Charlotte Knights AAA Ballpark in Third Ward

[videtur quam contuor]

Location. An owner here would have to indemnify four teams for release of broadcast rights, the major money in baseball. The Baltimore Orioles allowed the Washington Nationals move from Montréal with the agreement to control the television broadcast of both teams as an example of the extraordinary cost of such a relocation for the new owners.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_blackout_policy#/media/File:MLB_Blackout_Areas.png

[King of the Queen City]

2 hours ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Hear me out.  I think someday that will change.  UNCC is the fastest growing university in the system, in one of the fastest growing cities in the country.  If Charlotte can up there profile nationally in academics (including a possible med school) and get the athletics on the right track...I think a P5 would kill to be in this city/market.  I know the SEC really wants a school in this region and may not be able to pluck one of the ACC schools here due to $$$ and such.  SEC network is also in Charlotte.  It's far-fetched, but not outlandish. 

It is true that UNCC is growing really fast and potentially has the chance to become a Power 5 school at some point. There is a resemblance to what Tom Jurich did at Louisville, guiding them from Conference USA to the (former) Big East to the ACC. The choice to simply go by “Charlotte” for athletic purposes was wise to set it apart as an individual school, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just change the name of the entire school to “University of Charlotte.” I would also prefer the nickname to change to the Gold Miners instead of 49ers to set it apart from the San Francisco NFL team and to embrace our history as the site of the first gold rush (which happened way before 1849, and yes I am aware that the school was saved from closing in 1949). With that said, even if UNCC eventually does join a Power 5 conference, we still would only have one Power 5 school (as opposed to three in the triangle), which still makes Charlotte a better market for a pro sports franchise than Raleigh.

[KJHburg]

It is a great stadium and just think it will have a new name along with SunTrust Park in Atlanta due to the bank merger. 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

It is a great stadium and just think it will have a new name along with SunTrust Park in Atlanta due to the bank merger. 

KJ's Krispy Kreme Ball Park

Nickname will be "the Donut"

[KJHburg]

I am afraid KK is a day late and a dollar short on naming rights.

Dan Rajkowski, @KnightsBaseball exec, on @SunTrust-@BBT merger & @BBTBallpark: "The naming rights deal is an 18-year deal and we are in year six. (It's) transferrable and will be an asset of the merged banks. We have not received any indication ... if there will be a name change"

[videtur quam contuor]

Wake Forest football stadium is also BB&T branded

[videtur quam contuor]

Here is an interesting article from La Presse, Montréal. The Bronfman family, billionaire family of Seagrams and much much else, apears to propose to the Tampa Bay Rays to play the summer home games in Montréal for the Rays, with spring and late summer/fall in St Pete. Article is in French:

https://www.lapresse.ca/sports/baseball/201902/22/01-5215710-retour-des-expos-nos-zamours-a-temps-partiel-.php

[KJHburg]

From a subscriber article about the Knights proposed office building next to the stadium evidently a parking study was recently done.  They are trying to get this to all work on a tight site.  Not much other news than this but it is still in planning and they are attempting to get it all to work. 

""The Knights control a piece of property 90 feet wide and 400 feet long behind left field, where the team wants to build a six-story office tower topped with a game-viewing area. A team-backed restaurant would likely fill part of the ground floor, with additional concessions and storage space also part of the project.  Dan Rajkowski, Knights chief operating officer, said the team has run into various delays since the ballpark opened, but has recently received a parking study that will factor into what the finished project entails — and how soon it gets going. Asked to summarize the findings of the parking study, Rajkowski said it “came in very tight (for space) and costly.”""

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2019/04/04/charlotteknights-readying-revised-ballpark-office.html

[navigator319]

I for one do not want to see this happen.  If it does it kills the site for MLB in any time period less then 20 years from completion at earliest.  I still feel this is the only good site for a potential Charlotte MLB team.

[queensguy06]

27 minutes ago, navigator319 said:

I for one do not want to see this happen.  If it does it kills the site for MLB in any time period less then 20 years from completion at earliest.  I still feel this is the only good site for a potential Charlotte MLB team.

My understanding is that this site was never large enough for an MLB stadium.  There were questions posed about potential expansion of the stadium to fit an MLB team before/during construction, and there was a very emphatic no do to size constraints of the current site.  Just google any major league ball park - they would require roughly twice as much space as is currently occupied by the Knights.  The current site was never intended, nor could ever hold, a full size MLB stadium.

EDIT:  Quick comparison - the new Braves stadium sits on 15 acres; Knights stadium sits on 8 acres.  

Edited April 4, 2019 by queensguy06

[navigator319]

That is only true in the context of the stadiums around today.  My entire basis for believing MLB can fit here is MLB would allow, by waiver, a stadium with a capacity of 27k-32k.   I think they would grant that no questions asked in today environment and CLT market.

[CTiger]

1 minute ago, navigator319 said:

That is only true in the context of the stadiums around today.  My entire basis for believing MLB can fit here is MLB would allow, by waiver, a stadium with a capacity of 27k-32k.   I think they would grant that no questions asked in today environment and CLT market.

You still run into the problem of the layout.  With the modern day economics of baseball, owners make the bulk of their money selling seats behind the plate and in suites.  They also make money off of amenities and ballpark extras (entertainment outside of the actual games).  BBT has room to expand in the one direction that wouldn't be very profitable - the outfield.   I think any potential MLB investor would see that pretty much immediately.

If it were an MLB park, it would have a phenomenal view and location, but otherwise would be a terrible stadium.

[navigator319]

14 minutes ago, queensguy06 said:

My understanding is that this site was never large enough for an MLB stadium.  There were questions posed about potential expansion of the stadium to fit an MLB team before/during construction, and there was a very emphatic no do to size constraints of the current site.  Just google any major league ball park - they would require roughly twice as much space as is currently occupied by the Knights.  The current site was never intended, nor could ever hold, a full size MLB stadium.

EDIT:  Quick comparison - the new Braves stadium sits on 15 acres; Knights stadium sits on 8 acres.  

New braves stadium seats 42k.  See my previous comment.  Also the direct acreage does not account for creative architecture of the stadium its self to make it work.

[queensguy06]

3 minutes ago, navigator319 said:

New braves stadium seats 42k.  See my previous comment.  Also the direct acreage does not account for creative architecture of the stadium its self to make it work.

Any stadium on this site would require to build completely vertical - no stadium is built like that for a multiple of reasons including what @CTiger  mentioned.  Also in order to build vertical you need viaducts for fans to get to those levels - think like the Panthers stadium.  The reason the field was sunk below grade at Knights stadium is because there wasn't enough room to build ramps to get to multiple levels.  There is an enormous amount of space required for vending, pedestrian walks, bathrooms, and all the service areas required to back these.  There just isn't enough room from street level to home plate to fit all of these necessities of an MLB stadium.

[navigator319]

9 minutes ago, CTiger said:

You still run into the problem of the layout.  With the modern day economics of baseball, owners make the bulk of their money selling seats behind the plate and in suites.  They also make money off of amenities and ballpark extras (entertainment outside of the actual games).  BBT has room to expand in the one direction that wouldn't be very profitable - the outfield.   I think any potential MLB investor would see that pretty much immediately.

If it were an MLB park, it would have a phenomenal view and location, but otherwise would be a terrible stadium.

You have tons of expansion behind the plate and down first and third base lines.  They would go up with decks, 2/3.  And when says 'expansion'  it's basically a tear down job.

[navigator319]

They should give this project to a class of architect students at UNCC and see what they come up with. 

[CLT2014]

There are too many unknowns about a future MLB stadium for the Knights to not plan the most efficient use of the land. There is no guarantee a future MLB owner would even want to use the small Uptown site. If anything, the Uptown site means more expensive construction cost dude to the engineering required to fit, with less ancillary revenue due to little room for restaurants and retail. Like many team owners, they may prefer a location where they can control some of the development and additional revenue around the stadium. I.E. locations off the light rail in north Charlotte and south Charlotte, locations off the future Silver Line, etc..

It isn't like Charlotte is this super dense city with no available land. A stadium developer could acquire warehouses and vacant land along the light rail and build an entertainment district of their own. The construction of the Silver Line (if it ever happens), may make some sites along Wilkinson an excellent MLB stadium skyline views. 

Edited April 4, 2019 by CLT2014

[queensguy06]

Well, we can agree to disagree .  I just don't see the metrics working.  And I can assure you that no MLB owner would use this site for a new/expanded stadium for their team, regardless if you could somehow create a completely vertical stadium.  It's a great idea - don't get me wrong!  I would just put the odds of it ever happening at roughly 0.00001%.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

10 minutes ago, queensguy06 said:

I would just put the odds of it ever happening at roughly 0.00001%.

"Hey, it could happen"

*Speaking of the Knights, anyone going to the home opener tonight?  Thirsty Thursday ($3 domestic & $5 craft) and 75+ sunny weather!  Come grab a brew!

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by CharlotteWkndBuzz
But, I agree, most likely not this location.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, queensguy06 said:

Well, we can agree to disagree .  I just don't see the metrics working.  And I can assure you that no MLB owner would use this site for a new/expanded stadium for their team, regardless if you could somehow create a completely vertical stadium.  It's a great idea - don't get me wrong!  I would just put the odds of it ever happening at roughly 0.00001%.

0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%.

[Crown]

22 minutes ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

"Hey, it could happen"

*Speaking of the Knights, anyone going to the home opener tonight?  Thirsty Thursday ($3 domestic & $5 craft) and 75+ sunny weather!  Come grab a brew!

 

Tried to grab tickets this morning for the home run porch and they were sold out. If anyone has any for sale, I'll take them!  (I never need the seat) 

[go_vertical]

I don't really want a MLB team here. There really needs to be sports options at all price ranges. Panthers games are expensive. If the Hornets were to get consistently good then certainly ticket prices will go up. I think MLS is going to happen here. That leaves us with our minors; Hounds, Checkers, Knights, and Independence. I don't follow baseball at all but my friends and I have been to more than a few games because it's a pretty cheap, fun afternoon out. A new team would most likely cannibalize the Knights crowd probably making it no longer feasible to stay uptown and then we have a useless field in the middle of town. 

[Urban Cowboy]

I would LOVE an MLB team and would prefer that over MLS. Though I genuinely would be ecstatic with both announcements. If we landed a MLB team the Knights would probably relocate because there's no need for AAA ball at that point. Then you tear down the current ballpark for something else if the site doesn't work for the show.

If you build it, they will come.

[a2theb]

Do we need to have the argument of a MLB stadium on BB&Ts footprint every 3 pages? Regardless of future baseball attendance numbers, the land is simply not big enough.

 

Do I think a stadium smaller than current standards somewhere along blue line or future silver is doable? Yes, but I think it would take a relocation (Rays) as opposed to expansion. With the NC media market belonging to Braves, gnats, O's and Reds (to some extent) it would be tough to get an expansion team.

 

Edit: I would love for Charlotte to have MLB and I think it could make sense under the right circumstances. Would 100% purchase season tickets.

Edited April 4, 2019 by a2theb

[dylansukkert]

A perfect day for Opening Knight! Maybe they can break the attendance record tonight....?!?