Station Park Discussion

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/opinion/columnists/co...s.12ad32d9.html

[MikeR]

i think you missed the whole point

the idea is for the polo matches to bring a considerable amount of people into downtown providence and spend money there, not to portsmouth

hmm, do you work for, say... the... portsmouth polo club???? lol

why cant RI have 2 polo clubs? you don't believe in competition? competition makes business better and will bring in more auxilliary businesses...

that said, i will never attend a polo match in prov or newport, lol

peace, i'm outta here

I did not miss the whole point as you stated.

No. I do not work for the Portsmouth Polo Club, or any polo club.

This proposed polo club will be able to compete against international level competition and bring people "into" downtown Providence as you say? And bring in people? People from where? If someone were going to go watch polo, which would they choose; a scaled down version at Station Park, or watching the U.S. team play France, Germany, Argentina, England, and so on?

You should have read my post more clearly. If there is a definite interest in Polo among Providence residents, there is already an established facility in R.I. for Polo they can investigate using, and it already comes complete with viewing stands, stables, paddocks, and a regulation field of play. I live in Tiverton and don't consider going to Providence on the weekends too far for me. Portsmouth should not be too far for them.

Station Park was concieved as a public open green space for downtown. I think it should be kept that way. Simply allow local garden clubs and the like to plant flower beds, trees and such to beautify the park, and create a public/private fund so memorials/statues can be built there down the road.

I'm done...

[DaveRPI]

you're a funny guy

completely missed the point again...

the point is not POLO, the point is DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE, get it?

its the center of the state's economy, its the "hub" of southern new england", etc, blah blah

urban discussions involve consolidating assets into a central defined area and creating places where people live, congregate, recreate, and BUY STUFF... [emphasis on 'buy stuff' because it is IN FRONT of PROVIDENCE PLACE] the whole POINT of having an urban website is mostly likely, and I'm pretty sure about this to get people talking about wanting to live, work, recreate, congregate, and shop in the SAME area... not to drive 25 min everytime you need to go buy a hat or see an international polo match. I mean c'mon, I shouldn't have to drive to one of those so far away in portsmouth. They should be a nice 5 min walk from my condo... just like everything else.

maybe you should start a PORTSMOUTH thread and promote the "international" polo club there... I'm sure it will be a better venue, blah, blah, blah. in the meantime, I and 99% of the other people in here will go on not caring AT ALL about polo, but still caring about the future of downtown providence, as this is the PVD construction/development thread...

don't take this the wrong way guy, I could care less if they played polo in station park or in portsmouth. I'll never go. I just think your comment reminded me of so many others that I see and hear. I can only take so much of that so I felt the urge to make an example- nothing personal. I constantly hear rhode islanders saying "we already have one of those, we don't need another" or "why don't we put this thing in [name the suburb], there is less traffic and way more parking" etc, etc, and etc...

I've actually enjoyed most of your posts on other threads-

my bad if it hurt your feelings...

[Cotuit]

I constantly hear rhode islanders saying "we already have one of those, we don't need another" or "why don't we put this thing in [name the suburb], there is less traffic and way more parking" etc, etc, and etc...

Like it or not, it's a fact. Our state is the size of a postage stamp, and we already have a polo facility that is, and will always be, head and shoulders above anything built at Station Park, so why build at Station Park? And the traffic and parking issues may be tiring, but seriously, no one coming to Providence for Polo is going to do so via RIPTA, so where are these people going to park, where are the horse trailers going to park, where's the horse sh*t going to go..? You may never go to a polo match at Station Park or in Portsmouth, but if you live in Providence, polo at Station Park will have a big impact on you, and I really can't see the positives. Are people really going to come to Providence to watch sub-par polo? It seems to me they're counting on people living at Waterplace to be the chief fans, well, they're already here, so we don't have to entice them with polo.

I'm all for polo in Providence, let private investors through good money after bad in an attempt to steal money from a business that is already in our state and doing fine. However, Station Park has to be at the top of the list of idiotic locations for such an endeavour, I'll personally lie in front of the bulldozers to stop this boondoggle.

[DaveRPI]

there is no such thing as 'stealing' money from another business, legally speaking of course- competition is the driving force behind success and efficiency, because it will choose the most worthy to succeed as opposed to politics or a very-vocal-about-their-opinion/position small percentage of the population, the freedom to pursue happiness is seen by many as the ability to make money in the free market

i was taught early on in business school that there is plenty of it [money] to go around

you're giving the portsmouth polo club anti-trust status?

anyways, this is just a funny thread- so many harsh opinions for or against polo, like polo is on sportscenter every morning or something- imagine if we had this website when the patriots had discussed moving their stadium to providence. there would have been a stampede of comments- get out the way!

by the way, there already is horse crap all over town- we got mounties!

i think there are better uses for station park as well and that has never been my point

i would actually like to see the state museum [partially surrounded by station park] placed there with an underground 'mall' like the one in Albany, NY [basically a hallway that connects their statehouse, the egg, the state museum, parking garages, etc- it's designed kind of ugly, but if it was done right it could have been way more of an asset] + [every year we had a design project focused on improving it back in archie school in college], underneath it that connects to providence place mall, waterplace, and the train station- how cool would that be in the winter!?! how cool would that be if you intended to go to PPM, Prov Station, the state house, waterplace, etc etc etc, i'd bet the east siders, no offense garris, would protest that as well stating how a museum would bring unwanted foot traffic down the hill from brown, risd, hope, moses brown, wheeler, elem schools, etc, and therefore devaluing their properties or something to that affect

anyways, i usually [maybe 92.8% of the time] agree with your threads, cotuit

peace

i'm outta here

[CtownMikey]

I still like my exotic park idea in place of a polo field.

[Recchia]

NOOOOO not the Empire State Plaza mall!!!!! Okay maybe if our's had more than just a few fast food places in it...

[r c nelson]

Instead of polo how about a pitch & putt? Do a quick 18 holes instead of lunch

[CtownMikey]

http://www.projo.com/opinion/columnists/co...s.12ad32d9.html

not sure if this link was posted yet.

Brussat speaks of non-polo days being able to cater picnics and whatever else you'd like to do in a park.

I've never seen a polo field in my life, but I imagine horse doodoo and not so perfect grass due to the horse activity.

[Cotuit]

Brussat speaks of non-polo days being able to cater picnics and whatever else you'd like to do in a park.

I couldn't get more than halfway through that article. I got to the part where he was critiquing the music at the 'BRU summer series. What an elitist sh*thead. I wish he'd just move to some hole in Barrington and shut up. His disdain for urban life becomes more and more apparent with every article. If he wants to live in a museum so badly, he should.

you're giving the portsmouth polo club anti-trust status?

Stop being an idiot.

peace.

[ruchele]

My favorite impression from a reader of Brussat's column today: "That guy is either retarded or an a**hole. Probably both." This from someone who has never read Brussat's column before. I love how first impressions can be so right.

As an aside, I don't like the music at BRU's concerts, either. I also hate having to look at Pontiacs. My other pet peeves are: The smell of ham, puffy down coats in summer, overly-friendly salespeople, meregue music, and political bumperstickers. No one wants to drive these things out of town more than I do. Maybe the ProJo will give me a column to talk about it.

[Cotuit]

overly-friendly salespeople

Can I get an Amen!?

[basachs]

I really dont see how you cram trees, gardens, an iron fence, a picnic area, a concession tent into that space.

Oh wait I see it. As a PARK! But then you add a polo field on top of that and I just see a mess!

Seriously, is there really room for this in that space?

GTECH and whoever is in the AMEX building should subsidize maintenance of the park after the grant runs out. Delta Dental down the road too, and Citizens. All these businesses are right there and would benefit. Let the garden clubs maintain the shruberry, trees and flowers like they do in Boston Public Garden.

If the space was really conducive it would be fine, but its not. Putting all that stuff in there will make it crammed. I hate that the space is wasting away, but polo is not the only real idea here.

[ruchele]

Yeah, I loved that part of the piece- where he says "Imagine wrought iron fences, a picnic area, etc. etc." What the heck does any of that have to do with polo? Do horses poop wrought iron now? Will the jockeys (players, whatever they're called) be serving us potato salad?

[DaveRPI]

breaking news

I'm starting a polo club... its gonna be in my backyard though, all the horse poop you can handle

think i'll get 5,000 people????

why not anti-trust? major league baseball and other professional sports leagues have anti-trust status

empire state plaza is horrible, right? if you've been there though, you look at it and say "if it just had this" or "it wasnt so damn long" or "if it had better access to above and connections to other attractions"

- it does have a bus station tho... maybe the new Providence "Ocean State Mall" can have a consolidated bus station underground, connections to the providence station train platforms, connections to the prov mall and its parking garages and therefore the convention center and westin, 1 & 2, for those of you who are counting. i think this would be an asset to a cold weather city, but there are drawbacks.

but... how could you deny a climate-controlled connection to Providence Station????

peace

I'm outta here

[Liamlunchtray]

I wish he'd just move to some hole in Barrington and shut up.

Man, this guy is a total Assclown. I hadn't thought a whole lot about the issue one way or the other, but his description of yuppie suburbanites in pink shirts and pleated pants drinking coctails made me kinda nauseous. It makes me hope they build a skatepark instead, just to spite this elitist tool.

[Recchia]

Exactly what I think when I first saw Empire State Plaza. It's way too spread out. Nice public gathering place though.

In regards to Brussat's column, I can understand that he doesn't personally like the type of music played there, but how can he not see that it's an asset to the city by drawing crowds to it. I don't like the ballroom dancing music they play at Waterfire but I'm not beotching, and nor would I if I lived downtown.

[Jenkins]

Exactly what I think when I first saw Empire State Plaza. It's way too spread out. Nice public gathering place though.

In regards to Brussat's column, I can understand that he doesn't personally like the type of music played there, but how can he not see that it's an asset to the city by drawing crowds to it. I don't like the ballroom dancing music they play at Waterfire but I'm not beotching, and nor would I if I lived downtown.

I am with ya'll on Brussat's column. In the past I was borderline about his columns, often agreeing with his criticisms of G-Tech, but thought he was being rather dramatic about it ruining the area. This article, and his complaints about music being too loud and visions of women in hats (hats!) prancing around the pitch drinking daquiri's really showed his colors. That being said, I don't mind the idea of trying out a polo pitch. It could work, and if not, just set the initial lease at 5 years and pull the plug if it is not working. Beats a dirt lot anyway.

[MikeR]

http://www.projo.com/opinion/columnists/co...s.12ad32d9.html

not sure if this link was posted yet.

Brussat speaks of non-polo days being able to cater picnics and whatever else you'd like to do in a park.

I've never seen a polo field in my life, but I imagine horse doodoo and not so perfect grass due to the horse activity.

I've only seen one polo match in my life at Glen farm in Portsmouth. The horses absolutely tear up the grass - divots everywhere and dirt files around during the match. I remember that the wind was blowing from the field towards the parking lot that day, and when the match was over and I went back to my car, there was a thin layer of dirt covering many of the cars in the lot! I did not go back ever again.

I briefed Brussat's column on Thursday. It's gotten to the point that I can barely stand to read his columns anymore. He complained on how the X-Games marred the grass at Station Park. Well, polo would certainly do worse to the grass that what the X-Games did. He complains the unkempt look of Station Park. What happens if they play there on a windy day and dirt gets blown onto nearby buildings and the whole area look dirty? He really should have reseached the idea much better before writing that column.

Here's a better idea - if the Providence Polo Club wants to play in Providence, can't there be a way to fit a polo field into Roger Williams Park? There should be enough room there for them to play and provide area for spectators. The park already has stables and paddocks for the Providence Mounted Patrol. That sounds like a better fit; and they get to stay in Providence if that's the way they want it.

[ruchele]

He complained on how the X-Games marred the grass at Station Park. Well, polo would certainly do worse to the grass that what the X-Games did.

The difference to Brussat is that the XGames audience wasn't wearing pleated khakis and sipping cocktails.

[Frankie811]

Ch 10 just did a story on the purposed polo grounds. It seems there is a question as to who controls the decking over the Amtrak lines. It was reported that the city actually paid for the decking over the tracks. Also there is a question concerning the air ducts that provides ventilation. Hopefully they'll be a story in tomorrow's Projo.

[Frankie811]

http://www.turnto10.com/news/5446759/detail.html

[Garris]

Huh... So Amtrak might actually own the land, and it's never been a park after all. Wow!

- Garris

[EPBOY]

Huh... So Amtrak might actually own the land, and it's never been a park after all. Wow!

- Garris

Interesting how the "park" has gone unmaintained and neglected since the train station was moved. Now that there might be some money to be made from it, suddenly an "owner" pops up from no where. What is up with that??

[Recchia]

I can't see how the owner of the parcel can be a mystery. You'd think the state would know if it owned a parcel of land, right? I mean, they had an enhancement project all ready to go for this parcel, and now they don't even know if it's theres?? Stupid state....