The Bulls stadium being in Downtown Durham rather than RTP is not a downside for attending games there from within the Triangle. It’s quite literally a plus. The environment around the stadium makes me more likely to attend.
As for DTS vs Lenovo Center. Putting a stadium 10 minutes further east or west on I-40 will not meaningfully impact attendance from within the Triangle. It amounts to reaching slightly more toward ENC (Fayetteville, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, etc) and away from the Triad (Greensboro, Asheboro, etc) which probably impacts the 50mi radius population downward a bit - but I have a feeling that any difference in attendance numbers, the size of the fan base, and economic potential of the franchise would be a mere rounding error.
So, in short, DTS would work fine.
I am still not sure I prefer it over the Lenovo Center vicinity. Between MLB, NHL, CBB and CFB there, that’s about 150 home games per year. Add in extras for any team that makes the playoffs, plus other events like concerts, plus things at the fairgrounds… you would have something going on there more days than not. Could make a potential mixed use district there quite lucrative and successful.
Guys this thing is 95% likely going next to Lenovo and Carter-Finley if we get it, and it gives Dundon the opening to build Raleigh’s version of The Battery. And that’s ok, it’ll make all three sporting venues fun to visit.
No, it doesn’t need baseball to be the battery. It will have the arena and football which is enough to sustain the entertainment district. This is an opportunity to push for DTS. I mentioned that “the safe bet is obviously arena district” so got it, acknowledged. I just don’t know why this forum wouldn’t push for a downtown stadium when that’s the best thing for downtown.
I assume y’all want the soccer stadium by the arena too? No one should be giving up for DTS for soccer either. Haven’t had time to post all of the examples of new soccer stadiums, but they’re building soccer specific stadiums for women’s soccer now. NWSL valuations are way up. No one is talking about losing the Courage, which will happen if they never get a stadium. Instead of talking about a stadium for NCFC/men’s soccer, we should be talking about how we replicate KC’s women’s soccer stadium. NCFC would play there too ofc, but there is more momentum around NWSL right now.
as a former raleigh resident, a mlb at dts would be my preference…but if a pro sports complex was congealed around around lenovo and CF…id try to make games there too.
I read that story today too - showed up in 2 different new sites. The line that sorta of annoyed me is the MLB Commis wants the Rays to stay in Tampa Bay so that Portland and Nashville can be expansion towns…
Honestly, Malik himself is the reason we’d lose the courage. I actually wonder if the courage have any sort of marketing team too.
Now in terms of the baseball stadium, it would be ideal for TD to put it by Lenovo (and that way he can sell other developers & businesses to go in there), but there just doesn’t seem to be the space. I find it very hard to believe the state would just give up the land like that. Realistically, the best spot on that site for a baseball stadium is where NC State’s outdoor fields are. I mean, MAYBE they’d consider giving it up if the stadium itself was owned by the centennial authority as well, but I also just think this would be a scheduling nightmare trying to schedule everything.
Imagine being the poor people trying to figure out how to make the schedules work for MLB, NCAAF, NCAAMB, Arena concerts, stadium concerts, performing arts center events, AND the state fair?
That what I’ve been saying it’s already zoned for a stadium and everything it’s a free plot of land a no brainer. The only issue they have would be funding now TD has said that he doesn’t plan to own the team 100% furthermore he wants a public private partnership, not saying it’s impossible but folks were already mad DT south being rezoned they will fight hard for no funding to go to that stadium. But the real issue of focus right now is corporate support that the biggest barrier they have to worry about luckily they have a lot of time to figure that out.
It why we lost MLS he just bit off too much than he could chew. I barely go to Courage games in fact if the NWSL or the new USL women league were to merge the Courage would probably be folded.
The part that is close to the arena & stadium is the horse complex and south part is for trailers and stuff. Plus it’s a little closer to some homes that may not be happy with the noise.
ESPN reported earlier today that the TB owner (Steinberg) says that they are definitely NOT moving forward with a new stadium in St. Petersburg for The Rays. Sternberg said Thursday “that the City of St. Petersburg is advancing on plans to restore Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 season”. Tampa Bay Rays not moving forward with new stadium plans - ESPN
I saw that Nashville released a logo. The article I read mentioned the usually suspects minus Raleigh. MLB really needs another team in the southeast, but I just can’t see Nashburg pulling off yet another stadium.
Yeah people just assume Nashville is the easy answer, but they have a few pretty big roadblocks. The City, County, and State are tapped out of funds after funding MLS and NFL in recent years. They would also have to deal with the minor league stadium that is already downtown and not expandable.
Late to the discussion here but that’s exactly right. I lived ten minutes from Zebulon but I was way more likely to attend Bulls games, not just because of the higher quality of play and higher quality ballpark, but because the environment around the ballpark was so nice.
