Dickey-Stephens Park

[snopper]

The way you worded that last post, the private businesses will have "burdened the local taxpayers." We'll still receive the same benefit of private development because of a new ballpark, despite how it's funded.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and that's the shame of it all.

the new businesses WILL come regardless of how the stadium was financed. the market responds to the consumer's needs.

but, the ballpark itself will never pay back the 28 million to the investors [john q public]. and the consumers don't NEED a new stadium -- the team does.

we don't need a team, but we like one. let those who like it, pay for it.

the mayor lacked the leadership to look warren stephens in the eye and say, "no thank you, sir. i will not put this on the backs of our citizens [taxpayers]. please bring more money to the plate so one of these other options can proceed."

[sleepy]

16% of the NLR population lives at or below the poverty line. who thinks these folks can really afford to pay for the construction of "sales tax field"? they can't even afford to pay their electric bill.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Perhaps, as a self-described "privateer" who extols consumer choice, you should give more credit to the consumers in North Little Rock, who expressed their consumer preferences by voting for the bill.

[skirby]

I do not live in NRL but I was for the tax. My family eats in NRL 6+ times a month and spend at least 70% of our retail dollar in the city. So what is the cost of the tax? If you spend $1o,ooo dollars a year the tax is $100. This is around 27 cents per day a year. I think the people of NRL are getting a good deal considering 50% or more of the tax will be collected from those who live outside of the city. If I lived in NRL I would be more concerned with tax money going for Bass Pro. It is up to the city to see that the park is used for more than just the Travelers. It would be a great place to view the fireworks. Invite the Razorbacks to play as well as a place to hold the state high school championship.

[Aporkalypse]

I do not live in NRL but I was for the tax. My family eats in NRL 6+ times a month and spend at least 70% of our retail dollar in the city. So what is the cost of the tax? If you spend $1o,ooo dollars a year the tax is $100. This is around 27 cents per day a year. I think the people of NRL are getting a good deal considering 50% or more of the tax will be collected from those who live outside of the city. If I lived in NRL I would be more concerned with tax money going for Bass Pro. It is up to the city to see that the park is used for more than just the Travelers. It would be a great place to view the fireworks. Invite the Razorbacks to play as well as a place to hold the state high school championship.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You bring up an excellent point. NLR has been gifted with a much larger chunk of retail than one would think considering it only has 1/6 of the county population. Sherwood, Cabot, and Jacksonville do most major shopping and dining there and most of the 130,000 Faulkner and Lonoke Co residents use the McCain/Lakewood area for shopping and dining frequently. NLR has been a sales tax recipient city for some time because of a larger retail tax base than it should have. Therefore, it impacts NLR residents less than you would think.

[Mith242]

I still think they were going to have to do something about the stadium issue. I'm pretty sure the team was going to get pulled if they didn't either do major upgrades to the current stadium or build a new one. Something like this happened in Albuquerque and they didn't fix up the stadium and guess what they yanked the team out of there. It was years before they got another one. Which for those of you don't know happened to get their name from a Simpson's episode. I hear the Albuquerque Isotopes do pretty well selling merchandize.

Since I'm already on this topic I heard a rumor that Fayetteville had a chance at a minor league team. I heard that a minor league team approached the U of A about playing their games at Baum Stadium when they weren't playing Razorback games there. But the plan stalled out because they couldn't decide on who would pay for the expansion of Baum Stadium and that they wanted to sell beer during the minor league games.

[snopper]

Perhaps, as a self-described "privateer" who extols consumer choice, you should give more credit to the consumers in North Little Rock, who expressed their consumer preferences by voting for the bill.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

gee, are you referring to that hastily called special election?

the one

[sleepy]

All they had to do was vote "no", and they didn't.

To your evident displeasure, the citizens voted "yes".

[snopper]

All they had to do was vote "no", and they didn't.

To your evident displeasure, the citizens voted "yes".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the mayor did everything possible to keep a lid on this

[Aporkalypse]

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held today and the stadium was named Dickey-Stephens Park for the late Little Rock financier Jack Stephens and his good friends, George and Bill Dickey. Bill was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees from 1928-43, while George

[Mith242]

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held today and the stadium was named Dickey-Stephens Park for the late Little Rock financier Jack Stephens and his good friends, George and Bill Dickey. Bill was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees from 1928-43, while George

[Aporkalypse]

That's great, Any idea will the ballpark be finished right before the season starts? I will have to add that to my list of things to see and take pics of, although I guess that's a way into the future.

It's supposed to be completed by April 2007 but I still haven't seen absolutely finalized plans yet, just the schematics from Arkansas Business that were posted here.

I'm sad that old Ray Winder Field is going to be put to pasture. To put things in perspective, my grandfather went there with his grandfather back in the 1920s, I thought that was terrific when I went there with him as a boy. It was outdated, no doubt, but I still thought it could be redone.

I am excited about a new downtown park, though.

[Mith242]

It's supposed to be completed by April 2007 but I still haven't seen absolutely finalized plans yet, just the schematics from Arkansas Business that were posted here.

I'm sad that old Ray Winder Field is going to be put to pasture. To put things in perspective, my grandfather went there with his grandfather back in the 1920s, I thought that was terrific when I went there with him as a boy. It was outdated, no doubt, but I still thought it could be redone.

I am excited about a new downtown park, though.

I can agree with your sentiment. It's great to see a new ballpark but sad to see the old one go away. Especially in a historic sport like baseball. Even in the MLB many of the old stadiums are fading away.

[Aporkalypse]

Just read somewhere where the new stadium capacity is supposed to be 5000 and there are going to be 22 skyboxes. It is designed to be expandable to more than double that capacity if needed in case the city ever decides to lure a AAA team and needs to increase attendance. There was a time about 15years ago when Arkansas led all minor league teams, including AA, in attendance.

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of minor league baseball in Little Rock and the 74th anniversary of Ray Winder, which is the 8th oldest operating baseball park in the country.

[Mith242]

Just read somewhere where the new stadium capacity is supposed to be 5000 and there are going to be 22 skyboxes. It is designed to be expandable to more than double that capacity if needed in case the city ever decides to lure a AAA team and needs to increase attendance. There was a time about 15years ago when Arkansas led all minor league teams, including AA, in attendance.

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of minor league baseball in Little Rock and the 74th anniversary of Ray Winder, which is the 8th oldest operating baseball park in the country.

Thanks for the info, Aporkalypse. The attendance numbers don't surprise me too much. I think for along time Little Rock has been underserved in the sports market. The only university sports really is basketball unless you want to count the few games that the Razorbacks play in Little Rock. It would be great to see Little Rock eventually bring in a AAA team.

[Aporkalypse]

The entire state of Arkansas really belongs to the Razorbacks, including and especially Little Rock. Hog fans outnumber other fans 20-1 and you won't find that in another city almost 3 hours away from campus anywhere.

I found this nice article discussing the way the stadium is designed. This is what happens when you move, you miss everything. This is the same group that designed that beautiful Frisco park I posted.

September 27, 2005 - BY JAKE SANDLIN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Baseball fans can go into North Little Rock

[Aporkalypse]

Another old article. I like the idea of the railroad station theme...

BY JAKE SANDLIN

Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2005

Email this story | Printer-friendly version

A railroad theme, 26 luxury suites, a party deck, a children

[Mith242]

Thanks for posting all that info Aporkalypse. Like I said I'd really like to go see it and take some pics after it's finished. Exactly where in North Little Rock will it be located? Since I don't know the streets real well (although I try to look around on Google Earth) where exactly would it be if I were able to walk across the old railroad bridge?

[Aporkalypse]

Thanks for posting all that info Aporkalypse. Like I said I'd really like to go see it and take some pics after it's finished. Exactly where in North Little Rock will it be located? Since I don't know the streets real well (although I try to look around on Google Earth) where exactly would it be if I were able to walk across the old railroad bridge?

The easiest way to think of it is due west of Alltel Arena 3-4 blocks further away from I-30 near Riverfront Park. It is essentially the only large vacant tract in NLR's downtown riverfront. This is the area where the best skyline shots of LR can be had from the other side of the levee in Riverfront Park.

It would be a block east or so of where this picture is taken, giving the new stadium a wonderful skyline view.

[mcheiss]

I saw where they named the new park The Dickey-Stephens Park.

[Aporkalypse]

I saw where they named the new park The Dickey-Stephens Park.

That was what I was posting about earlier, you can see it a few posts back. I just scarfed up a couple of articles when I was looking to see if any plans had been finalized.

[mcheiss]

That was what I was posting about earlier, you can see it a few posts back. I just scarfed up a couple of articles when I was looking to see if any plans had been finalized.

I know, I just mentioned that I saw that they named the stadium.

[johnnydr87]

This is going to be very cool....

[skirby]

Problems about parking have come up. The Mayor wants to charge for parking across the street and Bill Valentine(Travs GM) says no way. Parking is free now and it should stay that way according to him.

[Aporkalypse]

Problems about parking have come up. The Mayor wants to charge for parking across the street and Bill Valentine(Travs GM) says no way. Parking is free now and it should stay that way according to him.

Parking's going to be an issue. I really think a parking deck built over there that Alltel and the baseball stadium could share would be a big help. I always park in the River Market area and ride the buses across to Alltel for concerts and ballgames there but I assume they won't be doing this for the baseball games.

[skirby]

Parking's going to be an issue. I really think a parking deck built over there that Alltel and the baseball stadium could share would be a big help. I always park in the River Market area and ride the buses across to Alltel for concerts and ballgames there but I assume they won't be doing this for the baseball games.

I don't see a need at this time for a parking deck for Alltel and the ballpark. A deck around Pike and I-40 would be a better choice. If they ran buses out of it. It could serve as parking for downtown LR, Pulaski Tech as well as Alltel and the ballpark. Other cities have built decks and offer free bus service for their users.