Idea: Relocating Crew Stadium to the Arena District

[cbustransitParticipant]

if we’re playing sim city…why put it at the casino site…its far away from downtown…put it directly downtown and use it to leverage development there

again…sim city…i have no idea where it would go specifically, but let’s get it directly into the city and not far away in the arena district or franklinton

[KyleEzellMember]

Walker’s Vets Memorial site suggestion – ideal. Current site is not ideal to say the least.

[anilloParticipant]

CMHflyer wrote >>
MLSsoccer.com posted a brief interview with Crew president and GM Mark McCullers regarding talk of a new stadium:
http://www.thecrew.com/news/2010/08/crew-president-talks-columbus-stadium-plans

Interesting interview, especially the last quote

Major league cities figure out ways to get major league sports infrastructure built. Columbus has not figured out how to do that yet and we need to. We have to. We better.
We won’t be a major league city for long if we don’t figure it out. I’ll tell you that right now. That’s a fact. That’s not my opinion.

Didn’t really realize that our stadium was considered old in the MLS. And while I haven’t been to a Crew game in probably close to a decade, I would definitely go to at least one or two a year if the stadium were in a nice area (and for the last year, I lived less than a mile from the stadium, so drivability really wasn’t the issue). It’s surrounded by a parking lot, a Lowe’s, and an Aldi’s. Kinda a slap in the face to one of the better MLS teams in the country.

[ohioad1Member]

The Crew would be wise to relocate to the Arena District. Look at what that has done for the Clippers. The Crew would also be wise to use the current stadium as the site for their new practice facility. That would almost a win win situation. You have to go to where the money is and right now, that is all pointing to the Arena District which just keeps getting better and better. I would buy season tickets if they moved to the Arena District. Lets make it happen!!

[bzarcherParticipant]

I’d like to go to more Crew games, and going to the AD would make that a lot more likely for me.

[dmerkowMember]

The Crew Stadium was built really cheaply as such things go and there are number of ways that the newer purpose built stadia are a dramatic improvement – particularly roofs that allow for play during more inclement weather (esp. important if the MLS ever shifts to the FIFA/EUFA schedule – as a fall-spring sport).

While Cbus has been lucky to get a bunch of WC qualifiers (esp. the winter games against Mexico), the new stadia might steal those games away from Cbus w/out a new stadium.

I’d also add that Crew Stadium has been used for high school football, soccer, and the national rugby 7’s championship. If the Crew were to move, it could be even more effectively used as a site for amateur athletics in the region (maybe hs football playoffs and the like).

My only worry about a dt/AD/Fton spot for the stadium is that my gut says that the northern beltway actually makes up a large percentage of the overall season ticket base (Dublin et al.), the southside would seem to have a smaller local fanbase, though it would make the stadium more accessible to Cincy and Dayton fans (and less so for Northern Ohio folks).

Where ever it goes, it needs parking that is suitable for tailgating, which is a pretty big part of the Crew experience.

[Jason PowellParticipant]

Well, since I’m late on this thread, I will just have to agree with most on the Arena District or Vets Memorial site. A move would be good for the team and city in more ways than I care to repeat and type right now. I do think the Brewery District should be considered as well. It would be nice to have two entertainment districts and it would be nice to see the BD get back some of its former glory. I did a project in my last OSU city planning class on this very topic. In a nutshell, the combination of a new stadium, relocated Shadowbox and and revitalized Front Street with bars and restaurants could create year round buzz for the neighborhood. Additionally, the new stadium would work in unison with a new multi-sport indoor/outdoor sports “mecca” on the Whittier Peninsula; rock climbing, canoeing, golf, volleyball, soccer, etc. with a pedestrian bridge linking the Whittier with Berliner Park. My professors seemed to like it. It could be downtown’s new playground.

[aloveParticipant]

I agree with somertimeoh/Walker.

[colrex7Member]

jpizzow wrote >>
Well, since I’m late on this thread, I will just have to agree with most on the Arena District or Vets Memorial site. A move would be good for the team and city in more ways than I care to repeat and type right now. I do think the Brewery District should be considered as well. It would be nice to have two entertainment districts and it would be nice to see the BD get back some of its former glory. I did a project in my last OSU city planning class on this very topic. In a nutshell, the combination of a new stadium, relocated Shadowbox and and revitalized Front Street with bars and restaurants could create year round buzz for the neighborhood. Additionally, the new stadium would work in unison with a new multi-sport indoor/outdoor sports “mecca” on the Whittier Peninsula; rock climbing, canoeing, golf, volleyball, soccer, etc. with a pedestrian bridge linking the Whittier with Berliner Park. My professors seemed to like it. It could be downtown’s new playground.

Ooooh I like this idea a lot as well! I would say the Arena District has enough sports at this point. Franklinton or the Brewery Dist I think should be considered over the Arena District, personally.

[Walker EvansKeymaster]

jpizzow wrote >>
…it would be nice to see the BD get back some of its former glory.

I’ve heard this type of sentiment before, and I think those “glory days” are being over-romanticized. The “strip o’ popular bars” moved up to Park Street and people complain about that. It would be no different if the Brewery District still had it.

The Brewery District has evolved into a nice mixed-use neighborhood that isn’t a one-trick pony “Entertainment District”. There are a variety of new housing options, offices, and some scattered nightlife and retail. They’ve also got one of the best grocery stores in the inner city and a very nice (and growing) urban Metro Park. Does that neighborhood really need all of the bars back? Maybe one or two restaurants… and Shadowbox would be a welcome addition IMHO, but I don’t know if the nightlife focus would be a sustainable, long-term benefit for that area.

If anything, what the BD needs is a Front Street that goes two ways in and out of Downtown to help accessibility and retail caps over 70/71 on Front and High.

[MFRONEParticipant]

HS Football Finals at a soccer stadium even downtown wouldn’t happen. Columbus proposed using Crew Stadium and the OHSAA only wanted Ohio Stadium as the venue to stage the games here in Columbus. Location means nothing to the OHSAA.

[GeorgeFoxMember]

The idea to move to the Arena is nice, but to say traffic would be better is shortsighted. 670 is always a tussle coming across town when there is a concert/Blue Jackets game. While the spots where Vets is looks good (and with a background with the skyline could be great), traffic getting in and out here would be worse than Crew stadium.

My knowledge of the Crew is that while they do well with the Central Core areas (Clintonville, VV, SN and GV) for 21-30 aged fans, they historically have drawn their support from the Northern suburbs.

Remember, we didn’t pay for that stadium 12 years ago so it’s not going to be a Mecca…and really, the team was a laughing stock until about 4 years ago.

In an ideal world, where funding isn’t an issue. I envision the Crew Stadium at Veterans Memorial with the backdrop of the east goal with the downtown skyline overlooking the stadium (as mentioned above). I can see a horseshoe design that covers the stadium so block out harsh wind and rain out of the northwest.

Additionally, since we can dream here, I see a monorail station connecting the Arena, Huntington Park, State House and Crew Stadium—along with a line up the Olentangy River Bike Path up to Ohio State, as long as the environment isn’t too disrupted. This could be helpful for parking as many lots are at the Arena and the monorail, as well as a new pedestrian bridge, could like the Arena to the Veterans site.

With that being said, here’s my question: Do we try to get private funding for this project or public? And if it’s public, what sort of terms do we lock the owners of the Crew into?

[GeorgeFoxMember]

OK—support from families from the Northern suburbs

[MisplacedParticipant]

cbustransit wrote >>
if we’re playing sim city…why put it at the casino site…its far away from downtown…put it directly downtown and use it to leverage development there
again…sim city…i have no idea where it would go specifically, but let’s get it directly into the city and not far away in the arena district or franklinton

Is it too late to put it on the old City Center site instead of the Columbus Commons? Kidding, of course (and I have nothing against the new park). But hey, it would bring some nice evening and weekend action to downtown in the summer and they could put down ice to skate on in the winter. Plus, no carousels to cause problems.

[Jason PowellParticipant]

Walker wrote >>

jpizzow wrote >>
…it would be nice to see the BD get back some of its former glory.

I’ve heard this type of sentiment before, and I think those “glory days” are being over-romanticized. The “strip o’ popular bars” moved up to Park Street and people complain about that. It would be no different if the Brewery District still had it.
The Brewery District has evolved into a nice mixed-use neighborhood that isn’t a one-trick pony “Entertainment District”. There are a variety of new housing options, offices, and some scattered nightlife and retail. They’ve also got one of the best grocery stores in the inner city and a very nice (and growing) urban Metro Park. Does that neighborhood really need all of the bars back? Maybe one or two restaurants… and Shadowbox would be a welcome addition IMHO, but I don’t know if the nightlife focus would be a sustainable, long-term benefit for that area.
If anything, what the BD needs is a Front Street that goes two ways in and out of Downtown to help accessibility and retail caps over 70/71 on Front and High.

I do agree that we don’t need another Park Street. When I referenced bars and restaurants, I was only talking about concentrating on the existing buildings on Ludlow Alley and leasing to bars and restaurants. Since I proposed that the stadium be built up next to the highway, Ludlow Alley would kinda sorta be connected to it and run alongside Shadowbox as well. The cap and two way streets were also mentioned as well.

The neighborhood should concentrate on being mixed use. I have this belief that new mixed use development should take place around our urban grocers. Think about it. Where do people usually make most of their weekly trips. Probably the grocery store. Why not be able to just walk around the corner. There is a huge opportunity all around BD Kroger for mixed use on the abundance of vacant land/surface parking.

The “glory day” are over for the BD in terms of being a “hang out” district. However, I believe the BD has vast potential to relive some of those “glory days” if the district focuses on being a fully developed mixed use district, anchored by the new stadium to the north and a new “playground” to the south, among other things. Maybe developers of a new stadium could lend a hand in creating a new neighborhood plan for the BD. It’s been forever since one was written.

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