I know that city like Phoenix, Louisville desperate MLS cities like us, are doing the same.
Hey Drew , Could not get article on my desktop but did get it on my phone . Thanks again ! Still support strongly a 12,000 to 15,000 seat stadium for The Courage / NCFC , Shaw Football , Ect . for our
downtown area , Public / Private Funding Project . Shaw fans have been driving for years to Durham for their home games until last season when a deal was worked out with St. Augustine , but I have heard that they would rather have a different situation concerning their football games . This does not matter but Iām a white male , Wolfpack fan .
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After seeing DCās Audi Field handle XFL and MLS, field condition looked pretty poor. I have second thoughts about soccer and football sharing. Not to mention all the lines on the field.
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I can certainly understand your thinking . High Point Rockers will share their stadium with minor league soccer . I have talked in person with Mr. Kane & Mr. Malik if they would consider their project with The Atlantic League baseball & Mr. Kane was more positive about this than Mr. Malik . Mr. Malikās concerned was that the stadium would have to be built wider . 70+ minor league games , special games of
NCSU / UNC , ECU , Duke with all the soccer games would really keep the stadium busy . The NCSU /
UNCC baseball game a few years ago at The Charlotte Knights Stadium drew 7,400+ fans .
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I should report White male, but yeah I could support Shaw Games being supported there.
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MLS isnāt coming to Raleigh not for another 10 years read my first reply why???
In case the earlier messaging wasnāt proof enough, Malik isnāt asking for a downtown stadium, heās asking for a downtown āSOCCERā stadium for NCFC and the womenās team. If the city is going to pony up money to help him build that, it should require him to build it so it is suitable for multiple event/sport types (Iāve tried to state this from the get-go).
Now, if he wants to fund the soccer stadium himself, that is up to him, but being forced to build a stadium a bit wider so the city can ensure max usage should certainly be on the table.
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Watching the Canes game last night, and was extremely impressed with the new Detroit arena! The Little Caesars Arena is surrounded by mid-rise office buildings with restaurants and bars facing the sidewalk and then the arena concourses have like an open-air feel between the arena bowl and the office buildings. Would love something similar at the Smoky Hollow Phase 4 site. Maybe 10-15 years down the road?
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While I am 100% onboard with moving the Canes to DRTā¦ SM PH4 may also be a good contender for the replacement of RedHat Amphitheaterā¦ All the restaurants and bars around SH/GS are just a few blocks from this location. This location would keep an outdoor venue with all the urban touches in very close proximity. Just a thought. 
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Gavin,
Iām glad to know that you seem to be more knowledgeable about what MLS is doing than the attorneys for the guy who actually plans to bring a team to Raleighā¦who also happens to be on the board of US Soccer.
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I put this in another thread, but why not consider Devereux Meadows as a possible location for the amphitheater? Iād rather not lose a developable and revenue generating plot of land downtown, when thereās opportunity already in the neighborhood on land that canāt be developed because itās in a floodplain. Thereās got to be enough land there for both parkland and an amphitheater.
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Okay, Okay, Okay, whatever you say iām about the tabloids and rumors. I just know that thereās no progress and Iām hearing nothing, and I think that why momentum from the bid in the first place died. Because you guys never updated the progress of the bid we couldāve helped you guys get the state property, but no you guys wanted to work behind the scenes. Oh great.
Also Lou , Mr. Kane is a lot more favorable towards The Atlantic League than Mr. Malik . Mr. Malik said that The Atlantic League needs to be in Kinston . Mr. Malik is from Kinston , but when I talked to them
both was when they thought that they were going to get a good portion of their tax request . Maybe things have changed a bit now since they are now talking multi-use sports stadium .
Thanks for the info Dwight. I think Kane is a business man whose end goal is profit. For Malik, this is all about bringing his product downtown to a more desirable location on the back of the tax payer. If his team was out-growing their stadium and demand numbers were crazy then I would feel differently (Iām not against taxes being used to build. stadiums if overall ROI for the residents would be strong), but NCFC pulled a little over 3k to their season opener and thats with a Dreamville sponsorship involved. Now you have them selling tickets for $3.14 (for Pi day). Sure that will increase attendance numbers, but these are the things we all need to be real about when we look at the numbers and decide if its worth using tax dollars on a DT soccer stadium.
Look, take bias out of it. Iām on the āget organized and prep for a potential future MLB franchiseā bandwagon while others are on the bring soccer downtown bandwagon. But if you eliminate bias here, what we are talking about is paying for a stadium for a minor league soccer team that isnāt putting up significant attendance numbers. I just donāt feel like that is warranted or a good use of money for our city.
I mean, if the Durham Bulls were struggling with attendance then I would be AGAINST using any tax money to bring any sort of baseball to Raleigh (despite my love for baseball). So iām trying my best to not be a homer here and to call it like it is.
If Malik believes in his product so much and thinks that location or other factors are what is holding him back then it should be a no brainer to invest in building his own stadium downtown with his own money. If heās not willing to take that risk, why should the city/county?
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I can certainly understand everything that you said . In fact , Lou your thinking makes a lot of sense .
This is my thinking Lou . Have a team effort with the county , city , Mr. Kane , Mr. Malik , investors , &
approve some hotel / food tax funds . Build a 12,000 to 15,000 seat multi-use stadium for soccer ,
minor league baseball , Shaw Sports , Special NCSU baseball games when they play UNC , ECU ,
Duke , Clemson . NCFC , The Courage , 70+ minor league games will keep the stadium busy . Visiting
players from all of these games staying overnight in downtown , fans from ECU , Clemson also staying
in downtown . Lou , if hotel / food tax funds are not used , I donāt think Raleigh will never have a downtown stadium . JMO Lou . Currently , 50% of the league players in ALPB have playing time in
MLB . AA level of play , 23 seasons , I think Raleigh baseball would bring in a good fan base . Lou , itās
great to hear from you !
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Yeah I mean, not all stadium need extra development like building around it that why MLS didnāt like the downtown South plan and in general most stadium really do come out of the owners pockets. And donāt require extra development like buildings unless itās on a city property and there offering it (which the city of Raleigh did originally when Malik announced his MLS bid but didnāt yet reveal the stadium located which would be at the doomed MLS killing site) he shouldāve chosen that. Also most stadium are in downtown and arenāt on any state property, or if there on city the get some pay from there own pocket, along with the stadium which cost an average of $300-$600, plus most MLS, MLB of NHL (even our own Canes) donāt havedevelopment have no extra development just the stadium even NFL doesnāt. Okay all the other MLS expansion cities Nashville, St. Louis, Sacramento didnāt have no buildings on there site. Unless the city uses a little of the empty property of the stadium or a developer to build a hotel or building.
The Stadium Feasibility Study has been completed & will be on the agenda Monday the 16th for Wake County Commissioners & Tuesday the 17th with Council . It is 61 pages & it is listed on council agenda . I only have had time to read the first 6 pages .
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Read faster, damn youā¦ha ha!
Thank you for the updateā¦
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Thank you for reading for us!!
My university went to all on-line instruction tonight effective immediately. Needless to say, I wonāt be doing much reading of anything but school stuff for a couple days since e-mailing is the extent of my on-line teaching abilities!
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I love Page 27 about High Pointās baseball / soccer stadium .
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