The St. Louis Cardinals have finally announced the opening of the first phase of their long-delayed “ballpark village” (so long-delayed that I was calling it “long-delayed” six years ago) and it’s, okay, I don’t know what this actually is:
If you build it, they will come… The preliminary #BallparkVillage grand opening schedule: http://t.co/mhAjhzIcvj pic.twitter.com/zDTg3IGhq4
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 6, 2014
Potemkin village? Vegas baseball-themed shopping mall? Whatever it is, the Cardinals are getting $116 million in tax kickbacks to help build it. Also, Third Eye Blind will be at the grand opening, which just rockets it to the top of my list of grand openings to avoid at all costs.
This is the new subsidy direction baseball is taking now that most teams have con new billion dollar parks. In order to keep parks filled after boomers die off. Again on the tax payer backs. Keep eye on angels,Mets,and braves.
Were you about to ask who Third Eye Blind is?
ooh They have twitter hashtags already suggested for the BPV venues.
Although I’m thinking there’s a few ways to interpret #HowlatSTLBPV #EatTedDrewesatBPV
How about #MyF’inTaxesPaidForThisBoondoggle?
Guessing that one didn’t make the cut…
What? Another mall in downtown StL?
There’s already a mall at America’s Center, next to the Ed Jones Dome, AND there’s a big shopping strip inside their Union Station near the Scottrade Center.
Granted, I haven’t been down to StL in a few years, so the district around the Ed may be a desolate ghost town by now, but…
…How many do they need?
This development is, if true…unseemly, redundant, and unnecessary. Another downtown mall? Sheesh.
Hey, the “best fans in baseball, just ask them” fans need somewhere to shop.
Don’t you see the genius here?
Seats outside the ballpark across the street… so in 3 years, the Cardinals can demand that the city compensate them for lost revenue due to these illegal seats… that the Cardinals own, of course.
But when has that ever stopped a shakedown?