Stadium Update

[Spartan]

Just saw on WIS that USC will build a new baseball stadium, but not with the Bombers. The new proposal leaves open the possibity of having an amphitheater. The stadium would be located in the Vista (in the already discussed area I assume).

I guess the Bombers are heading out of town.

[Spartan]

Correction- that was WACH

[Raleigh-NC]

Forgive my ignorance, but how far is USC from downtown? As you said, the stadium will ne located at the Vista, but is it near USC? Any renderings yet? Any photos from the area where the stadium is going to be built?

[Spartan]

USC is downtown... the original part of the campus one black SE of the State Capital for reference. USC is between the Vista and 5 points.

No renderings yet- the project is still in the early stages.

[Spartan]

USC plans its own ballpark

Decision shuts out Bombers, would put new $10 million stadium behind Colonial Center

By RON MORRIS

Staff Writer | The State

The University of South Carolina has rejected the latest joint stadium proposal from private investor Rod Connell and plans to build its own 6,000-seat, $10 million baseball stadium behind the Colonial Center on Lincoln Street.

The decision means the Capital City Bombers, who are competing in the first round of the South Atlantic League playoffs, will likely leave town at the conclusion of this season.

To build the stadium, USC first needs approval from its Board of Trustees to use $10 million in athletics department revenue bonds. USC President Andrew Sorensen said recently the athletics department is within $15 million to $18 million of its revenue bond debt limit.

USC

[Spartan]

Here is a small graphic that was in the Gamecock today.

[emerging.me]

Well, it's time to say goodbye to the Bombers and turn the old ball field into a new bus barn. That guy Connell is crazy. If USC has a more accessible stadium it will more than fill the void left by the departure of a single A team.

I hope USC goes with the amphitheater addition.

I can't make out that graphic and the articles don't give specifics that I could find. Spartan, can you tell us the cross streets on that graphic where the proposed sites are?

[Spartan]

Its right behind the Carolina Center on Greene St. and Gadsden St.

[The_sandlapper]

So USC and Coble stabbed the bombers in the back huh? Wish they would have let everyone know their original intentions instead of getting my hopes up! Good news for Carolina but it sucks for the Columbia area.

[emerging.me]

The latest: USC wants city money to help build the Vista stadium. Hmmm...

From TheState.com:

USC asks city to help fund stadium

Rebate of $5.55 million in taxes requested to build baseball stadium in the Vista

By JOHN C. DRAKE

Staff Writer

USC has put a price tag on the amount of city subsidy it says it needs to help pay for a new $14 million baseball stadium in the Vista near the Colonial Center.

The university wants the city to return $5.55 million in tax revenues expected to be generated by its athletics facilities over 30 years.

[The_sandlapper]

Well, I guess if it doesn't go down the Gamecocks will probablly leave USC Columbia for good and play at USC Upstate.

[Spartan]

LOL

Yeah -I wouldn't mind seeing that change. The change of the naming situation at USC Upstate is very irritating to me. The USC Upstate Spartans, and the mascot is Sparty the Bear, dressed in a roman legion outfit.

Seriously though- USC can afford it alone. They are just trying to get some money out of the city. USC is a money grabbing whore. They get $5million for Colonial Life's naming rights, raise parking garage fees, mail box fees, standard overcharge fees, raise tuition, and they still somehow don't have enough money. Yeah.

[pinky]

Sparty is sort of not masculine...

it's really ugly.

[emerging.me]

From The State:

Columbia City Councilman Hamilton Osborne has proposed that the city offer to fund infrastructure for a new USC baseball stadium, rather than granting the university

[ResearchMan]

I think if it will bring more dollars to the Vista the city should return some money to USC. I read Spartan's comments here with interest and had my 2 cents to add. For as long as I can remember their has been contention between USC, the taxpayers in the area, the downtown businesses and the students on campus.

While employed at USC I sometimes had to provide information to the legislature on the number of FTE (full time enrollees) on campus in preparation for the annual plea for more money at the University. The Life scholarships have changed the formula but in the mid-90s the leglislature funded USC the lowest amount in the south per student. Endless student fees followed because the university management wanted a top-50 research institution and worked to build that. They focused on growth and building top research departments. The legislature never had that high-end vision and focused in each session on property tax relief. Often paying for tax cuts with one time money. In the meantime higher education continues to spread as more regional campuses offer duplicate courses and wanted to provide that four year degree. So what you end up with is university employees who rarely get raises, students taxed to the eyeballs, and more school choices in more areas.

If the USC management is money grubbing whores..and I aint saying they aren't..it's because everyone imvolved has a different vision of what state education should be. Who pays for it, where it's located, and what that education should be. Is USC to be a state school or a research institution?

Now me..I have a small business. I work in a city where the mayor wants to spend $75 million so we can have a high-end convention hotel. Nevermind private developers want to build and finance the same hotel. Nevermind most private-public developments like this have failed at the 75% level nationwide. We have secret off the book deals to private developers. We have city council giving public money to development groups who have hired city employees to help approve that same money .. but cannot account for it now the project is dead. We have new parking fees with less time on each meter for more money. And the new parking garages to be built with that money have not materialized. In so many ways the city takes from the citizens without a return to the citizens.