Baseball stadium for downtown?

[Wilbur]

I'll admit I rarely go to Driller games, although, I do enjoy being at the stadium when I do go, so I'm not sure why I don't go more often.  That little tid bit aside, whether the stadium is at 15th and Yale or Downtown, won't have any bearing, or make it more likely, that I will go to more games.  I've been to OKC's Bricktown stadium, and it's nice, but again, not sure a stadium like that would make me want to go to more games.  

Unless tons more people would go to games at a new stadium, not sure spending that amount of cash results in anything positive other then to say "we have a new stadium."

[Wrinkle]

The County obvously wants to dislocate the existing Driller Park, which is a fine facility, often being called "the best in the League".

I guess the County has BIG plans for the corner of 15th & Yale, which surely would have "higher and better" uses, from an income standpoint, than the ballpark.

There's no reason to move, that I can see.
Someone keeps fabricating the "need" for it to be somewhere else, and what a great economic benefit it would provide in a "synergistic" kind of way.

Crap!

From this point forward, I'll not be participating in any discussion about ballparks.

If someone wants to do that privately, fine. But, public shouldn't be paying for this kind of deal at all, especially when there's no money to light the streets, open pools, fix streets, etc, etc.

And, basing a move of City Hall on the need for a ballpark could easily be labelled pure insanity.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

The County obvously wants to dislocate the existing Driller Park, which is a fine facility, often being called "the best in the League".

I guess the County has BIG plans for the corner of 15th & Yale, which surely would have "higher and better" uses, from an income standpoint, than the ballpark.

There's no reason to move, that I can see.
Someone keeps fabricating the "need" for it to be somewhere else, and what a great economic benefit it would provide in a "synergistic" kind of way.

Crap!

From this point forward, I'll not be participating in any discussion about ballparks.

If someone wants to do that privately, fine. But, public shouldn't be paying for this kind of deal at all, especially when there's no money to light the streets, open pools, fix streets, etc, etc.

And, basing a move of City Hall on the need for a ballpark could easily be labelled pure insanity.

Other than a lack of paved parking during "big" games, there is nothing wrong with current location. Facilities are adequate. Lamson seems to think someone else should pay for a new stadium because the Drillers are so key to development? That is ridiculous.

[USRufnex]

There's something missing here... the city insisted on annexing the fairgrounds... Bell's basically got thrown out...

And it sounds to me like the Drillers are also being pushed out.  Even after their lease expires, if they don't have a place to play,  it's been quoted they'd be on a year-to-year lease... waiting for the other shoe to drop...

I see the quote about Driller Park being the "finest in the league" but that quote's gotta be over 10 years old... the Drillers would like to keep up with the Joneses and get a new ballpark like OKC, Round Rock (Austin), Springfield, Little Rock, Corpus Christi, Frisco (TX) have...

***Conspiracy Theory Alert***

There's still something missing in the equation though... when I went to a Drillers' game a few weeks back, I parked on an asphault parking lot and walked over the dirt in the middle of... well... a racetrack.

I'm willing to bet on some pretty good odds that the future of the fairgrounds is going to be CASINO GAMBLING.  It'll be an effort to turn Fair Meadows Racetrack into Tulsa's version of OKC's Remington Park... and I'd wager it'll also include a new casino...

Remington's casino in OKC opened fall 2005...
http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=31127

quote:Remington Park Casino Opens to Large Crowd
by Jerry Shottenkirk
Date Posted: November 22, 2005
Last Updated: November 23, 2005


A dream came true Nov. 21 for Remington Park officials and Oklahoma horsemen. Shortly before 1 p.m., the track opened the doors of its new $35-million slot-machine casino.

As a result of the passage of State Question 712 last fall, Remington altered the look of its 17-year-old facility, and the public quickly responded when the gaming hall opened.

"It was fantastic, especially for a soft opening," Remington Park general manager Scott Wells said. "We had over 700 customers in the first 40 minutes. It far exceeded our expectations."

Attendance for the day was 4,342.

Late in the afternoon, Wells and his staff looked forward to the evening's live racing card, which began at 6:30 p.m. "It has remained steady," Wells said. "There were lines at all the machines. The place was packed."

Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Remington, put construction crews into action four months ago.

"It has been only 120 days since we signed (an agreement) with the Zoo (which owns the land on which Remington sits)," Wells said. "The renovation has taken place in 120 days. They worked round the clock the last 60 days, in three shifts."

The Oklahoma City Zoo will receive a percentage of casino profits, as will the state of Oklahoma, horsemen's purses, and the general fund at Remington.

Remington Park Casino includes 650 gaming machines; a valet entrance; Wild Rush Bar with overhead sound stage; Remy's restaurant; 360-degree LCD monitors, or Dynascans; and The Lookout, a race book overlooking the finish line. The track's grandstand level, which had not been used for years, was transformed into the gaming center.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20070309/ai_n18712941

quote:Following the third-best attendance year in track history, Remington Park will open its quarter horse season tonight with intentions of equaling last year's accomplishments.

The track drew 1.3 million fans last year, which is the third- highest total in Remington's 19 years of existence. Most of that came in the form of players in the track's casino area. The total marked the first time the track has surpassed the 1 million mark since 1994.

Interesting coincidence that Winnercomm co-founder Chris Lincoln is back at KTUL vowing to cover local sports much more closely... he clearly doesn't need the money... and he's always been a huge supporter of Thoroughbred racing, covering horse racing for ABC and ESPN.

Things that make you go hmmmm.  [8]

[TheArtist]

Careful Rufnex, your starting to sound like Shadows.