Minor League Baseball in Orlando?

[DeepEyez]

Orlando group pursues New York Yankees baseball affiliate.

Minor league baseball could be returning to Orlando.

New York Yankees officials acknowledged today that the team has had "very preliminary discussions" with a group of Orange County investors about a partial sale of the Tampa Yankees, a Class A team that plays in the Florida State League.

Minor League Baseball in Orlando?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder where they are going to plan on building the facilities?

[spenser1058]

Orlando group pursues New York Yankees baseball affiliate.

Minor league baseball could be returning to Orlando.

New York Yankees officials acknowledged today that the team has had "very preliminary discussions" with a group of Orange County investors about a partial sale of the Tampa Yankees, a Class A team that plays in the Florida State League.

Minor League Baseball in Orlando?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder where they are going to plan on building the facilities?

This is strictly a guess but the fact that the announcement is taking place at the county's AC instead of city hall suggests a location in unincorporated OC (i.e., I-Drive, NOT a renovated Tinker Field). On the other hand, Gutierrez is a Repub so maybe they're just tweaking Buddy. Support for our minor league teams didn't work well at Tinker or at Disney, so I'm not sure what they believe has changed (although it also had to do with folks being starry-eyed over MLB at the time as well and not wanting to bother with a farm team). I guess we'll know tomorrow for sure.

[DeepEyez]

This is strictly a guess but the fact that the announcement is taking place at the county's AC instead of city hall suggests a location in unincorporated OC (i.e., I-Drive, NOT a renovated Tinker Field). On the other hand, Gutierrez is a Repub so maybe they're just tweaking Buddy. Support for our minor league teams didn't work well at Tinker or at Disney, so I'm not sure what they believe has changed (although it also had to do with folks being starry-eyed over MLB at the time as well and not wanting to bother with a farm team). I guess we'll know tomorrow for sure.

I think it'd be a STUPID move on Gutierrez's part if he thinks having a stadium outside of downtown is going to work. As if people from Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Longwood and other communities are going to risk the bump-and-grind traffic on I-4 to watch a baseball game way out by the convention center (the only realistic place outside of unincorporated Orange County to really pull of a stunt like this). If it is anywhere outside of downtown Orlando, his idea and master plan is bound to fail....and fail badly!

I just dont know, for the life of me, why Orange County Republicans are so ANTI-DOWNTOWN ORLANDO!?!?!? Why are they so anti-the-basic-principles-of-successful-city-planning and pro-sprawl???? I JUST DON'T GET IT!

[Jernigan]

I actually think this would be great by UCF, as in sharing their baseball stadium.

UCF is close to fielding a top team but is in desparate need of a facility upgrade to really hit the national state. A partnership between UCF and the minor league club could be a win-win.

If Orlando gets a major league team, let's try and put it downtown...but I think East Orlando's bedroom communities of young families will serve the team better.

Hopefully all of us downtownians will be able to take light rail there in the future.

[spenser1058]

I actually think this would be great by UCF, as in sharing their baseball stadium.

UCF is close to fielding a top team but is in desparate need of a facility upgrade to really hit the national state. A partnership between UCF and the minor league club could be a win-win.

If Orlando gets a major league team, let's try and put it downtown...but I think East Orlando's bedroom communities of young families will serve the team better.

Hopefully all of us downtownians will be able to take light rail there in the future.

I'm with George Diaz on this: don't hold your breath. Today's announcement was virtually all fluff and no substance. Further, Rich is on his way out of office. This, imho, is another attempt by the poor little rich boy from Miami to strut his stuff.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-diaz-orlando-baseball-team-20100901,0,2890540.column

[prahaboheme]

I wonder how Rich's exit from area politics will have an effect on the Orange vs. Orlando dynamic. This officially makes Buddy numero uno in decision making and influence in Central Florida (along with perhaps Mica). With a likely Teresa Jacobs filling in the Orange County mayoral seat, I wonder if things will rightfully shift to more Orlando centric. Any thoughts?

[bic]

Orlando Group Negotiates with New York Yankees to Acquire Minor-League Baseball Team

[bic]

The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming! … We hope

[prahaboheme]

I just love how the City of Orlando is being completely left out of this process. How is it that Crotty ultimately decides with no public input where something this large would be placed? I really do not understand this. A stadium beside the convention center does not sound like a win-win to me, it's a win for tourists, that's it. It's a lose for downtown and the city.

[spenser1058]

I just love how the City of Orlando is being completely left out of this process. How is it that Crotty ultimately decides with no public input where something this large would be placed? I really do not understand this. A stadium beside the convention center does not sound like a win-win to me, it's a win for tourists, that's it. It's a lose for downtown and the city.

Since the idea is to put it on county property in an unincorporated area, the City would not get any input. I presume that any final agreement will be voted on by the full commission, some of whom represent Orlando voters. As to your earlier question about life in a Teresa era, that's a great question which I'll flesh out with a fuller response about how the relationship between Orlando and Orange County is affected.

[drjnieto]

Since the idea is to put it on county property in an unincorporated area, the City would not get any input. I presume that any final agreement will be voted on by the full commission, some of whom represent Orlando voters. As to your earlier question about life in a Teresa era, that's a great question which I'll flesh out with a fuller response about how the relationship between Orlando and Orange County is affected.

Why not build a MLB stadium and get the TB Rays. Look at all the $$$ the city of Orlando is making from corporate sponsor for new arena. The same will happen with a MLB and NFL team. Remember Segals idea of a retractable roof stadium. Make it happen and get the TB rays and Jacksonville Jags.

[DeepEyez]

Why not build a MLB stadium and get the TB Rays. Look at all the $$ the city of Orlando is making from corporate sponsor for new arena. The same will happen with a MLB and NFL team. Remember Segals idea of a retractable roof stadium. Make it happen and get the TB rays and Jacksonville Jags.

But doesn't Segal want to build it by the Convention Center? He should look for a piece of vacant land somewhere around Downtown if he does turn out to become the next Orange County mayor.

[drjnieto]

But doesn't Segal want to build it by the Convention Center? He should look for a piece of vacant land somewhere around Downtown if he does turn out to become the next Orange County mayor.

The current site is on I Drive and 528 near Sea world.

[spenser1058]

I wonder how Rich's exit from area politics will have an effect on the Orange vs. Orlando dynamic. This officially makes Buddy numero uno in decision making and influence in Central Florida (along with perhaps Mica). With a likely Teresa Jacobs filling in the Orange County mayoral seat, I wonder if things will rightfully shift to more Orlando centric. Any thoughts?

As promised, some thoughts on life after Rich. First, I'm not certain Teresa is going to win the next election- the primary was a relatively low turnout affair and the conservative Republicans had the more interesting races on the ballot. As we know, this is nationally a Republican year and midterm turnout traditionally has a higher % of elderly voters and, with FDR-era older voters rapidly being replaced by those who came of age in the Reagan era, that will add to the mountain Bill Segal needs to climb.

Nevertheless, Segal has an ability to raise money and, with Democrats poised to increase turnout because of the gubernatorial and senatorial races, I don't think it's a done deal yet for Teresa.

Assuming she does win, however, Teresa is the candidate of the folks who live in Dr. Phillips, augmented by the other conservative voters who live in unincorporated Orange County. She is not of the "downtown crowd," nor are her voters. As a result, she'll have no particular reason to cooperate with any of Buddy's plans for the City. On the other hand, she also is no friend of the developers, so we need not fear someone like Matt Falconer who would have been pleased to pave what is left of the county with strip centers. Net balance: I see Teresa doing some cleanup of things like ethics and streamlining county government but no "great leap forward" for the area during her mayoralty.

It is also interesting to note that Teresa would be the first of the county "mayors" with absolutely no ties to the "downtown crowd" (a term indicating not only downtown specifically, but the traditional progressive power structure in the region). Linda, the first to serve in the modern, post-1990 county commission, was firmly a member of that group. Her successors, Mel Martinez and Rich Crotty, were also in the group but to a lesser extent, and their desire to succeed in statewide and national GOP politics moderated some of the cooperation they might otherwise have agreed to with the City government (Mel's turnabout on concurrency was a huge step forward on "smart growth" in the county, but, alas, he left for D.C. not long after, and Rich was never willing to go that far again).

Regardless of who wins, it will be interesting to see how the move to a "strong mayor" form of government in the county continues to evolve. That was the original hope of the downtowners, that county government would come to mirror the City with a strong chief executive. We're not there yet, but Rich did consolidate more power under the county mayor's wing during his tenure, largely by default. There are some fascinating (and scary, depending on your POV) possibilities if that continues during the next four years, but we'll leave that to another discussion for now.

[DeepEyez]

Plans For New Entertainment Complex Revealed

Developers unveiled plans for a new Orlando entertainment complex, Tuesday.

Orange County mayor Rich Crotty got the first look at plans for the brand new, multi-million dollar entertainment complex on the corner of International Drive and the Beachline, near the convention center.

Developer Armando Gutierrez told WFTV reporter Mark Boyle what the new complex will bring to the county.

“Jobs, news businesses, restaurants that Orlando doesn't have right now,” said Gutierrez.

Plans For New Entertainment Complex Revealed

[DeepEyez]

Orlando Yankees stadium: Armando Gutierrez Jr. releases rendering

The first rendering of the proposed baseball stadium for the Orlando Yankees, a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, has been released.

Armando Gutierrez Jr., who is leading the project, plans to build the stadium near the Orange County Convention Center in the heart of the International Drive tourist district. Should Gutierrez Jr. and his ownership group achieve their goals, Orlando could welcome a minor league baseball as early as 2013.

Orlando Yankees stadium rendering

[bic]

For the lazy:

[prahaboheme]

Ugh, where to start.

This is the second "thrill park" proposal in two weeks. These out of state developers need to do their market research if they are to succeed in this city. This is the equivalent of putting a bad Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Does this developer actually think it is a good idea to put gimmicky rides beside the Convention Center? Orlando is a maturing city, it's obvious to anyone who understands how this city has transitioned over the last 2 decades. If Universal has had to invested 200 million in Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure (Orlando's Thrill Park) in order to reclaim it's #2 status, how do these guys expect to compete with the big 4 (Disney, Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gardens)? Do they honestly believe business convention attendees are going to run off between sessions for a ride on the ferris wheel? Do they honestly believe that anyone will have a vested interest in a minor league Yankees game in a town with no local backbone for baseball? And putting this minor league Yankees museum in Orlando is like putting the Orange County Regional History Center in Midtown Manhattan.

Instead, this developer could look to current trends, and what is going to happen to this area in the next 20 years. Build upon the regional transit that will result from the intermodal center just across the way from this property. Bring in a boutique hotel (lacking in the convention area and much desired by smaller convention attendees), and please, get some local restaurant owners into the mix.

Rant over.

[Jernigan]

The Yankees, like the Cubs and Red Sox, are national teams that will do as good here as they would in most other areas...

That said, I can't see bringing your family to Orlando and even having the time or energy (let alone the extra money) to include any of this B-List stuff on your visit after the major parks have been done.

[DeepEyez]

Ugh, where to start.

This is the second "thrill park" proposal in two weeks. These out of state developers need to do their market research if they are to succeed in this city. This is the equivalent of putting a bad Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Does this developer actually think it is a good idea to put gimmicky rides beside the Convention Center? Orlando is a maturing city, it's obvious to anyone who understands how this city has transitioned over the last 2 decades. If Universal has had to invested 200 million in Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure (Orlando's Thrill Park) in order to reclaim it's #2 status, how do these guys expect to compete with the big 4 (Disney, Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gardens)? Do they honestly believe business convention attendees are going to run off between sessions for a ride on the ferris wheel? Do they honestly believe that anyone will have a vested interest in a minor league Yankees game in a town with no local backbone for baseball? And putting this minor league Yankees museum in Orlando is like putting the Orange County Regional History Center in Midtown Manhattan.

Instead, this developer could look to current trends, and what is going to happen to this area in the next 20 years. Build upon the regional transit that will result from the intermodal center just across the way from this property. Bring in a boutique hotel (lacking in the convention area and much desired by smaller convention attendees), and please, get some local restaurant owners into the mix.

Rant over.

I totally agree with you. With the Tampa Bay Rays up for sale, you'd figure he'd get real serious, buck the desire to be on outskirts of Orlando and bring the Rays to Orlando (or at least somebody different).

All this "Thrill Park/Theme Park" development is just making me sick. Hopefully some level-headed developers will note where the action is taking place in this region and avoid the temptation to build amusement parks and suburban housing developments. WE NEED TO MAKE A MOVE TOWARD DENSITY!!!

[Magicfan95]

I totally agree with you. With the Tampa Bay Rays up for sale, you'd figure he'd get real serious, buck the desire to be on outskirts of Orlando and bring the Rays to Orlando (or at least somebody different).

All this "Thrill Park/Theme Park" development is just making me sick. Hopefully some level-headed developers will note where the action is taking place in this region and avoid the temptation to build amusement parks and suburban housing developments. WE NEED TO MAKE A MOVE TOWARD DENSITY!!!

I'd put the chances of this EVER happening as very slim. And I'm not the only one.

[prahaboheme]

^I'm not saying I disagree (I honestly wouldn't know either way, but I'm curious to know why those changes are slim?

[spenser1058]

I'd put the chances of this EVER happening as very slim. And I'm not the only one.

I'm with you 100% on that. As to why, they've been making noise about a project like this for years now and, if it couldn't get a green light before the crash, it's much less likely now. Also, Rich is on his way out, so there's really no reason to assume the new regime will want to pick up the pieces of this. If Teresa gets elected, I especially don't see her wanting to provide county-owned land for such a half-baked project, given her brand as someone whose wary of unnecessary development.

Finally, there's the whole way Gutierrez wanders into town as a poor little rich boy from south Florida to run for Congress and then, oops, when he saw that wasn't going to work, now all of a sudden he's a developer with a minor-league baseball project no one really wants? If that scenario was ever going to fly, I certainly don't see it now (maybe if it his last name was Bush, but it isn't). Hoteliers like Harris Rosen, who DOES have a track record, have always said sporting events aren't going to put heads in beds (other than bowl games and he's not even keen on those).

If I'm wrong on this one, please provide me with a large helping of crow, but this, as Praha has pointed out, is the wrong project at the wrong time in the wrong place by the wrong people.

[aent]

Ugh, where to start.

This is the second "thrill park" proposal in two weeks. These out of state developers need to do their market research if they are to succeed in this city. This is the equivalent of putting a bad Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Does this developer actually think it is a good idea to put gimmicky rides beside the Convention Center? Orlando is a maturing city, it's obvious to anyone who understands how this city has transitioned over the last 2 decades. If Universal has had to invested 200 million in Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure (Orlando's Thrill Park) in order to reclaim it's #2 status, how do these guys expect to compete with the big 4 (Disney, Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gardens)? Do they honestly believe business convention attendees are going to run off between sessions for a ride on the ferris wheel? Do they honestly believe that anyone will have a vested interest in a minor league Yankees game in a town with no local backbone for baseball? And putting this minor league Yankees museum in Orlando is like putting the Orange County Regional History Center in Midtown Manhattan.

Instead, this developer could look to current trends, and what is going to happen to this area in the next 20 years. Build upon the regional transit that will result from the intermodal center just across the way from this property. Bring in a boutique hotel (lacking in the convention area and much desired by smaller convention attendees), and please, get some local restaurant owners into the mix.

Rant over.

I think a thrill park wouldn't do quite as bad as everyone here is putting out. While universal and disney will always dominate, I think they're starting to leave room for someone else to come in, with the drastic price increases of the two over the years.... the thrill park would likely have tickets that are about half the price, perhaps at a price point where people don't feel like they have to stay the whole day to get their money's worth... convention goers who don't have the time/money for disney/universal may be more willing to go here, and with the smaller amount of land and less constructions costs, their overhead should be quite a bit less, and Orlando does have the 3rd largest university in the nation along with a few other colleges that attract quite a few thrill riders and those on a tighter budget then disney/universal allows for...

I used to hear Universal joked around as a poor man's Disney, but with all these improvements and subsequent increases in price to Universal as well as Disney, its creating a new void that a new thrill park could permanently fill and do well with, that previously made it not feasible... at the very least, it could push Disney's and Universal's prices down for a change which could help attract a few more tourists and do well for the city... This project just doesn't seem so bad to me as it is a little more balanced then the other thrill ride proposal near residential homes which I'd say has 0% chance of getting built or succeeding... The new thrill park could become "the poor man's Disney" as well as the place of choice for a lot of high school and college aged students, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it will lead to Disney and Universal needing to become more competitive...

Orlando is a top tourist destination, and just because its not as much a high tech, high paying jobs as many other industries, it is a big part of Orlando's identity, big money maker, and still a good thing for all of us (they pay lots of tax dollars). This doesn't take away from any of our other new projects, its just a potential improvement for one area where we are doing really, really well...

[tc01]

I agree with you, I bet if the Orlando Thrill Park did get built. The people would said that it is a stupid idea would be one of the first ones in line to ride the rollercoaster.

Theme Parks did put Orlando on the map. Without those theme parks in Orlando where would we be? lets no forget our roots.

Also this would creare jobs, so I don't think this is a bad idea.