New Baltimore Arena?! BREAKING NEWS

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore

City development arm seeking proposals for new arena construction
Baltimore Business Journal - 2:48 PM EDT Wednesday, August 1, 2007
by Ryan Sharrow
Staff

[snip] Interested groups will have until Oct. 30 to respond to the city's bid -- known as a "request for expression of interest." [snip]

So, autumn should be interesting. Hard to believe we'll hear anything more about the McCormick's and News American sites (sorry, until cranes show up, those places'll be known for what they were) before then.

[StevenW]

yes, silence. Sometimes it's golden. Other times, like these, it's dreadful.

Come on 10 IH and 300 East Pratt! Please..............

[Gsol]

The recent articles in both the Sun and BBJ about "City Development arm Seeking Proposals for New Arena Construction" are silent as to whether the total number of seats could be increased. I think reporters should have clarified this point. So does this mean that the seating total stays at 16k max or can it be increased if the consutant deems it beneficial? We need to look at the full specs going out to bidders. It must be included in that package. Can anyone get a hold of that? Any thoughts on this?

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by Gsol

Any thoughts on this?

Think it's a back-door way to get folks thinking about the issue and to see what can happen with private funding leading the way. Some developer could (conceivably) propose to build a 20K seat facility next to Camden Yards if, say, the city assembled the land and threw in development rights to the current Arena site.

[DemolitionDave]

I still think Hale has the best idea from a financing point of view. His arena would be financed 1/3 by him, 1/3 by the concessionaire and 1/3 by the City/State.

[jamie_hunt]

Is Hale's offer still on the table? Wonder if we'll have to wait 'til October to find out.

[MobtownManiac]

Missed this in the Examiner yesterday.

Hale’s a native Baltimorean whose multi-million dollar business empire gave him the means to acquire one of the country’s premier indoor soccer franchises and the naming rights to the venue in which it plays. But on this night, Hale, 55, isn’t attending the game as the team’s owner or as the chairman and chief owner of 1st Mariner Bank.

He attended the game as a fan, one of 10,115 who watched the Blast open the season with a convincing, 8-2 victory over the KiXX.

SNIP

But as Hale sat in the decrepit building watching his team run around on the green artificial turf, he envisioned spending future seasons sitting in an owner’s box in a state-of-the-art arena he feels will revitalize Baltimore.

Hale is one of four private investors hoping to help fund a new downtown arena. Hale’s proposal would bring a new facility to Canton, near the Blast headquarters and Hale’s 1st Mariner Bank offices just off Boston Street.

Other proposals are said to include sites in Westport — just south of I-95 near the Camden Yards complex — or for the city to tear down 1st Mariner Arena and rebuild it, which may be the best option, according to a feasibility study released by the Maryland Stadium Authority in May.

But it’s not for Hale. He claims if the arena is destroyed, the Blast will “go out of business,” since it would have no home venue for up to three years. On Friday, the Blast nearly sold out the building.

The Blast and SMG Management, which operate the arena, are making the 44-year old building useful until its future is determined. But as the MISL heads toward uncharted territory — the league envisions expanding to 20 teams in addition to its recently signed television deal with Fox Soccer Net — the Blast is in limbo.

Hale calls himself the “old man” in the league, having owned the Baltimore entry since 1998, after also owning the team from 1989-1992.

He's won three championships in the past five years, and boasts the most successful pro sports franchise in town.

Now, all he wants is a new arena in Canton, one that would seat between 15,000 to 20,000. He’ll pay for it, too.

Just imagine:

Baltimore hosting major concerts.

Baltimore hosting NCAA tournament games.

Baltimore hosting national events and the millions they pump into the economy.

Baltimore finally giving its soccer team a legitimate arena to call home.

So give the guy what he wants because he’s giving the city what it needs. - Examiner

[Balmurfan]

Why not build the 18-20k seat arena in Canton and build the 27k seat stadium for the united in Westport?

[jamie_hunt]

Hmmm. Pat Turner had talked about a velodrome for his project in Westport but dropped it. Soccer might fit. Right now, teams are either playing in (American) football stadiums (NY in Giants Stadium, NE in Gillette) or "custom" parks (Colorado in "Dick's Sporting Goods Stadium"), but the latter are usually out in the 'burbs where most of the youth soccer players are.

As for the arena, it would be helpful if it could take advantage of some of the existing parking for the two stadiums, rather than having another asphalt prairie in Canton.

[waj0527]

An arena just won't fit between the stadia without MAJOR changes to the traffic pattern above. I really don't think it would work.

Wait...where did this Examiner reporter get a 15-20K figure? I thought Hale himself said he didn't want to go higher than 16K.

20K is more like it. Hell, I'd even take 18,000 just so the state's largest city can have the state's largest arena. Currently that's in College Park. (17,950)

[waj0527]

It pisses me off that the city just cant seem to wrap its effing brain around the idea that we are losing out on millions and millions of dollars because we don't have an adequate arena. It's a shame.

It's absurd Maryland and Georgetown can't play annually alternating sites between the Verizon Center and the new Baltimore arena. It's silly that Towson or Loyola or Morgan State or Coppin can't bid to host a sub-regional. Its also silly that men's Terps team will never play an NCAA tournament game in their home state.

Concerts, major presentations, comedy shows, boxing events, etc.

If Hale wasn't to build a significant arena 18K+, then let him. If he does it at Canton, then that frees up a prime spot on the Westside.
I should admit that I'd really like to keep it where it is.

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by waj0527

I should admit that I'd really like to keep it where it is.

yeah, i would too, but that three years WITHOUT the blast would pretty much seal their fate as far as being here. now that hale has mentioned between 15k-20k, i wouldn't mind having it over in canton. but again, MAJOR redevelopments would have to be done.......to boston street imparticular.

[micrip]

I've said it before and I'll say it again..the new arena has to be built on a different site. A city the size of Baltimore cannot be without any arena at all for the 3-4 years it will take to build a new one. As decrepit as it is, it still houses a significant number of events.

[Orange Crush]

I agree that the city can't go three years without an arena. Yet, I don't think that the city's "main" arena should be in Canton. I think the Downtown location is much more accessible, given that it's closer to 395, 83, the Parkway, and Light Rail. Plus, it's closer to the city's main north/south arterials.

The Canton location is closer to 95 on the north side of the tunnel, and I wonder if people coming from the south are going to be tempted to use Aliceanna and Eastern Avenue. And if they don't, I'm not sure either that Boston Street can handle the traffic; on top of that, it has a multi-track grade crossing between where the arena would be and I-95. Fortunately, there isn't any catenary, so it's easier to build over it, but they'd have to build over it even for the 16k arena. 4-5 extra possible thousand seems like too much for that area.

So, I think that they should get Hale what he wants. Let him build his "smaller" arena in Canton, having events over there while the new Baltimore Arena, preferably on the same site as the current arena, is built -- a 20k seat arena with luxury boxes and other such amenities. More events at a new arena means more to do for conventioneers, possibly more conventions, and possibly more reservations at the convention hotel (another reason to have the new arena at the current site).

I don't give Baltimore City government for knowing much of anything and I've felt that for a very long time. The same folks --the current Guv included-- commission a "Duh" report that tells us what we already know, and then no action is taken on it. Of course, these are the same folks who have been out to Portland and go to DC and NY and other places and still don't have a clue about mass transit. So, I'm not surprised that they don't know how much they're losing out on.

Kansas City knows what's up, though. They have the newly-opened Sprint Arena --which might end up hosting the Big 12, in addition to all the other events they have scheduled-- and they're keeping Kemper Arena for smaller events.

You'd think that with a Baltimore guy like David Cordish overseeing a major redevelopment project in their city (check out their "Power and Light" district), somebody in Baltimore government would be at least peripherally aware of what he's up to, look at what's happening and say "gee, maybe we could have two arenas, too." They're expanding their convention center, they have Power and Light coming in, and the new arena, and it's all in the same area. But Baltimore government can't even decide on a new arena. And their own commissioned report said the thing was inadequate. Arghhh.

I'm thinking about UFC 78 coming up at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. I really think that events like that could and should be coming to Baltimore. They've had UFC in Columbus. Why not Baltimore?

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by waj0527

An arena just won't fit between the stadia without MAJOR changes to the traffic pattern above. I really don't think it would work.

Not between. South of (Gateway site) or across the street from (Staples site).

[PeterSmith]

Just for imagination's sake, here is the new arena proposed for Glasgow, which was just awarded the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It's only 12,500 seats, but, man, is it a beauty - designed by Norman Foster. How would you like this on Baltimore's waterfront?

[MobtownManiac]

7 proposals for city arena submitted
Plans come after Md. Stadium Authority study that recommended new facility

By a Sun reporter
9:06 AM EST, November 13, 2007

Seven groups of developers have submitted proposals to build a new arena to replace the 45-year-old 1st Mariner Arena in downtown Baltimore, according to a statement issued this morning from the Baltimore Development Corp.

The proposals are from:

• Arena Development Group
• Cormony Development; Harrison Development; and Team 52 Development (run by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis)

• Hale Properties; Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp.

• Pinnacle Properties & Development; Garfield Traub Development LLC; AEG

• Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse; Capital Venture Group

• Turner Development Group

• White Rhino Development

The BDC asked in August for the proposals to be in by Oct. 30 for a new arena with 15,000 to 16,000 seats, 10 to 20 suites and 1,000 to 2,000 club seats. Developers were urged to include "vibrant retail or other activity to enhance the street-level experience even when the arena does not have an event."

A study by the Maryland Stadium Authority concluded that the city needs a larger and more modern arena and recommended that the current building be demolished and a new one built on that site or elsewhere. A new building could cost up to $162 million.

The 1st Mariner Arena was built in 1962 as the Baltimore Civic Center and was last renovated 20 years ago.

7 proposals! I can't wait to see them.

[Maudibjr]

Originally Posted by MobtownManiac

A new building could cost up to $162 million.

Is the MD stadium authority still full financed by the lottery?

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

Just for imagination's sake, here is the new arena proposed for Glasgow, which was just awarded the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It's only 12,500 seats, but, man, is it a beauty - designed by Norman Foster. How would you like this on Baltimore's waterfront?

Tough call. I'm sure it's beautiful, but these renderings aren't doing it for me. They make it look like a clam emerging from the mud.

[House3780]

go ravens