place to put another baseball stadium in Vancouver. Perhaps downtown Surrey would be a good location for a larger baseball stadium. I propose here:

http://goo.gl/krSg

[Yume-sama]

I'd think we have a better chance of getting an NBA franchise back. That could realistically work well. Baseball... not so much.

Unless you pulled the genius marketing move of bringing over China / Japan / India's top players No Cubans on our team (so what if we're last place)!

MLB franchises must cost about $1 billion to start up, wouldn't you say? Perhaps more, if the NHL asks about $300 million.

And since the MLB commissioner is not Gary Bettman, I wouldn't anticipate MLB expansion in to areas that have little to no interest in the sport.

[Zassk]

BC Place was indeed built for MLB baseball. If it's unsuitable, then we will not be getting a team, period.

[wrenegade]

Ok, since we're talking about an MLB franchise here, we're obviously dreaming at least a little bit. So I took that and ran with it.



In this alternate reality where Vancouver could actually support an MLB team, Translink/CoV has found 2 billion dollars under the cushions and built the Waterfront Transit hub, and CP rail has no problem with a massive retractable roof sitting over their train yard during the summer. Slightly more believable, the convention centre has expanded east and the Heliport has been relocated up above a new Seabus terminal to connect with Canada Place Way, Granville and Richards Street extensions. Obviously this alternate reality also supports a couple 400+ foot office towers around/above the transit hub.

The stadium is modelled after Fenway (I'm a big BoSox fan) but it's flipped to emulate AT&T park in San Fran a bit, with the green monster giving way to the Pacific where small boats and kayaks can sit to catch home runs (while avoiding Seabuses, Tugs and Cruise Ships). It would also be open to look over the water and the North Shore mountains. The field would have to be natural grass and would be adaptable for soccer (like Safeco). The roof modelled directly off of Safeco as well, moving over the tracks when not needed. What would be really sweet is if it could be made out of peaked fabric like Canada Place. Right-Centre field would also be able to hold a stage and host concerts (like Kerfoot's vision for his waterfront stadium). The site would have to be heavily piled (like VCEC West) but would have a level or two of parking between the Canada Place Way level and Waterfront Road level (how much I'm not sure, I would sink the field level down a bit so you walked in off of the plaza to the same grade as the 1st level concourse). The Seawall could be continued either around Canada Place or have it join up from a Granville Street. It would continue only as far as the Heliport and then link back through the Stadium Plaza onto Richards Street and then past Steamworks and into Gastown.

Who wants to lend me $10 billion?

edit: Yes, that roof is quite a bit bigger than Safeco, and yes it does completely cover the seating and playing field area.

[Prometheus]

This parcel of land is owned by the Whitecaps and is precisely where they want to build their own purpose-built soccer stadium: http://www.whitecapsfc.com/stadium/w...nt/renderings/

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The Whitecaps own this parcel of land and this is precisely where they want to build their own purpose-built waterfront stadium: http://www.whitecapsfc.com/stadium/w...nt/renderings/

umm.......no shit. Hence me mentioning Kerfoot. His plan for the Whitecaps stadium is all but dead with the BC Place reno. However I'd gladly welcome the Whitecaps back (as I mentioned) under my plan for a baseball-first stadium. I said I'm dreaming a bit here, but we're talking MLB in Vancouver, so that kinda has to go with the territory.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by awvan

umm.......no shit. Hence me mentioning Kerfoot. His plan for the Whitecaps stadium is all but dead with the BC Place reno.

It is not dead; it simply has not been permitted. The Whitecaps do not care for BC Place (even with its renovations) and retain every desire to build a purpose-built soccer stadium on the waterfront. Thus the obvious point was that if the government ever permitted a stadium to be built in this area, it will be a purpose-built soccer stadium as per the land owner's desire.

Get it, sport?

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

It is not dead; it simply has not been permitted. The Whitecaps do not care for BC Place (even with its renovations) and retain every desire to build a purpose-built soccer stadium on the waterfront. Thus the obvious point was that if the government ever permitted a stadium to be built in this area, it will be a purpose-built soccer stadium as per the land owner's desire.

Get it, sport?

I wonder how long the 'Caps would be willing to stay in BC Place. I've read that the 'Caps will be at BC Place until at least 2016. What if the government just says NO to the 'Caps' stadium? Then what do they do? Look elsewhere in Vancouver? Cause it doesn't really make sense to build out in Surrey. Would they go back to Burnaby and build a new stadium there?

On top of that. If the 'Caps leave BC Place, that would mean the only sport franchise to call BC Place home would be...the BC Lions.

[butteredbiscuit]

[QUOTE=wrenegade;4959633]