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Sprindale Minor League Sports Complex and Minor League Baseball Stadium


mcheiss

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This is really cool! I'm happy for Springdale. They really need some major developments to put themselves on par with the other cities............ The games are bound to be diverse with the large latino population (which I of course like as a half-asian).

So correct me if I'm wrong, but they have to "steal" a team from another city in order to have one. Poor Wichita.

I like the idea of mountainmen too mith... it fits well with the Ozarks. Then again, the Ozarks don't go into Springdale, do they?

Other mountain themed names would be cool:

Mountaineers (inhabitants of mountains)

Ozarkers (cheesy?)

Pioneers

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From today's Northwest Arkansas Times- three investor groups are apparently working with Springdale's government to find "taxless" ways to raise $30 million for a baseball stadium on the heels of news that NWArkansas would be a good fit fo a Texas League AA baseball team.

While taking papers to the recycling center on Monday, I saw a November paper which had an article I'd missed about buzz stirring for a Texas League team for northwest Arkansas.

Now, that article was significant in multiple ways...it was only three and one-half years ago, after recently moving to the area, that I saw an article pondering that NW Arkansas could support "a" minor league team. Now we're talking the Texas League, whose members include teams from the cities of Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock, San Antonio, and even suburban Dallas/Fort Worth. Why is that significant? Well, I don't know if they're still doing this, but (warning: this is a .pdf document) Rand McNally, for the longest time broke America up geographically into major trading areas (counties whose business and communications flow tended to lead to or originate from one major city, i.e. Little Rock's relationship to most of Arkansas) and basic trading areas (sub components of the major trading area, where trade/communications had a similar relationship with a smaller city within the major trading area (i.e. Jonesboro).

Right now, by being mentioned as a viable Texas League candidate, NW Arkansas then is now also in a league with at least five cities that are hubs of major trading areas (if you count Frisco as part of D/FW).

Now, that article also said that minor league Class AA Texas League metro areas tend to be 450,000+, Class AAA minor league teams tend to be in metro areas of 500,000 - 600,000, and major league baseball teams tend to be in metro areas of 1,200,000...in other words, if the growth we're seeing predicted for NWA comes to fruition, we could be outgrowing the Texas League in a matter of a decade or two.

First, let me say how thrilled I am about this possibility. It would be great to have two Double A teams in Arkansas; games between the two teams would have added excitement.

Now, NWA would not

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I like the idea of mountainmen too mith... it fits well with the Ozarks. Then again, the Ozarks don't go into Springdale, do they?

All of NWA is techinically in the Ozarks. We are on what's called the Springfield Plateau. It's is rather flat in a number of areas compared to areas like the Boston Mtns but there are also a lot of relatively flat areas in the Missouri Ozarks as well.

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I guess I missed that part. I was wondering why KJW was calling the area of the I-540 Hwy 412 area south Springdale. Yeah that does sound odd. Wasn't there plans originally for some semi-pro teams at the proposed sports complex like baseball? Sorry KJW your arguement is making more sense to me now. Although I still hope you guys save us some things for here in Washington County. :D Out of all the teams mentioned Wichita does sound like a very likely candidate. The team wouldn't even have to move very far.

The plans were originally for an 8,000-seat baseball field with an adjacent indoor multi-use arena for football and ice hockey. I'm not really sure why Springdale is now going with just a baseball field. I figured the Arkansas All-Stars would want a home other than the Tyson indoor track at the University.

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^

I don't know why Baseball stadium is being completed first, may'be the comission just wants to see baseball first. From what I understand, the 8,000 seat stadium will be built, and than during the construction of that, the multiuse facility will begin.

Mith, first of all I apologize for the tone of my first post...I sure don't want to sound "anti-Washington County". :(

You nailed it with the beer sales issue...I didn't even think of that, but that's got to be the big answer.

Interestingly, Springfield (MO) took their team from another Rand McNally "major trading area" hub city - El Paso.

Arkansawyer, I'm only going off what I've heard this metro area is going to be someday (between 1,500,000 - 2,000,000 strong). If that truly happens...

BTW, I know it sounds too "Arena football league-ish", but I'd love to see a team called "The X-men" in honor of...

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Wow, think of the great rivalries between Springfield and NWA. And of course, NWA and Little Rock.

Does Tulsa have a team? That would be a good mix...

Johnny, indeed they do...if Springdale got in the Texas League they'd most likely comprise the TL's north division (Tulsa, Springdale, LR, Springfield, plus Wichita if a different team came to Springdale)...

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My understanding is that it will be located south of 412, west of I-540, near where the future southern E-W 4 ln boulevard will connect (where it will stretch from east of 265 in SE Springdale across south Springdale over I-540 and connect to Hwy 112). Or did somebody already mention that in a prev thread. There's a lot of developable land right over there with frontage to I-540

I'm having a hard time keeping up with everything in the other cities outside of mine to be honest so I don't mind a little repetition if it has already been mentioned.

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My understanding is that it will be located south of 412, west of I-540, near where the future southern E-W 4 ln boulevard will connect (where it will stretch from east of 265 in SE Springdale across south Springdale over I-540 and connect to Hwy 112). Or did somebody already mention that in a prev thread. There's a lot of developable land right over there with frontage to I-540

That sounds like a very reasonable location since there's going to be a lot of new development on 112 anyway, like Park West. I only know the Springdale Mayor and the developers said it's going to be built in a undisclosed location is south Springdale.

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Ah, so it's on the North Side.

Which would you say is developing more, 6th Street, Downtown, or 112?

Do you mean as far as commercial/mixed-use developments? Probably right now maybe downtown/Dickson... when they start Park West then I'd say 112 (including the Springwoods dev currently under construction), unless something else comes up in downtown.

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I had already said that 112 is where Park West is going to be built. When completed Park West will be the biggest Mixed-Use in Northwest Arkansas. There is also a golf course about a block north of the Park West site.

Now 112 connects with 412 in Springdale so just because the proposed baseball stadium is going to be built on 112 doesn't mean it's going next to Park West... it may still be a few miles north of Park West.

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Ah, so it's on the North Side.

Which would you say is developing more, 6th Street, Downtown, or 112?

Now that my guest if gone I can start spending more time on here. :lol: Although I was hoping it would take me longer to catch up. Guess everyone was out playing in the snow. Can't blame anyone it seems like we don't get this amount of snow hardly anymore. Anyway back on topic. Downtown has a number of mixed-use buildings. But they don't exactly take up a huge amount of space. I think 112 will soon be a hot spot but at the moment there hasn't been a huge amount happen just yet but it should around spring. I don't think a lot has been happening on 6th St. Maybe you could make the argument for Hwy 62 more on the outskirts of the city and the other areas like Farmington. But not so much around the main part of 6th St.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great News for the Baseball Team.

I've heard through the grapevine that the Wichita Wranglers are seriously considering relocating to Springdale if a stadium is built.

The reports are unconfirmed, but come from reliable sources, even though the Wranglers have a brand spanking new diamond-shaped venue to call home.

Eric Edelstein, general manager for the Wranglers, wouldn

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Great News for the Baseball Team.

I've heard through the grapevine that the Wichita Wranglers are seriously considering relocating to Springdale if a stadium is built.

The reports are unconfirmed, but come from reliable sources, even though the Wranglers have a brand spanking new diamond-shaped venue to call home.

Eric Edelstein, general manager for the Wranglers, wouldn

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