Nashville as MLB Expansion/Relocation Market

[smeagolsfree]

6 minutes ago, bwithers1 said:

That's basically what I told NewsChannel5.

Great minds and cousins think alike!

[PruneTracy]

Re: expansion of First Tennessee Park.

• We went on a tour of the stadium as it was being built and were told by the architect it was not designed with expansion in mind. That's not necessarily the same as it being technically infeasible to expand.
• The lower level of the stadium is below the 100-year level of the river and was designed to flood (minimized electrical conduits at low levels, counters and other furniture can be easily removed, water proof materials, etc.). You probably would not want to go any lower than the field is currently, though, which is unfortunate since it is not as far below grade as many major league stadiums.
• In terms of space there is no way you can fit a currently-sized major league stadium within the confines of the ballpark property. However, if the trend is towards downsizing, or more specifically including social space as opposed to seats, then that provides more flexibility in the layout. If you got creative with the space and surrounding buildings I think 25,000 capacity, a large portion of which would be SRO, is doable. It may not be pretty but it would certainly have character, which is something the current retro-whatever parks lack.
• Since the ballpark wasn't designed to expand the structure/foundation probably can't accommodate expansion without reconstruction. So it's not as simple as just adding on, unless the existing seats, concourse, and upper deck / suites were left in place which interferes with expansion. In other words we're talking about major reconstruction which negates some of the benefits of expansion versus new construction.
• If this were to happen I think the play would be to build an "inside-out" stadium that incorporates the adjacent streets as part of the concourse. This has already been done with Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and also factors heavily into the link @PaulChinetti posted (the author of which, in spite of being a dirty stinkin' architect, had some good ideas).

[Sean blackdog]

Read  

Music City Baseball leaders talk challenges in bringing MLB to Nashville
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/music-city-baseball-leadership-opens-up-about-challenges-opportunity-to-bring-mlb-to-nashville

Edited October 2, 2019 by Sean blackdog

[markhollin]

Bizcast (podcast of NBJ) has discussion on new details regarding the MLB to Music City proposal:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2019/10/04/bizcast-new-details-on-thepush-to-bring-mlb-to.html?iana=hpmvp_nsh_news_headline

[markhollin]

Funny editorial by J.R. Lind about the MLB stadium site proposal in the Scene:

https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21090527/jr-spewing-on-the-tennessee-plan-and-stadium-proposals

[markhollin]

Music City Baseball group has yet to discuss plans for the site they have in mind with the Metro Sports Authority, which controls the land on the east bank. Complicating issues further is that the Titans have 19 years remaining on their contract to utilize the parking lots in question, and revenue from those lots is used to pay back bonds to build the Nissan Stadium.

Alberto Gonzales, chairman of the board for Music City Baseball, the dean of Belmont University's law school who served as U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush, said the group is taking the long view of bringing Major League Baseball to Nashville. Gonzales said there are some stakeholders the group intends to meet with, but the expectation is that an MLB franchise in Nashville is at least five years away, giving Music City Baseball's leadership plenty of time to engage in those talks.
 

"Where we want to go is securing a baseball franchise as part of a mixed-use development," Gonzales said. "Where we want to go is a project that is going to produce net revenue for the baseball owners - that's probably the No. 1 criteria that Major League Baseball owners are going to look at in terms of awarding a franchise down the road."

"So we want a project that's going to enhance the reputation of Nashville, that produces tangible benefits to the citizens, which means net revenue for the city, that doesn't require public funding. These are all things that are very important to (new Nashville Mayor John) Cooper."

"The renderings from our perspective are simply one rendition of what can be," Gonzales said. "If you know anything about me, my background, where I come from, I'm an optimistic person by nature. I'm a realist. "

"But I don't want people coming to me and saying this is impossible. I want people coming to me and showing me what is possible. I know how difficult this path is going to be and all the things we have to do to get these things done, but I believe in Nashville. I love the city, I love baseball and I think this thing can be done."

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/baseball/2019/10/15/music-city-baseball-mlb-team-stadium-renderings-metro-sports-authority/3973804002/

[volsfanwill]

If yall don't know. Gnash has the best mascot Twitter in the country by far. Today he tweeted this. 

 

[titanhog]

^^That's actually awesome!!

[Bark At The Sun]

Remember when people thought this was a good idea.   Is a parking lot for Nissan now.   Not trying to rain on the MLB parade here, but is something to think about.

[Ingram]

34 minutes ago, Bark At The Sun said:

Remember when people thought this was a good idea.   Is a parking lot for Nissan now.   Not trying to rain on the MLB parade here, but is something to think about.

 

Think about what?

What are you trying to say?

[PruneTracy]

29 minutes ago, Bark At The Sun said:

Remember when people thought this was a good idea.   Is a parking lot for Nissan now.   Not trying to rain on the MLB parade here, but is something to think about.

Not to defend the superspeedway (it's a terrible cookie-cutter track in the middle of nowhere and the only thing it ever had going for it from a racing perspective was the concrete surface), but it was actually much cheaper to construct in 2019 dollars (~$185 million) than a potential MLB stadium (and in fact cheaper than the MLS stadium), and had a fair ROI for the races held during its time, setting aside the fact that TV revenue makes tracks fairly interchangeable.

• 8 IndyCar races
• 21 Xfinity Series races
• 13 Truck races

This is not counting the ARCA and Indy Lights support races, local track days, driving schools, and its use as a testing venue.

That is the nice thing about motorsports venues, they are easily scaled up or down to meet demand; all you really need is the track itself and the safety equipment, and the grandstands and garage facilities are very cheap builds compared to other sports stadiums. Dover obviously had bigger plans for the superspeedway but while probably not a money-maker it was not exactly a complete failure either.

[Bark At The Sun]

4 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

Not to defend the superspeedway (it's a terrible cookie-cutter track in the middle of nowhere and the only thing it ever had going for it from a racing perspective was the concrete surface), but it was actually much cheaper to construct in 2019 dollars (~$185 million) than a potential MLB stadium (and in fact cheaper than the MLS stadium), and had a fair ROI for the races held during its time, setting aside the fact that TV revenue makes tracks fairly interchangeable.

• 8 IndyCar races
• 21 Xfinity Series races
• 13 Truck races

This is not counting the ARCA and Indy Lights support races, local track days, driving schools, and its use as a testing venue.

That is the nice thing about motorsports venues, they are easily scaled up or down to meet demand; all you really need is the track itself and the safety equipment, and the grandstands and garage facilities are very cheap builds compared to other sports stadiums. Dover obviously had bigger plans for the superspeedway but while probably not a money-maker it was not exactly a complete failure either.

I appreciate the feedback.  I went to many races out there and am sad that it is not being used for what it was built for.   I would just hate to see it happen with an MLB stadium.   I don't think Nashville is ready for that yet, especially when we haven't even broken ground on an MLS stadium.

[nashvylle]

2 minutes ago, Bark At The Sun said:

I appreciate the feedback.  I went to many races out there and am sad that it is not being used for what it was built for.   I would just hate to see it happen with an MLB stadium.   I don't think Nashville is ready for that yet, especially when we haven't even broken ground on an MLS stadium.

are you saying the MLB stadium is going to be built at the speedway, or Nashville was not ready for the speedway when it was built, and Nashville is not ready for MLB?

[volsfanwill]

8 hours ago, Bark At The Sun said:

 

can you tell me when this is from? I know the guys in the dark blue shirt bright green shirt and light blue on the left!

[MLBrumby]

Still think that's where the SEC football championship should be played... elements and all. Pack 'em in... 200,000 in attendance... yes, temporary seating. Let's get back to the old way of doing football. 

[titanhog]

The problem with the Superspeedway is that they really believed..."Build it and they will come"...when it came to Winston Cup (at the time).  The whole time, NASCAR was getting further and further away from what made it a good sporting event.

Now...they probably wish they had a race in Nashville.

[MLBrumby]

Who owns it now? IIRC Dover built it. But I seem to recall they sold it... or not?!?

2 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

can you tell me when this is from? I know the guys in the dark blue shirt bright green shirt and light blue on the left!

Are you talking about the DarkBlue-DarkGreen-LightBlue "Gang" of NASCAR thugs? They come to all the races to jeer/hiss at all the drivers they don't like. They're notorious for making drivers quake behind the wheel. And you know them?! 

Edited October 29, 2019 by MLBrumby

[grilled_cheese]

They should have multi day camping music festivals at the speedway.  Put up stages on either end of the track and rotate back and forth just like at Lockn used to do, so the sound doesn't bleed.

[Bark At The Sun]

15 hours ago, nashvylle said:

are you saying the MLB stadium is going to be built at the speedway, or Nashville was not ready for the speedway when it was built, and Nashville is not ready for MLB?

No.....yes (in my mind NASCAR should have never left the Fairgrounds in the first place, but i still went to races at both tracks)......yes.

 

12 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

can you tell me when this is from? I know the guys in the dark blue shirt bright green shirt and light blue on the left!

2007 Firestone Indy 200.   The picture was from the Saturday normal race start time, but a thunderstorm rolled in and postponed the race until Sunday.   

[Bark At The Sun]

10 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Who owns it now? IIRC Dover built it. But I seem to recall they sold it... or not?!?

 

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2019/04/16/nashville-superspeedway-race-track-nascar/3488256002/

Dover Motorsports still owns the track.  They were in the process of selling 147 acres of adjacent property to Panattoni Development Co. for the purposes of expanding the Industrial Park Corridor along 840 back in the Spring.   TDOT invested heavily in a Single Point Interchange and building, widening SR 452 (Bill France Blvd) from 840 to 231 for the track, and these guys were smart to take advantage of that access.   Probably the best interchange on the whole 840 Corridor.

[volsfanwill]

22 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Who owns it now? IIRC Dover built it. But I seem to recall they sold it... or not?!?

Are you talking about the DarkBlue-DarkGreen-LightBlue "Gang" of NASCAR thugs? They come to all the races to jeer/hiss at all the drivers they don't like. They're notorious for making drivers quake behind the wheel. And you know them?! 

no. literally the 3 guys on the left of the picture, it is them. i asked one.  he said that race ended up getting cancelled and he has still never been to a car race. 

[Bark At The Sun]

19 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

no. literally the 3 guys on the left of the picture, it is them. i asked one.  he said that race ended up getting cancelled and he has still never been to a car race. 

The race was postponed that Saturday, but ended up completing it on Sunday.   That Sunday race was boring (no passing.....positions were made in the pit stops), but the Indy Car Lights that was held earlier in the day on Saturday was quite entertaining.   Lots of passing and there were also a  few wrecks.   The IRL qualifying sessions  over the years were also real fun to watch..........some of the top speeds were over 200 mph.  

 

On 10/28/2019 at 7:55 PM, MLBrumby said:

Are you talking about the DarkBlue-DarkGreen-LightBlue "Gang" of NASCAR thugs? They come to all the races to jeer/hiss at all the drivers they don't like. They're notorious for making drivers quake behind the wheel. And you know them?! 

Those were Indy Car fans........very tame.   The only thing i heard those fans complain about was their champagne wasnt chilled to their liking......... (not those particular guys) but the overall crowd in general. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Bark At The Sun

[Rockatansky]

On 10/29/2019 at 12:07 AM, grilled_cheese said:

They should have multi day camping music festivals at the speedway.  Put up stages on either end of the track and rotate back and forth just like at Lockn used to do, so the sound doesn't bleed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altamont_Free_Concert

[Bark At The Sun]

Congrats to Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos) for winning the World Series last night!  Drove up to Cincinnati back in June and saw a couple of games with them and the Reds.  Saw a team that was 25-33 and struggling, but they seemed to pull things together right around that time.

[timmay143]

Yup, that was a fun series to watch!  Congrats to the Washington Nationals.