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Considering the weather in MN, its no doubt they have a dome. Our winters are nice enough to be open most gamedays. I understand the need for closed roof for big events like the final four, but hopefully we can have best of both worlds with a large retractable roof opening.

Yeah, I always thought it was odd when they didn’t put a roof of the twins stadium. I think there have been games there where everyone was caked in snow. Retractable roofs are quite an engineering feat!
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It's one of the best new stadiums on the planet actually.  If/when we get a new one, I hope the designers are just as creative. 
Bottom center of the image is a replica of an old Viking ship. The sail is a video screen! Sweet.
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You think so? I always thought it looked out of place in Minneapolis when they were building it, mainly because the buildings there are less flashy and more muted than Charlotte. I do think that kind of design would do much better here though, maybe with a brighter bluer color scheme?
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1 hour ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

The Minneapolis stadium is uncomfortable to walk around. I really dislike being anywhere near it. At least when there isn't a game. It's really, really pretty and an amazing stadium.  I actually can't think of any NFL stadium that isn't terrible for the surrounding environment except for Charlotte.

Anyone hoping for a shiny new NFL Stadium it somehow be lively. Not really sure there's an example besides Charlotte's current stadium that we can point to and say "what a nice urban/lively neighborhood/district". I say just renovate the current one, maybe clad it in glass. 

How is Bank of America Stadium good for the surrounding environment or a nice urban lively neighborhood? It is a complete dead zone any other time than game days. It is surrounded by an interstate, freight tracks (with not much access across the tracks nor much of anything on the other side of them), an office tower, and a parking garage. There's a light rail stop directly adjacent to the Viking's stadium rather than several blocks away here. In both cases you have to get a few blocks away before there's much of anything besides parking and offices. Uptown Charlotte in general is a lot less sleepy than downtown Minneapolis which is a big plus, but our stadium area itself is nothing special.

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58 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I didn't mean to say the current Panthers Stadium was lively. I only mentioned lively in discussing that a new stadium will likely not result in some sort of stroll/entertainment district as there's really many NFL stadium examples to point to.

What I meant to say was is that the current Carolina Panthers stadium blends in better to an urban environment much better than other stadiums and far more better IMO than the Vikings stadium. A Light Rail Stop doesn't really change that I think the BofA stadium is leagues better blending into the neighborhood & urban fabric of uptown far better than the Vikings stadium does to it's surrounding. I was last their in 2018 and it felt like a concrete waste land with a beautiful glass stadium in the middle. The Vikings stadium itself is pretty. I just prefer how Charlotte's interacts with uptown.

 

Large outdoor venues in NC will be allowed limited capacity starting in  October - Triad Business Journal

 

 

 

I'm not getting it. Is it the trees? There's not much urban-ness immediately around the stadium at this point, so not sure what it's blending into. Highway, tracks, empty lots, parking, a power substation. Is it the fact that it's tucked away in a corner of uptown away from the actual stuff that makes it feel like it doesn't clash?

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57 minutes ago, TCLT said:

I'm not getting it. Is it the trees? There's not much urban-ness immediately around the stadium at this point, so not sure what it's blending into. Highway, tracks, empty lots, parking, a power substation. Is it the fact that it's tucked away in a corner of uptown away from the actual stuff that makes it feel like it doesn't clash?

We just have differences of opinion. 

It’s mostly the oversized giant concrete plazas for me. I’m just stating how it felt - to me - wandering around Minneapolis. Maybe if the block the light rail station was at wasn’t just concrete that would help. Even without the trees, I don’t think BofA would feel like such a huge overbearing concrete plazas.

Edited by AirNostrumMAD
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That’s one thing I have loved about Charlotte vs Minneapolis is the many trees so close to the central business district (and beyond!). There is just a lot of concrete in Minneapolis... The original stadium that this one replaced did take up only half the space so the concrete plaza wasn’t nearly as large, but the Metrodome was entirely made of concrete with a fabric dome:

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I've found in general that Southeastern cities are havens for urban tree cover. Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, etc. are all like this. Part of that I think is due to the lower density than, say, Northeastern cities, but when compared to places like Minneapolis above the difference is striking. Minneapolis seems to have a similar downtown and cityscape to Charlotte (despite the higher metro population, probably because St. Paul eats some of that up) yet there is nowhere near the level of tree cover and greenery. 
And even if there were, it would be dead and brown half the year. Can you tell I don't like cold climates?

Honestly, if this is how southeastern cities feel I am definitely loving the vibe. I would have to agree with you, having lived in both places it’s really hard not comparing the two. For years, I always thought Charlotte had a stunning skyline and Minneapolis is the reason why I love skyscrapers so much…
It’s so true!! I had no idea that there could be so many trees in a city (Minneapolis and St. Paul are like if Charlotte and Raleigh were next door neighbors).
You got that right! Haha you and me both the weather here is sooo much better…
As others have said, it's the vast swaths of shadeless, sterile, bland concrete surrounding the Vikings facility.  BofA is built up to the street with greenery and shade which makes it much more inviting than a concrete slab.  I've witnessed people on many occasions jogging or walking their dogs around the stadium because despite the fact that there isn't constant activity here it can still be a pleasant stroll.  I doubt that happens near U. S. Bank stadium as often. 
Also, I'm confident the area surrounding BofA will improve sooner rather than later.  Ideally residential/hotel with an active ground floor will rise at the corner of Mint and Brooklyn Village/Graham, the Duke building conversion and expansion will bring more warm bodies, the Mint garage will eventually be redeveloped potentially bringing more restaurant and retail directly across the street, and hopefully (fingers crossed) we'll actually get our entertainment district along Morehead and Cedar.  If a way is found to extend 1st street underneath the tracks to Graham and move the power substation and connect that to Graham St Pub with more development then you would hands down have one of the best if not THE best active urban neighborhoods surrounding a stadium in the country. 

I definitely need to take a stroll by the BofA stadium, I have definitely noticed it’s clever position in uptown and a generally pleasant area. Haha I did go by the US Bank stadium, and though it is a unique experience being by something so large, there is not a personable feel to it. It’s more of a grand monument than a place you would want to take your morning jog through. Seriously though, that side of uptown is really changing so fast - I am excited to see everything in motion!!
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12 minutes ago, DJ8hep said:


Honestly, this how southeastern city vibe I am definitely loving it. I would have to agree with you, having lived in both places it’s really hard not comparing the two. I always thought Charlotte had a stunning skyline, and well Minneapolis is exactly why I love skyscrapers so much. It’s so true!! I had no idea that there could be so many trees (Yeah Minneapolis and St. Paul are like if Charlotte and Raleigh were next door neighbors). You got that right! Haha you and me both…
I definitely need to take a stroll by the BofA stadium, I have definitely noticed it’s clever position in uptown and a generally pleasant area. Haha I did go by the US Bank stadium, and though it is a unique experience being by something so large, there is not a personable feel to it. It’s more of a grand monument than a place you would want to take your morning jog through. Seriously though, that side of uptown is really changing so fast - I am excited to see everything in motion!!

Take a walk from the stadium to Frazier park along Irwin Creek Greenway. Frazier dog park is actually one of the busier dog parks I’ve seen and I used to walk their regularly with my dog past BofA stadium. A lot of dog owners and residents in 3rd ward I noticed like that route. 

there’s a pedestrian tunnel under the tracks at the stadium, it follows down defunct tracks and past a few cool bars. And obviously the Irwin Creek portion follows the creek. It’s really great. I bet you could walk that route to Streetcar but I haven’t been to Charlotte since it opened but. It seems like that would be pretty pleasant. 

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There’s a lot of things I liked uptown that people tended to overlook. My nephews *loved* Rays Splash Planet. I enjoyed the aquatic center and loved 4th Ward park. It’s fun to find the nooks and crannies of uptown. 

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9 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I bet you could walk that route to Streetcar but I haven’t been to Charlotte since it opened but. It seems like that would be pretty pleasant. 
 

You can. By the basketball courts right before Trade where the greenway would cross a bridge over the creek they added a split that extends out to trade street and is less than half a block from a station.

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Take a walk from the stadium to Frazier park along Irwin Creek Greenway. Frazier dog park is actually one of the busier dog parks I’ve seen and I used to walk their regularly with my dog past BofA stadium. A lot of dog owners and residents in 3rd ward I noticed like that route. 
there’s a pedestrian tunnel under the tracks at the stadium, it follows down defunct tracks and past a few cool bars. And obviously the Irwin Creek portion follows the creek. It’s really great. I bet you could walk that route to Streetcar but I haven’t been to Charlotte since it opened but. It seems like that would be pretty pleasant. 

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There’s a lot of things I liked uptown that people tended to overlook. My nephews *loved* Rays Splash Planet. I enjoyed the aquatic center and loved 4th Ward park. It’s fun to find the nooks and crannies of uptown. 

I’m going to have to give this route a try!! That’s super awesome! Thank you!
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  • 2 weeks later...

Personally, I wish they would locate a combined HQ near existing infrastructure where there is already some tourism draw (closer to Charlotte).  For instance, if it was off an interstate near Carowinds, USWNC (or on airport land not far away), or even Charlotte Motor Speedway, it seems like that would make a lot of sense. 

Forgetting subsidies and tax breaks, I kind of like the idea of buying Rocky River Golf Club, and putting the HQ and training facilities there.  The exit already has expanded infrastructure for speedway and Concord Mills, and there are multiple hotels within walking distance. 

Dreaming of how to spend other people's money is a fun pastime. 

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