A shorter time to market would be the Zimmer lot I think. That or SmoHo III.
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While we wait to play a game of “Stadium or No Stadium”, how was it that the trio of college football stadiums were never a temporary fix in the eyes of MLS for awarding a team here? They were fine using Nippert Stadium at Cincinnati for the outset for FC Cincinnati and seem to tolerant of NYCFC/Revs not having any plans to building a home of their own. Is the only thing that made Carter-Finley (or, to be fair, Wallace Wade or Kenan) the stubbornness of our local academic institutions?
If MLS can support teams in Columbus and Cincinnati, two smaller TV markets in a shrinking state, then they easily could have added a Raleigh-area team alongside Charlotte. It’s annoying and irksome to see.
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Probably because the 919toMLS campaign didn’t include that -or really even bother to involve non-Wake County communities in the first place. As a Chapel Hill resident who admittedly hangs out in Durham more often than Raleigh, I can’t say I’ve seen much attention paid to the MLS bid in my side of the Triangle. Now that I’m thinking about it, I wonder if things would’ve been better if the bid was a regionally embraced effort from day 1.
Also, I’m not sure about Duke and State, but UNC had some legit issues with space. They held many of their football practice sessions in Kenan Stadium since their practice facilities wasn’t shovel-ready at the time, so I imagine that would’ve been a major logistical problem for anyone else wanting to use that space. Combine this with how UNC’s game day traffic ends up impacting local bus and hospital traffic partly due to Chapel Hill’s lack of parking, and I think UNC had some valid problems with sharing their spaces.
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If InterMiami can play 2-3 years at a glorified High School Stadium, we could’ve played at WakeMed a couple of years. Or even DBAP… There were ways around, it’s almost like our bid was like “hey look, people watch and play soccer here, now give us a team” instead of an actual plan.
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I remember when I was a kid the Chicago Fire played a few seasons at North Central College in Naperville on the football field. The stadium was nearly the same size as our high school’s was. I would think there are plenty of stadiums in the area that could support an MLS team for a few years with no problem.
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You know that if DBAP was ever an option as a temporary home, Jim Goodmon would’ve done everything to have made the bid a reality. He has the money and on a local level the media clout with the WRAL stations and would’ve had an instant home for the games PLUS a house organ to have pushed the expansion through. Why he didn’t do this amazes me.
This would be no different than NYCFC sharing with the Yankees, albeit on a smaller scale. Unlike NYCFC, it’s much easier to build here and Goodmon would’ve had the motivation to do so.
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I have not heard anything about this in a while, have there been any updates on the development moving forward? Maybe someone mentioned it previously in the forum, but there is a lot to skim through.
A inside source has told me that this project will happen . I have not heard any type of time line when .
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“Recently, international architecture firm 10 Design unveiled some new details for the master plan, calling for a mix of offices, hotel, retail and residential areas that includes a design for a 20,000-capacity soccer stadium and a virtual reality center.”
TBH, I can’t tell what is new here. The company usually does work in Asia. This is their first major project in North America.
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This is Super ! Thanks so much for sharing ! It is time for a downtown soccer stadium ! Love This !
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Curious about the timeline with everything else Kane has going on at the moment
I’m sure they’ll work out the details and it won’t feel as such, but IMO the stadium feels a little isolated to the edge of the site instead of a focal point.
It should be on the edge but I wish there was a hotel / apartment building overlooking and almost wrapping some sides like the Braves
Anyone have a clue what’s meant by this paragraph? “The design also calls for a bridge loop that would enclose the development and improved accessibility within Downtown South and the rest of the city.”
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I don’t need any buildings looking over/into the new stadium, but I 100% agree that it feels isolated, off on the far edge, of the development. It is almost an appendage rather than a main part.
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I’d just be happy if they’d start building it at some point…
But yeah, I feel like the Durham Bulls stadium is a pretty good model for incorporating a stadium into a city. On the edge of downtown, close the the highway, a focal point for some nearby businesses (Mellow Mushroom, Tobacco Road, Moe’s, Only Burger, Aloft, etc…), and surrounded by buildings so it feels like you’re in a city when attending a game.
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Idk, it looks like there’s the one building right next to the stadium that would overlook it, and plenty of empty lots surrounding the stadium for future development. The thing I’m most intrigued by from this article is the mention of a “virtual reality center” - that gets a big HELL YEAH from me. I forget, did this ever get its 40-story rezoning, or all these buildings 20 stories max?
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There’s 40-story zoning. Can’t remember if the whole thing is, or just certain lots. I’d imagine if any building here gets close to that it’d be abutting I-40 or Saunders and the rest closer to 15-20
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New design information for Downtown South out
"international architecture firm 10 Design unveiled some new details for the master plan, calling for a mix of offices, hotel, retail and residential areas that includes a design for a 20,000-capacity soccer stadium and a virtual reality center. "
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Especially for baseball parks, this is a great look. It gives stadiums a real sense of place, which I love.
For soccer, because of the tradition of covering the fans, you don’t get these opportunities. I like the proposal for an open end that will frame the DTR skyline. We know most great soccer venues by their canopy/roof designs more than any surround buildings or skyline views.
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