MLB in Vancouver?

[bluefox]

MLB in Vancouver might seem like a leap, but I think we'll all do well to remember the value of this isn't in securing a team itself; rather it's in whatever real estate/development comes with that. The team is really the carrot. Just look at the parties involved and the potential sites that are being discussed. All high-value, underdeveloped, and in the urban core. The fact is, real estate (and/or unlocking land value) is still a strong long-term investment play in Vancouver, regardless of current economic conditions. It's a developer-led play for a reason, and they're involved for a reason.

Also working in the bid's favour, we do have a good amateur baseball culture in BC that has the potential to grow more with a pro team to anchor it, and we have the same media market potential as Denver or Minneapolis -- approaching 4 million when you include the Fraser Valley and southern Vancouver Island. That would place us in the middle tier of MLB markets, not near the bottom. Yes, payroll will be a challenge, even without the exchange rate. But that just takes the right partners with deep enough pockets.

Obviously, the bid needs to develop a lot more to be credible, but I'd still put it a step above a pipe dream IMO.