Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium [Renovation Completed]

[JFW657]

Recorded this off of my TV earlier this evening.

Sounds like they're bandying about the idea of putting a partial roof over The Campy...

My apologies for the shaky video. 

[jrs2]

Interesting.  Hard Rock will not release how much just the canopy cost at Pro Player.  Hmmm.

[Xander]

On 8/12/2019 at 11:17 PM, JFW657 said:

Recorded this off of my TV earlier this evening.

Sounds like they're bandying about the idea of putting a partial roof over The Campy...

My apologies for the shaky video. 

Can't listen bc of being at work, but I believe this is directly dependent upon whether or not Orlando ends up being a host city for the 2026 World Cup. Jax is toying with doing this at Everbank Field as well.

[spenser1058]

Gators’ end zone is painted for Saturday’s game:

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/florida-football/look-floridas-end-zone-is-now-painted-ahead-of-saturdays-season-opener-in-orlando/

From Saturday Down South 

[jrs2]

On 8/21/2019 at 7:37 PM, spenser1058 said:

Gators’ end zone is painted for Saturday’s game:

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/florida-football/look-floridas-end-zone-is-now-painted-ahead-of-saturdays-season-opener-in-orlando/

From Saturday Down South 

So, the Gators got orange for their end zone, but Da U is also orange.  They can't paint it green.  I predict it will be white.  UF's end zone should've been blue and Da U's end zone orange me thinks.

[dcluley98]

Nope. Green: 

https://twitter.com/CWStadium/status/1164565691221123072/photo/1

[spenser1058]

The Citrus Bowl has long lobbied for additional TDT funds on the basis of, among other things, neutral site college football matchups to fill the stadium more often and thus put more heads in beds (a dubious proposition with two in-state teams, but let’s skip that for a moment).

The St. Pete Times suggests that moment in college football is passing. What’s next for the Citrus Bowl?

Also in the article, Matt Baker notes that UF’s home attendance last year was the lowest since 1990 (given the Gators had a good year last year, Miami’s was meh -and the Canes have always had problems filling their stadiums anyway - and FSU’s was downright dreadful, we won’t even talk about the last two) while UCF had one of their best years ever, are urban schools going to have an advantage in the future?

Don’t get me wrong - FBS schools with strong brands like ‘Bama and let’s assume Florida should be just fine. Is it just coincidence, however, that two schools farthest from civilization like FSU and Auburn are struggling relative to others?

It’s not just the fans, either - it has been suggested, for example, that Nebraska, long a powerhouse when the state was full of strapping farm lads to stock Big Red, began to struggle with talent as the state’s demographics changed. A top-shelf rising coach like Scott Frost may stanch the drain for a few years, but what happens after that?

The geography of FBS football may look very different over the next decade or so.

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/gators/2019/08/24/florida-vs-miami-in-orlando-is-nice-but-the-move-to-home-stadiums-is-better/

Edited August 25, 2019 by spenser1058

[AndyPok1]

On 8/25/2019 at 2:45 PM, spenser1058 said:

 put more heads in beds (a dubious proposition with two in-state teams, but let’s skip that for a moment).

Not dubious at all.  Most/many will be drinking.  ESPECIALLY with a night game, very few people are driving home from 11-2AM.

[AmIReal]

2 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

Not dubious at all.  Most/many will be drinking.  ESPECIALLY with a night game, very few people are driving home from 11-2AM.

Yep. All the bar/restaurant owners I spoke to said it was a huge night for them. One of their best. I was at the game and then downtown and it was crazy. Granted the Backstreet Boys (z) were in town, but...

[opivys85]

We went to the Florida Miami game this weekend and it was an absolute disaster getting out of there. I understand that any event like this is going to have logistical issues, but this was pretty bad. Not helped by the fact that you find yourself in a terrible part of town. Overheard many out of towners say this was the worst football stadium/city they had ever been to. They really need to work on connecting this stadium to Exploria and then downtown.

[orlandouprise]

its in the ghetto. No way to fix other than bulldoze and build closer into DT

[IAmFloridaBorn]

8 hours ago, opivys85 said:

We went to the Florida Miami game this weekend and it was an absolute disaster getting out of there. I understand that any event like this is going to have logistical issues, but this was pretty bad. Not helped by the fact that you find yourself in a terrible part of town. Overheard many out of towners say this was the worst football stadium/city they had ever been to. They really need to work on connecting this stadium to Exploria and then downtown.

They should have never rebuilt that stadium in that neighborhood without doing everything around it. and the exit and entry parts

[orlandouprise]

lipstick on a pig...

[opivys85]

3 hours ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

They should have never rebuilt that stadium in that neighborhood without doing everything around it. and the exit and entry parts

I agree with the idea of using the stadium to galvanize improving the surrounding community without displacing the current residents. Buddy Dyer spoke at the beginning of the game about some programs aiming to do that, but I'm not sure what stage those are in. I think the approach of bulldoze it and build it closer would just doom that part of town to continued stagnation, making it left behind vs the investments we are making to the more metropolitan and affluent parts of the city.

[IAmFloridaBorn]

8 minutes ago, opivys85 said:

I agree with the idea of using the stadium to galvanize improving the surrounding community without displacing the current residents. Buddy Dyer spoke at the beginning of the game about some programs aiming to do that, but I'm not sure what stage those are in. I think the approach of bulldoze it and build it closer would just doom that part of town to continued stagnation, making it left behind vs the investments we are making to the more metropolitan and affluent parts of the city.

The revitalization of the park next to the stadium is a start and that's supposed to get started soon this year next year I think. The revitalization of orange Center Boulevard has also helped with the addition of a Boys & Girls Club coming for those residents. 

 

I have a question are parking garages for football stadium is not a thing because I always wondered about the lack of parking for the stadium

Edited August 27, 2019 by IAmFloridaBorn

[AndyPok1]

They do need to improve the shuttle buses to downtown post-game.  It takes much too long for a one mile trek.

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

They do need to improve the shuttle buses to downtown post-game.  It takes much too long for a one mile trek.

I always walk as a result.

[codypet]

Wow.  I didn't expect this.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orlando-citrus-parade-permanently-canceled-20191002-bkjtsc7hbfefjfzr3nfl2zhnvm-story.html

[WAJAS]

WOW! That like really sucks. It's become a tradition for me and my family.  I hope a different org or the city picks it up from Florida Citrus Sports.  It is one of the few things that is truly uniquely Orlando.

[HankStrong]

Wow.  Sad.

[Xander]

On 10/2/2019 at 12:18 PM, codypet said:

Wow.  I didn't expect this.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orlando-citrus-parade-permanently-canceled-20191002-bkjtsc7hbfefjfzr3nfl2zhnvm-story.html

That is SO sad! Really wish they weren't doing that. I know I went to it when I lived downtown. 

[spenser1058]

Scott Maxwell waxes sort of (?) nostalgically about the dear departed Kumquat Sashay, which came to be as the anti- Florida Citrus Parade:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/scott-maxwell-commentary/os-op-orlando-citrus-parade-ends-kumquat-scott-maxwell-20191004-itkemrl5prccto4qunfjqkxbom-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Orlando is once again putting in a bid for the 2021 Pro Bowl at Hank’s Favorite Stadium!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orlando-nfl-pro-bowl-2021-20191007-3ssomkqujnfbhiuo662shpb2pa-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[HankStrong]

I understand that as far as great places to take your family go, Orlando isn't as flashy as Hawaii.  However, the Pro Bowl has to make a 100x more money here in Orlando.

 

My only hope is that this keeps those renovations coming in.  If they won't nuke the place and start over, at least keep fixing it.  I would like to see a brand new facility instead of throwing good money after bad, but improvements are still better than no improvements.

[spenser1058]

I drove near the Citrus Bowl this morning. The apartments replacing the condemned Bunche Manor have gone up quickly (VMC should take notes) and really make Orange Center Blvd look 100% better.

I was also stunned by just how large the Lorna Doone Park redo is. In addition to Rio Grande being closed off through the park, there were extensive construction fences up and lots of mountains of dirt.

This seems to be living up to the hype and will be great for the area. As we know, I’m no longer a FoB (Fan of Buddy) but he’s to be commended if it continues on this track.

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by spenser1058