Phoenix Area Stadium and Arena News

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by fawd

1) The MLS season goes all the way through summer
2) Rising doesn't have a co-owner that also owns an actual professional team
3) The 'billionaire' you're referring to isn't American and owns a small minority stake
4) Expansion fees are topping 200MM + all the other costs associated like a stadium, infrastructure, front office staffing, etc etc
5) ASU, Suns, Coyotes, Cardinals, Diamondbacks all have issues selling out their respective venues

I could keep going... but if Phoenix gets a team, it'll be towards the end of the 30-team expansion.

Sorry Fawd, but I really don't agree with any of this.

1.) The heat argument is an outdated argument. Summer sports leagues abound during summer. College soccer season starts in August and ASU's women's team seems to have no problem playing in August/September heat when it's well over 100. Also, the designers of the proposed Rising stadium have stated many times, they have incorporated features into the design that would litigate much of the heat for the fans and the players. Other countries have soccer teams in heat similar to Phoenix. Houston has an open-air stadium and summer temps in Houston commonly reach the mid to upper 90's with high humidity. That's brutal weather to sit in. May as well sit in a sauna. But fans still do it.
2.) The billionaire you mentioned that is a minor stake owns an 80% stake of OGC Niche. I think this should count as a major sports team ownership?
3.) The fact that Zheng is overseas should not matter when someone is willing to ponyup money for cost of a stadium.
4.) Rising has stated they would have full private financing. This should have no bearing on the costs of expansion fees or stadium as the public would not be asked to pay a dime.
5.) This is true. But this is partly caused by a lack of championship seasons for some time. Rising has proven they can play a mean game. Could this translate to a winning MLS season? It is only 1 tier lower than MLS and there's a lot of potential there, so who knows.

[fawd]

Originally Posted by RonnieFoos

Sorry Fawd, but I really don't agree with any of this.

That's fine - I'm just listing some of the many reasons why the MLS committee did not choose Phoenix... again.

[Sepstein]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Not much new developments but am curious to see what the final design will look like...

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...enovation.html

I still don't understand why the coyotes don't move downtown and call themselves the Phoenix coyotes again. Btw I hate that almost all are sport teams have Arizona instead of Phoenix as there name. I know that before there was obstructed views but with the remodel why not retro fit it for hockey?

I'm at a loss cause that seems to make perfect sense. As for the arena owners and especially the Coyotes.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by Sepstein

I still don't understand why the coyotes don't move downtown and call themselves the Phoenix coyotes again. Btw I hate that almost all are sport teams have Arizona instead of Phoenix as there name. I know that before there was obstructed views but with the remodel why not retro fit it for hockey?

I'm at a loss cause that seems to make perfect sense. As for the arena owners and especially the Coyotes.

I agree on all accounts. I HATE our teams named after Arizona instead of Phoenix. It was a stupid move by old ownership of the coyotes. They were just trying to expand their market area to the whole state and placate Glendale when they were floundering.

All other teams that have similar names in smaller one city dominated states or states with a couple large cities but only 1 able to claim a team are trying to claim the same. As if someone in a place like Prescott wouldn't already like the coyotes regardless.

I highly doubt they could change it back because people would likely take offense to "losing" their team. Buy maybe the new owner will consider it.

It's really annoying on many accounts.

I think sharing an arena again would be awesome. Also isn't going to happen though. Plans are already drawn up without facilitating hockey, not to mention i bet Sarver/ the suns didn't want to share in any capacity.

[fawd]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I think sharing an arena again would be awesome. Also isn't going to happen though. Plans are already drawn up without facilitating hockey, not to mention i bet Sarver/ the suns didn't want to share in any capacity.

It would be awesome.. but the days of shared venues is (with a few exceptions) coming to an end. There are only 10 shared NBA/NHL arenas left - nearly all of which were built in the 90s. So that number will continue to dwindle.

Teams want their own facilities now. It gives them extra sources of revenue. Plus, the pro-model is to make the area around the arena an 'entertainment district' - all of which is owned by the team and space leased to businesses etc.

You're actually going to start seeing colleges adopt this model moving forward as well... which will be interesting.

[ASUSunDevil]

Article that expands on Fawd's point: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...te-company-now

I'd like to see the Rising and Coyotes become "anchor stores" at the Loop 101/202 site.

[ASU Diablo]

https://arizonasports.com/story/2147...a-renovations/

[PHX-DUDE-MAN]

The Suns actually seem to be off to a good start this season and might actually make the post-season. That would be funny because that would likely push back the rennovation start date.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by PHX-DUDE-MAN

The Suns actually seem to be off to a good start this season and might actually make the post-season. That would be funny because that would likely push back the rennovation start date.

Yes, they getting better for everyday. That's good progress. I really hope Phoenix Suns will continue to win a game everyday.

[ASU Diablo]

I know some really take these types of studies with a grain of salt and overlook some of the facts, but the simple truth is Diamondbacks bring life to downtown 80 days out of the year and more now that DBacks own and control the types of events at the ballpark. I really hope the City of Phoenix can come up with some sort of agreement to keep them downtown for years to come.

https://dtphx.org/2019/11/12/asu-stu...hoenix-growth/

Take a moment to think about what Downtown Phoenix was like twenty years ago — when many Arizonans only came to downtown for a court appearance or Phoenix Suns game. Now, picture the heart of Phoenix ten years ago — when the light rail was just completed and the first phase of CityScape Phoenix was still in development.

Even if you haven’t been familiar with downtown for very long, you likely know how dramatic the changes have been in the past two decades. More than 7,600 housing units have been built since 2000 and there are another 2,176 housing units under construction. Downtown has more than 12,000 students and the area will boast nearly 4,000 hotel rooms by 2020 — which are greatly needed with six million people visiting downtown each year.

Some will argue that the light rail gave rise to the city’s resurgence over the past decade, but it is also true that having 80 Diamondback games at Chase Field created significant demand for the light rail in the first place, according to Dennis Hoffman, Director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

“Having the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chase Field stadium downtown is one of the original catalysts to Downtown Phoenix’s development and has given Phoenix a national platform over the years that has been invaluable to the city’s growth,” said Hoffman.

A 2017 study by the Seidman Research Institute found that the Diamondbacks have brought in over 60,000 jobs, about $4 billion in labor income, and nearly $5 billion in Gross State Product since 1996.

“The numbers reported by the Seidman Institute are significant as is the financial return generated by the team to the city, county and state,” Hoffman said.

“But the way that the Diamondbacks changed the growth trajectory of Downtown Phoenix may be one of their most important contributions.”

Attracting residents, businesses and developments to DTPHX
Devney Preuss, President and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Inc., began working for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury in 2004, when there was still limited restaurant options in the area, and she sometimes found herself eating lunch from the stadium concessions.

There are now 208 bars and restaurants within a 1.7-square-mile-area, and Preuss said she’s watched Downtown Phoenix grow into a 24-7 hub for food, fun, and entertainment.

“Restaurants, bars and live music venues are now open every night of the week, and they directly benefit from the game and concert attendees that the sports arenas draw into Downtown,” said Preuss. “This has been especially vital in the summer, when Downtown Phoenix businesses rely heavily on crowds from Chase Field and other events.”

Sporting events drew three million people to downtown in 2019 — and as more people over the years were drawn to downtown, so were restaurants and other businesses. Willie’s Taco Joint and Coach’s Corner opened across the street from Chase Field in 2000.

Eric Stoltz, owner of Willie’s Taco Joint, chose the location because of the success he saw in Downtown Denver’s entertainment district. For a while Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns fans were the main crowd for Willie’s and Coach’s Corner, but now the Phoenix Convention Center and lunch crowds help local businesses thrive, according to Stoltz.

Downtown Phoenix has doubled its number of restaurants in the past decade. And the restaurants and fun things to do have brought a surge of people that want to live and work in downtown.

“Much like the Phoenix Convention Center and Talking Stick Resort Arena, the stadium provides entertainment to thousands of people each year, making these venues invaluable to attracting office tenants, retailers, restaurants and residents to CityScape and Block 23.” said Jeff Moloznik, Vice President of Development at RED Development.

RED Development just opened Fry’s Food Stores just down the street from Chase Field at Block 23. The mixed-use development will also feature a sixteen-story residential high-rise, restaurants and office space.

According to Moloznik, that project wouldn’t be possible without specific economic catalysts like Chase Field, which really helped get things moving.

Opening the door to even more downtown events
The Diamondbacks now control then management of Chase Field, which means they can host events outside of the baseball sphere. The stadium has recently been used for convention gatherings of more than 40,000 people, a drone racing event and beer crawls.

TopGolf Live will be making a splash at Chase Field from Dec. 12 through 15 with 23 private bays where participants can try the tech-savvy golf game.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

I know some really take these types of studies with a grain of salt and overlook some of the facts, but the simple truth is Diamondbacks bring life to downtown 80 days out of the year and more now that DBacks own and control the types of events at the ballpark. I really hope the City of Phoenix can come up with some sort of agreement to keep them downtown for years to come.

https://dtphx.org/2019/11/12/asu-stu...hoenix-growth/

Id argue that its a combination of things that helped downtown, with the biggest being a cultural shift to desire urban environments which was completely unexpected and natural change in our society.

I think the time of requiring the teams downtown is gone but it certainly would not be positive for them to leave.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Losing the Diamondbacks Downtown would be a big hit for Phoenix. I know a few think that Downtown is beyond needing them at this point, but I disagree. Having sports teams Downtown and occasional events is one of several reasons residents would like to live there. Also, having a huge chunk of fans spending money around the area 80 days per year brings in lots of revenue for local businesses. It's no secret that local restaurants are much more busier when a Diamondbacks/Suns game is going on. Not sure why some think it would not be a loss if they moved to another location.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Id argue that its a combination of things that helped downtown, with the biggest being a cultural shift to desire urban environments which was completely unexpected and natural change in our society.

I think the time of requiring the teams downtown is gone but it certainly would not be positive for them to leave.

Serious question. A majority of these studies conclude that the county received a return of their investment, the value that Maricopa County taxpayers paid toward building the ballpark via taxes/payroll/etc. If up to a vote, wouldn't it make sense to provide some of type of assistance for a new ballpark or rehabbing BOB? We've recouped our initial cost, we can more than likely do it again over time. This team brings in on average 26K people to our downtown hotels, bars and restaurants at least 81 times a year.

[Obadno]

Whoa guys hold up.

I simply said it isnt critical to have the sports downtown anymore but it would not be a good thing.

What will happen is the city will come to a deal to keep the dbacks just like the suns. Thats what will happen so I am not concerned.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Whoa guys hold up.

I simply said it isnt critical to have the sports downtown anymore but it would not be a good thing.

What will happen is the city will come to a deal to keep the dbacks just like the suns. Thats what will happen so I am not concerned.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Whoa guys hold up.

I simply said it isnt critical to have the sports downtown anymore but it would not be a good thing.

What will happen is the city will come to a deal to keep the dbacks just like the suns. Thats what will happen so I am not concerned.

I would be OK if the Diamondbacks and City of Phoenix come up to a similar solution as they did for the Suns. But not with a tax-payer funded new stadium as it seems the Dbacks owners seem to have been pushing for.

[ASU Diablo]

Another article up on AZ Central. The concert hall sounds like overkill but access to public transportation? I'm pretty sure downtown Phoenix is the only location in the Valley that meets this...

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ld/4168097002/

The Arizona Diamondbacks want a stadium smaller than Chase Field to provide a more "intimate" experience for fans, surrounded by a major shopping and dining complex that could rival Glendale's Westgate Entertainment District in size, according to a team wish list obtained by The Arizona Republic.

The Diamondbacks' "expression of interest" proposal is the first public glimpse of the team's priorities if it leaves or renovates the 21-year-old ballpark in downtown Phoenix.

The team last year negotiated the option to leave the stadium early, as soon as the 2022 season, in exchange for ending a lawsuit against Maricopa County.

The team shared the 67-page wish list with officials in Henderson, Nevada, last year as the team scouted possible stadium locations. Henderson officials responded with a detailed proposal to build a stadium and entertainment complex a short drive from the Las Vegas strip.

Those discussions petered out in February, according to emails.

A team official said the Diamondbacks are not currently considering proposals from Henderson or other non-Arizona groups. Several groups within Maricopa County remain in the running, the official said.

The Republic obtained the team wish list, stadium proposal and email correspondence between the team and Henderson through a public records request to the city. The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported Henderson's stadium proposal but did not fully reveal what the Diamondbacks were looking for.

Following new stadium trends
The team wish list points to modern stadiums such as the Atlanta Braves' SunTrust Park, the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Park and the Edmonton Oilers' Rogers Place as inspiration.

Each of those projects incorporates a compact sports venue into a sprawling development for shopping, dining, hotels and offices.

New baseball stadiums have added fewer seats and more entertainment options as league attendance has dropped and fans look for experiences that complement the game. A reduction in seats means teams can hike ticket prices and add more luxury boxes, while retail centers owned fully or partially by the teams bring in additional revenue.

The Diamondbacks' wish list includes:

• A stadium of 36,000-42,000 seats on at least 20 acres. (The current stadium has 48,519 seats.)
• A retractable roof and ample parking.
• At least 45-70 acres of shops, restaurants, offices and apartments or condos surrounding the stadium.
• A 5,000-seat concert hall.
• Access to public transportation.
• Cost-sharing for long-term stadium repairs between the team and city.
• Team control over naming rights.
• Team control overbooking and revenues generated by the stadium and concert hall.
• Possible team control over development and operation of the retail complex, with revenues split with the city.

Is there room in downtown Phoenix?
If the Diamondbacks stayed at Chase Field, accomplishing the full wish list would require major changes.

As much as a quarter of the stadium's nearly 49,000 seats would need to be removed.

And the team would need to find enough land in downtown Phoenix to build the shopping complex. The acreage called for in the wish list is more than Scottsdale's Kierland Commons or Chandler Fashion Center.

Chase Field currently sits on about 25 acres. An additional 10 to 15 acres might be cobbled together nearby, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred speculated last year.

That would be far short of the goal. But there are additional parking and industrial lots south, north and east of Chase Field that might be considered.

Efforts to stay in Arizona
It appears the Diamondbacks haven't looked beyond Arizona and Nevada.

The Republic requested records from cities known to be interested in acquiring a baseball team, including Montreal, Quebec; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; and San Antonio, Texas. Those cities, along with their counties and province, told The Republic they had no records of communication with the team.

Las Vegas officials said they corresponded with the Diamondbacks but would not release documents, citing a non-disclosure agreement.

There are a few reasons the Diamondbacks might not want to leave Arizona.

The team would need to secure league approval to move. And the set-up at Chase Field offers some advantages over Henderson's proposal.

Henderson offered no current public transit option, while Chase Field is adjacent to light rail. Henderson proposed $6.1 million annual rent compared to a $250,000 annual administrative fee and $2 million annual maintenance fee the Diamondbacks pay at Chase Field. And Henderson indicated the team might have to share revenue from stadium operations with the city, which doesn't happen at Chase Field.

Still, Henderson promised the Diamondbacks a wider swath of land for development, more revenue from concerts and other events and potentially more public financing.

Maricopa County welcomes the competition, officials say.

The new Fry's grocery, thriving tech sector in the warehouse district, new residential buildings and Phoenix Suns' commitment to stay at Talking Stick Resort Arena show that downtown is a vibrant place, Maricopa County Board Chairman Bill Gates said.

"No disrespect to Henderson, they will decide they want to remain in the fastest growing county in the country in the past three years," Gates said. "We think we compare very well."

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Another article up on AZ Central. The concert hall sounds like overkill but access to public transportation? I'm pretty sure downtown Phoenix is the only location in the Valley that meets this...

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ld/4168097002/

8000 seats less? Its easy to do that within chase field this is another big bagaboo to scare the city/county into coughing up big bucks

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Is there room in downtown Phoenix?
If the Diamondbacks stayed at Chase Field, accomplishing the full wish list would require major changes.

As much as a quarter of the stadium's nearly 49,000 seats would need to be removed.

And the team would need to find enough land in downtown Phoenix to build the shopping complex. The acreage called for in the wish list is more than Scottsdale's Kierland Commons or Chandler Fashion Center.

Chase Field currently sits on about 25 acres. An additional 10 to 15 acres might be cobbled together nearby, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred speculated last year.

That would be far short of the goal. But there are additional parking and industrial lots south, north and east of Chase Field that might be considered.

I'm intrigued by this. The additional land referenced could be the new shopping complex, hotels, apartments/condos etc.

However, if they had to build new and want to remain in downtown, is there even land available to accommodate a new ballpark? Wasn't there some discussion a couple of years ago that the land near the rail yards (other side of 7th St bridge near Chase Field) would be up for sale at some point?

[biggus diggus]

Unrelated to the Diamondbacks...

It seems the Suns have stopped maintaining the A/V equipment at the arena in anticipation of the upcoming renovation. We sit in a B level suite and to be honest the view isn't amazing up there so we're often relying on the main screens above center court for replays and such. The screen facing us has been flickering and periodically pixealated all season. The PA announcer is hardly audible at times and when they play videos during breaks in play I can't ever understand what people in the videos are saying.

I'm really salty about this, I have this feeling they don't want to spend money to fix things that are going to be thrown away after the season. It's very frustrating. Along with the move to all digital ticketing on phones which has created longer lines to get into the parking garage and into the B level, I'm feeling like these guys are just pinching every penny.