Game a sign of good things going on downtown
Column by Josh Moon • March 25, 2010
Riverwalk Stadium was the theatre for a rather odd scene Wednesday night.
Thousands of fans, most of them draped in Alabama crimson and white or Auburn orange and blue, were crammed into the place. There were city officials and a variety of media types. There were bunches of kids and a few seniors.
And almost all of them were having a good time.
Strange, right?
Here we are in the age of endless arguing — Republicans and Democrats, Saban and Chizik, death panels and public options — and we’ve got smiles and laughs. And got’em by the thousands.
You have to imagine that this was the scene former Mayor Bobby Bright and other city leaders envisioned when they decided to build this place.
A packed house.
Good baseball.
Good times.
It’s the kind of thing that leaves a lasting impression on people. It’s the kind of event that can do more good for your city than a year’s worth of expensive PR work.
And that’s why Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange wants to see more events like it.
“It’s perfect for what we want to do,” Strange said. “You bring in a lot of people from the River Region and they get a whole new idea of what (the downtown area) is about. They see that it’s safe, that it’s vibrant and that there are a ton of options for them down here.”
The success of this game isn’t exactly a secret. It was a sellout this year. It was a sellout last year. The interest is overwhelming and draws people from all over central Alabama.
“If you were downtown after the rainout (on March 9) and trying to eat, there were hour and a half waits at places,” Strange said. “Now, that may mean we need more places to eat, but it also tells you there were a lot of people roaming around the downtown area, and most of them are from the River Region.”
Strange said the general rule for estimating economic impact is to calculate $50-$70 for every person not staying overnight, or $170 for everyone staying overnight. So, at a minimum the city took in better $350,000 for the night.
And that doesn’t calculate the good PR or the ticket sales.
All of that is why Strange would like to see a couple more of these type games and possibly other events.
Strange mentioned that the city’s working to attract decent concerts and other sporting events. They’ve already lured the National Private School Athletic Association softball and baseball championships and its football all-star game. Those games will take place in late May. And planned renovations to Garrett Coliseum and Cramton Bowl could bring in other events.
Some of those plans, of course, depend on money. And a lot of the money depends on how willing the general public is to think big.
That has historically been a problem around here. Remember the teeth gnashing and harsh words when Bright forced this stadium project through?
But look at the downtown area now. There are restaurants and bars and very nice hotels. People roam the streets after dark — and few, if any, try to take your wallet. Even for a historically negative guy like myself, there’s no denying the unbelievable upgrades down here.
And there’s no reason that the area can’t continue to grow.
And that doesn’t calculate the good PR or the ticket sales.
All of that is why Strange would like to see a couple more of these type games and possibly other events.
Strange mentioned that the city’s working to attract decent concerts and other sporting events. They’ve already lured the National Private School Athletic Association softball and baseball championships and its football all-star game. Those games will take place in late May. And planned renovations to Garrett Coliseum and Cramton Bowl could bring in other events.
Some of those plans, of course, depend on money. And a lot of the money depends on how willing the general public is to think big.
That has historically been a problem around here. Remember the teeth gnashing and harsh words when Bright forced this stadium project through?
But look at the downtown area now. There are restaurants and bars and very nice hotels. People roam the streets after dark — and few, if any, try to take your wallet. Even for a historically negative guy like myself, there’s no denying the unbelievable upgrades down here.
And there’s no reason that the area can’t continue to grow.
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