First step towards a Baseball Stadium?
- Thread starter Mike Gwinn
- Start date
Wonder how much Icahn wants for the ACF lot? Hope this starts a very long awaited move towards a legit baseball stadium.
Baseball field is a waste of taxpayers's money. There won't be 500 people show up on average "per" game.....mark it down.
This is definitely the first step in getting the baseball team their own field. Check out the press release that states as follows:
"2015 Area-Wide Planning grants provide funding for the planning of the following reuse activities:
· City of Huntington, WV - Anchor is Marshall U. baseball field; hub of sports centers, recreation and area for advanced manufacturing - 3D printing/engineering."
This post was edited on 3/9 5:30 PM by RedParallax
"2015 Area-Wide Planning grants provide funding for the planning of the following reuse activities:
· City of Huntington, WV - Anchor is Marshall U. baseball field; hub of sports centers, recreation and area for advanced manufacturing - 3D printing/engineering."
This post was edited on 3/9 5:30 PM by RedParallax
I go to games when I choose to and I stay home when I choose to.
This statement does not change "my" opinion given earlier about the baseball field.
This statement does not change "my" opinion given earlier about the baseball field.
From the HD......
HUNTINGTON - It's the first push on a boulder the city of Huntington has been trying to budge for decades.
Monday afternoon the Environmental Protection Agency announced the city will receive a $200,000 grant to study cleaning up 78 acres of flat industrial land in the middle of the city locally referred to as the ACF property.
"The EPA, our friends ... you don't hear that often in West Virginia," cracked Huntington Mayor Steve Williams during a press conference at the Marshall Foundation Hall on the campus of Marshall University.
Williams believes this is the first step toward re-purposing the land toward the development of manufacturing, hotels and a baseball stadium to be shared by MU and a minor league club.
.
HUNTINGTON - It's the first push on a boulder the city of Huntington has been trying to budge for decades.
Monday afternoon the Environmental Protection Agency announced the city will receive a $200,000 grant to study cleaning up 78 acres of flat industrial land in the middle of the city locally referred to as the ACF property.
"The EPA, our friends ... you don't hear that often in West Virginia," cracked Huntington Mayor Steve Williams during a press conference at the Marshall Foundation Hall on the campus of Marshall University.
Williams believes this is the first step toward re-purposing the land toward the development of manufacturing, hotels and a baseball stadium to be shared by MU and a minor league club.
.
The baseball types (at least down here) are a loyal bunch. At least at the college level. For a large town, Tallahassee has never been able to support any minor league sports teams for any amount of time. The ECHL, indoor soccer, and arena football have all come and gone. Rumors of a minor league baseball team come and go but nothing every comes of it.
One of the things that is makes Huntington my current retirement destination is what I see as future growth and development. Even though I've only been visiting the past few years, it seems like the city is going in the right direction, As a retiree in your community, I would welcome a local baseball team, college or minor league.
One of the things that is makes Huntington my current retirement destination is what I see as future growth and development. Even though I've only been visiting the past few years, it seems like the city is going in the right direction, As a retiree in your community, I would welcome a local baseball team, college or minor league.
Always the HERD...
it is folks like you that drive me and others NUTS. The main problem for many that remain in West Virginia is you are polluted with a severe case of NEGATIVISM. I see it when I return and if it were not for close friends to tailgate with, or enjoy watching a basketball game with, or enjoying a good meal....it would be like going to the dentist. Three day weekends in WV is all I can take.
Let me enlighten you. Coastal Carolina Univ (Conway, SC) just spent 16.7 million to upgrade their baseball stadium. They play in the Big South Conference. They see the FUTURE. They will have over 5,000 seats for BASEBALL next season.
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.
Always, I BET you were against The JOAN and wanted Marshall to remain in Fairfield. Huntington is starving for inexpensive entertainment and Summer baseball featuring a minor league squad would be welcomed by young families.
Our baseball program has always taken a back seat to other sports at Marshall------football, basketball, SOCCER. There are more baseball fans in the Huntington area than you may think. Just because you dislike baseball is no reason to talk negatively about what Mayor Williams has promised.
A BASEBALL STADIUM WILL MAKE MARSHALL MORE ATTRACTIVE TO C-USA or ANOTHER CONFERENCE.
I hope to hell the City Council raises YOUR taxes to help fund a baseball stadium. YOU will have to pay or move out of the county. I hope the state of WV raises YOUR taxes to help fund a baseball stadium in Huntington and the new one in Morgantown. I will be laughing at you...WHEN this happens!
Gary Sweeney in Charlotte (HerdZilla22)
it is folks like you that drive me and others NUTS. The main problem for many that remain in West Virginia is you are polluted with a severe case of NEGATIVISM. I see it when I return and if it were not for close friends to tailgate with, or enjoy watching a basketball game with, or enjoying a good meal....it would be like going to the dentist. Three day weekends in WV is all I can take.
Let me enlighten you. Coastal Carolina Univ (Conway, SC) just spent 16.7 million to upgrade their baseball stadium. They play in the Big South Conference. They see the FUTURE. They will have over 5,000 seats for BASEBALL next season.
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.
Always, I BET you were against The JOAN and wanted Marshall to remain in Fairfield. Huntington is starving for inexpensive entertainment and Summer baseball featuring a minor league squad would be welcomed by young families.
Our baseball program has always taken a back seat to other sports at Marshall------football, basketball, SOCCER. There are more baseball fans in the Huntington area than you may think. Just because you dislike baseball is no reason to talk negatively about what Mayor Williams has promised.
A BASEBALL STADIUM WILL MAKE MARSHALL MORE ATTRACTIVE TO C-USA or ANOTHER CONFERENCE.
I hope to hell the City Council raises YOUR taxes to help fund a baseball stadium. YOU will have to pay or move out of the county. I hope the state of WV raises YOUR taxes to help fund a baseball stadium in Huntington and the new one in Morgantown. I will be laughing at you...WHEN this happens!
Gary Sweeney in Charlotte (HerdZilla22)
College baseball is fantastic to watch. I can't wait for the day we can watch our guys play on campus. This is very good news.
Arguing about whether or not to build a baseball stadium based on attendance is a silly argument.
You have to have so many sports to be Div I. The NCAA won't let you just have a basketball and football team. You have to have minor sports. It is the rule. There is no exception. We are currently at the minimum relative to men's sports. Drop baseball, we have to add something else. And the something else is not going to be any more attended than baseball. In fact it is going to be far less. Far less. If you look at the list of sports we don't have the only ones that seem even do-able for us are wrestling or swimming. We have had both in the past, and both died out here. Neither are going to draw any crowds or interest at all.
And the current travel team situation is unsustainable.
So we have to have a baseball field. Really that simple.
What you are seeing here is the payback to MH for shutting up when WV taxpayers were hit up for a 100% taxpayer paid, and certain to be 99% empty 99% of the time, WVU baseball stadium. It was an illegal deal, and it did not take a genius to understand that, and to understand that MH shut up about it because he was promised a qpq. This is it.
Now, personally, I don't know is another "lifestyle center" fake main street town will work. I don't think it will, but would be glad to proven wrong. I am more certain that a minor league team won't work here (and the new one in the 'hole will die out in a few years) but once the field is built, who cares?
You have to have so many sports to be Div I. The NCAA won't let you just have a basketball and football team. You have to have minor sports. It is the rule. There is no exception. We are currently at the minimum relative to men's sports. Drop baseball, we have to add something else. And the something else is not going to be any more attended than baseball. In fact it is going to be far less. Far less. If you look at the list of sports we don't have the only ones that seem even do-able for us are wrestling or swimming. We have had both in the past, and both died out here. Neither are going to draw any crowds or interest at all.
And the current travel team situation is unsustainable.
So we have to have a baseball field. Really that simple.
What you are seeing here is the payback to MH for shutting up when WV taxpayers were hit up for a 100% taxpayer paid, and certain to be 99% empty 99% of the time, WVU baseball stadium. It was an illegal deal, and it did not take a genius to understand that, and to understand that MH shut up about it because he was promised a qpq. This is it.
Now, personally, I don't know is another "lifestyle center" fake main street town will work. I don't think it will, but would be glad to proven wrong. I am more certain that a minor league team won't work here (and the new one in the 'hole will die out in a few years) but once the field is built, who cares?
Real Sam...you believe a "minor league team" will fail in Huntington. PLEASE come to North Carolina and go to SMALL towns like Zebulon's Five County Stadium (Carolina Mudcats), Kannapolis (Intimidators), Hickory (Crawdads).
Sam...minor league baseball will WORK in the Tri State (WV).
HerdZilla22 (Sweeney) in Charlotte
Sam...minor league baseball will WORK in the Tri State (WV).
HerdZilla22 (Sweeney) in Charlotte
in that land........what would you build?? Me I would build a Marriott attached with a conference/convention, more off campus housing, a baseball stadium and an outdoor track and field facility and the electrical ability to add lights to the softball stadium
HUNTINGTON TO RECEIVE EPA GRANT TO CLEAN UP BROWNFIELDS PROPERTIES, LAUNCH
http://www.cityofhuntington.com/news/press-releases
This post was edited on 3/10 11:17 AM by ShawHerd
http://www.cityofhuntington.com/news/press-release
http://www.cityofhuntington.com/news/press-releases
This post was edited on 3/10 11:17 AM by ShawHerd
http://www.cityofhuntington.com/news/press-release
This is pretty awesome! It would be nice to have one location for home games instead of three - especially having conference games local. I also like that this isn't just about a stadium, but creating more jobs through expanded businesses.
As for possibly having a minor league team in Huntington; if they're affiliated with either the Pirates or Reds (although I would prefer ChiSox), attendance would probably be killer. Huntington is right in the intersection of those two fan bases, and both WV and KY are really aching for local professional sports.
As for possibly having a minor league team in Huntington; if they're affiliated with either the Pirates or Reds (although I would prefer ChiSox), attendance would probably be killer. Huntington is right in the intersection of those two fan bases, and both WV and KY are really aching for local professional sports.
~
CarolinaHerdzilla.....this is what I stated (just as a reminder).
"Baseball field is a waste of taxpayers's money. There won't be 500 people show up on average "per" game.....mark it down".
I did not say I am against the baseball stadium.
Now on the subject of the entire former ACF property......absolutely MU needs ALL of that property for future growth.
IMO these are the most urgent needs:
1. Large parking garage situated next to 3rd. avenue with overhead moving walkway like large airports have with the option to enter The Joan or to simply get across the street to access the main campus. Parking capacity "must" be a minimum of 1500-2000 vehicles.
2. Hotel with a minimum of 300 rooms (off of 3rd. avenue) but with the same access to the parking garage, overhead walkway, etc.
3. Of course retail space (not just some specialty type store) & additional restaurants (not just inside the hotel).
4. Baseball stadium (only if it is a requirement to comply with NCAA guidelines).
5. Leave enough undeveloped land for a soon-to-be replacement for The Cam (also connected to the parking garage
6. Educational buildings for future veterinary, dental, & law schools.
~
CarolinaHerdzilla.....this is what I stated (just as a reminder).
"Baseball field is a waste of taxpayers's money. There won't be 500 people show up on average "per" game.....mark it down".
I did not say I am against the baseball stadium.
Now on the subject of the entire former ACF property......absolutely MU needs ALL of that property for future growth.
IMO these are the most urgent needs:
1. Large parking garage situated next to 3rd. avenue with overhead moving walkway like large airports have with the option to enter The Joan or to simply get across the street to access the main campus. Parking capacity "must" be a minimum of 1500-2000 vehicles.
2. Hotel with a minimum of 300 rooms (off of 3rd. avenue) but with the same access to the parking garage, overhead walkway, etc.
3. Of course retail space (not just some specialty type store) & additional restaurants (not just inside the hotel).
4. Baseball stadium (only if it is a requirement to comply with NCAA guidelines).
5. Leave enough undeveloped land for a soon-to-be replacement for The Cam (also connected to the parking garage
6. Educational buildings for future veterinary, dental, & law schools.
~
Hopefully all this will come to fruition. I think a nice 3K seat stadium would be a huge asset to the city and enhance the quality of living. The Huntington Cubs failed because of bad management practices, NOT because of support issues.
Not to mention the coeds sunning in the stands on a warm late April or May day!
Not to mention the coeds sunning in the stands on a warm late April or May day!
As to a minor league team, there are about 15 men around the area that would love to play baseball owner. If only MU (or the city or the state or Jim Justice) would just build them a baseball park and rent it to them for $1/season. That is not going to happen.
The deal in Huntington is Marshall University. MU sucks up 100% of the available live gate sports money in this market. And that is great. I do not get the analogy to Kannapolis (suburban Charlotte), Zebulon (suburban Raleigh) or Hickory (way up in the monuntains with nothing else to do.) A better reference would be to places with a major college and a low minor baseball team. There are some (Lexington, Knoxville, South Bend, etc) but I still question if there is enough live gate money around after all the various Herds get their fill.
Charleston, with nothing else for common folk to do is a different situation, and even with that team is struggling, and will probably die out when the current city hall gang is gone over there.
Only one level is, IMHO, realistic. (I don't consider "independent" leagues to be worth mentioning). Rookie league (Princeton, Bluefield, Morganhole) which only plays from late June through August. That eliminates conflict with MU baseball and frees up student parking for its use. This is what the H-Cubs were. It would be OK, but its not a major deal. A full-season (April - Labor Day) league just will not work in Huntington. That is 72 home games per year, and would require scheduling around the Herd for the first third of the season (more than that if we anticipate improving the program to the playoff making level. 72 more live gate sports events, plus 12 to 15 more MU baseball conf. games, plus the MU non-conf. schedule being more accessable and realistic, is more live gate than this market can handle.
As to the lot, I would think the best use would be a hotel/conference center with a close relationship with the university, a baseball park, some light student and game going retail (bars, restaurants, 18 to 25 oriented shops, etc). The hotel/conference center should have a major conference going on across all the state's professions and all of MU's research fields all the time. Bank the rest for future growth, after building at least one new parking building.
As to a vet school, not happening. WVU cannot even support one. WV gets accomodated out-of-state in return for slots at some of our programs (HELP, forensic science, etc). Law school, if we ever get one, will be in South Charleston, and should be.
The deal in Huntington is Marshall University. MU sucks up 100% of the available live gate sports money in this market. And that is great. I do not get the analogy to Kannapolis (suburban Charlotte), Zebulon (suburban Raleigh) or Hickory (way up in the monuntains with nothing else to do.) A better reference would be to places with a major college and a low minor baseball team. There are some (Lexington, Knoxville, South Bend, etc) but I still question if there is enough live gate money around after all the various Herds get their fill.
Charleston, with nothing else for common folk to do is a different situation, and even with that team is struggling, and will probably die out when the current city hall gang is gone over there.
Only one level is, IMHO, realistic. (I don't consider "independent" leagues to be worth mentioning). Rookie league (Princeton, Bluefield, Morganhole) which only plays from late June through August. That eliminates conflict with MU baseball and frees up student parking for its use. This is what the H-Cubs were. It would be OK, but its not a major deal. A full-season (April - Labor Day) league just will not work in Huntington. That is 72 home games per year, and would require scheduling around the Herd for the first third of the season (more than that if we anticipate improving the program to the playoff making level. 72 more live gate sports events, plus 12 to 15 more MU baseball conf. games, plus the MU non-conf. schedule being more accessable and realistic, is more live gate than this market can handle.
As to the lot, I would think the best use would be a hotel/conference center with a close relationship with the university, a baseball park, some light student and game going retail (bars, restaurants, 18 to 25 oriented shops, etc). The hotel/conference center should have a major conference going on across all the state's professions and all of MU's research fields all the time. Bank the rest for future growth, after building at least one new parking building.
As to a vet school, not happening. WVU cannot even support one. WV gets accomodated out-of-state in return for slots at some of our programs (HELP, forensic science, etc). Law school, if we ever get one, will be in South Charleston, and should be.
Rifle is correct again on this thread.
(And the WV Power are not going anywhere, for a long time.)
(And the WV Power are not going anywhere, for a long time.)
I think they should shoot for either carolina league or Midwest League, or even AA Southern league (shoot for the high end) for Huntington. No way Charleston would allow a Huntington team in the SAL, but Huntington should try to go higher than West Virginia Power or a Short League dinker like Morgantown has.
The Long Island Ducks are a very successful Indy league team that features former MLB players and doesn't have the constant turnover like the SAL league does
Also Florence Freedom seem to be doing well in Independent league. But must have a strong sponser,,,Fifth Third????
Florence Freedom has UC Medicine.
I have been to games there and it is family friendly and does sell beer and is a very good venue with all turf field. This stadium is 12 miles from the Reds stadium.
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x8841c705982c4343:0xfec451f35cfcd481!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4shttp://www.panoramio.com/photo/56462849!5sflorence+freedom+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ei=ooP_VPbfK4mLNuuCgNgO&ved=0CH0QoiowDQ
http://www.florencefreedom.com/
This post was edited on 3/10 8:02 PM by kyherd
freedom
Florence Freedom has UC Medicine.
I have been to games there and it is family friendly and does sell beer and is a very good venue with all turf field. This stadium is 12 miles from the Reds stadium.
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x8841c705982c4343:0xfec451f35cfcd481!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4shttp://www.panoramio.com/photo/56462849!5sflorence+freedom+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ei=ooP_VPbfK4mLNuuCgNgO&ved=0CH0QoiowDQ
http://www.florencefreedom.com/
This post was edited on 3/10 8:02 PM by kyherd
freedom
Hopefully in the not too, too distant future this land will be redeveloped as planned and Marshall will be allocated some of it for future athletic/academic facilities necessary for growth. However, unlike some on here MU's more pressing needs are not necessarily for more professional programs, as suggested. Bluntly some of these are just not in the cards, or economically feasible. If any professional program at MU should be expanded, it is medicine, as our Med School enrollment is really rather small. Right now, MU needs to strength, improve and INCREASE its undergraduate offerings, particularly in those areas that are, and will be, in high demand for the foreseeable future. Areas of computer science, some business degrees/offerings, and engineering and science fields. The opening of the new engineering building this coming fall will certainly be a asset in the latter field. When you look at some of the schools who are at were we want to be enrollment wise (around 20,000), and who have stellar academic reputations, such as James Madison and Miami (Ohio), they offer a heck of a lot more bachelor degree fields that MU. New, modern academic and residential facilities along with increased numbers of academic degree programs at the bachelor and masters levels are a must for Marshall to really grow.
Check out this stadium. It will be home to a coastal plain league team. The teams are comprised of college players(upper class men) who are trying to get notice by pro scouts.
This might be a good design for a field. It can also be used for high school playoff games, rec league, etc. Near where I live. It will also have soccer fields and other rec areas.
http://www.hollyspringsnc.us/index.aspx?NID=607
This post was edited on 3/10 10:44 PM by i am herdman
baseball park
This might be a good design for a field. It can also be used for high school playoff games, rec league, etc. Near where I live. It will also have soccer fields and other rec areas.
http://www.hollyspringsnc.us/index.aspx?NID=607
This post was edited on 3/10 10:44 PM by i am herdman
baseball park
Here is the team info. Something like this could be mixed use by MU and a minor league team and the community.
Salamanders baseball
Salamanders baseball
Similar stadium located in Rutherford, NC, about 15 minutes west of Shelby. Owner of the NFL Texans is a native and built a baseball complex for a Coastal Plains team.
South Atlantic Conf plays their baseball championship here.
THIS WOULD WORK IN HUNTINGTON.
HerdZilla22 in Charlotte
South Atlantic Conf plays their baseball championship here.
THIS WOULD WORK IN HUNTINGTON.
HerdZilla22 in Charlotte
Been there and have done this... I dont think we as a University and as a Community have the necessary chops to pull off a deal like this... Too many of the old guard around that will want a piece of the pie...
Several people mentioned a hotel in the complex. Someone get with one of the large hotel corporations and work on a Hotel/Hospitality management degree program to include an on campus full service hotel for some potential teaching opportunities.
I said they should do this for several programs..petroleum engineering as another program.
Get JJ to build a sweet looking hotel and casino along the river.
$200K to evaluate the clean up and efforts to build and acquire the land.
Over/Under Carl Ichan looses his mind and complains at least 5 times in 10 minutes about having been offered to sell the ACF property.
Get JJ to build a sweet looking hotel and casino along the river.
$200K to evaluate the clean up and efforts to build and acquire the land.
Over/Under Carl Ichan looses his mind and complains at least 5 times in 10 minutes about having been offered to sell the ACF property.
