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?

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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".

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

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

Well, it would be hard to be worse than Montreal Olympic Stadium.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

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

First off, it was not built with the NFL in mind. And secondly, no, its nowhere near "suitable". It was so when it opened in 1983 but not now. The stadium has nowhere near the revenue making capabilities that modern day ballparks have.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Well, it would be hard to be worse than Montreal Olympic Stadium.

which isn't a major league ballpark either and was the #1 reason why the team they did have left. So to repeat that history would be ludicrous

[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.

[go_leafs_go02]

Now that I like.

The only reason I suggested Jericho beach way back when was due to such a beautiful outfield view of downtown and the North Shore Mountains.


Great job. That's pretty neat.

Would the field need to be elevated? Or can it be built on ground level with the roof built above it?

[wrenegade]

Thinking about that again, the field would probably have to be at (or close to) ground level throwing the parking out the window. The roof would have to be built quite a bit about the Canada Place Way level.

[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.

[mrjauk]

John Podmore knows as much about basebell as my dead Croatian grandmother.

BC Place was built in the 1980s, when teams like the Mariners, Twins, Expos and Astros were playing in domed stadiums. Anybody who is at all conversant with the trend in sports stadia over the last quarter-of-a-century understands that these type of stadia are relics from a bygone age. Interestingly, the Skydome in Toronto (now Rogers Centre) was an anachronism even before it was completed. It signaled the swan song of the all-purpose dome, while Baltimore's Camden Yards ushered in the new era of purpose-built baseball parks. Anyone who has watched games in both places (and I have) is aware of the massive difference in the overall game experience.

Vancouver would not to build something like Safeco to be able to have any hopes of supporting an MLB franchise. We're just not a big or rich enough city to be able to do so.

Renovating Nat Bailey? I have no words. That's like saying, why don't we renovate Killarney community centre to bring in a 2nd NHL team. Or like saying why don't we renovate the pre-school down the street to build a world-class university. And an MLB team is world-class. Each team is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

If I were allow myself to dream, awvan's "Fenway on the Burrard Inlet"--or Gastown Park--would be fantastic. It would definitely need a retractable roof.

There are no Indian baseball players of any note. I do know that the Pittsburgh Pirates signed a couple of guys--former cricket players--from India after having seen them win a reality show. (The premise was to see if you could find someone in India with enough natural talent to potentially become a pitcher in the majors.) I'm not sure what happened to them and if they're still trying to rise up in the Pirates' minor-league system.