The San Diego Union-Tribune is no longer owned by the crazy billionaire who thought newspapers should be stadium “cheerleaders,” so it’s free to run editorials now on “six pressing questions about a downtown Chargers stadium.” And those are:
How would it be financed? Would the plan be challenged in court? What does it mean for the mayor’s preferred contiguous convention center expansion? Who will support the Chargers’ ballot measure initiative? Who will oppose it? How many votes are needed to approve it, anyway: Two-thirds or a simple majority?
Those aren’t terrible questions, though a bunch of them come down to horse race coverage, focusing more on whether the plan is likely to pass than whether it’s a good idea. Really, the U-T should have added a couple more: Would it be a good deal for the city? and Does it make sense to evict active businesses and residents for a stadium that would be used 10 days a year (plus whenever a convention needed it for plenaries, which is never much)? That last is a big one, as should be clear from the latest renderings:
Here’s that same site on Google Maps, rotated 180 degrees:
Zooming in on the actual proposed stadium site to see details:
Okay, so it’s not the Cathedral of Chalesm, but it’s also not nothing: a whole bunch of stuff that contributes to the local economy, including a brewery housed in an 1894 factory building, plus an apartment complex that is universally derided by Yelp users as “gross.” (Somehow the presence of the Padres stadium two blocks away didn’t magically revitalize the area, apparently.) So factored into any stadium equation should be not just the cost of buying out all these properties — which could get pricey if it needs to be done fast so the Chargers can decide on whether they’re building there — but the cost of having to relocate everything that’s there now, presumably not including the bedbugs.
The Chargers ownership, meanwhile, is planning to partner with Cory Briggs, local attorney who sees an NFL stadium-convention center expansion combo as a way to avoid having the city spend money on a convention center expansion on the harborfront, and who has already planned a November referendum on the idea. There are way too many unknowns about this plan to fit into just six questions, in other words — maybe the Union-Tribune should consider printing its editorials in smaller type to make more room?
That parking lot west of all those buildings is known as the Tailgate Lot, which would mean the end of tailgating for Padres AND Chargers games. And I think it’s interesting/maddening/depressing to point out that all of this land is owned by JMI Equity aka John Moores aka former Padres owner John Moores.
…and the big vacant lot adjacent to the tailgating lot USED to be parking for the ballpark. It’s also owned by John Moores and is currently being developed as either condominiums. However, the story doesn’t end there. Popular belief is that direction on the project will change if the Chargers and JMI are successful on building a convadium. If they are, that development turns into a hotel which would then be positioned to monopolize all convention bookings on that side of harbor drive. Not popular with other hoteliers or, frankly, the convention center folks.
Moores also developed the OMNI hotel, which is physically connected to Petco Park via a skybridge.
But, really, they’re all doing this for the city of San Diego…
Is that a transit center, bus maintenance yard or some other transportation hub smack in the middle of the second photo? Anyone talking about where that goes?
Isn’t this going to be similar to the now since abdicated Farmers Field stadium project in Los Angeles? I can see the Gaslamp businesses loving this concept, while those who tailgate at Qualcomm Stadium will hate the idea of a downtown San Diego home for the Chargers.
JC: Why, yes it is, and apparently the answer to “Where does it go?” is “GAAAAAAAAAAAAH, I’M GOING BACK TO BED!!!”
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jan/13/chargers-stadium-downtown-bus-yard-relocate/
Allianz Arena put in a new light system so it can glow in all kinds of patterns:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8b/14/f9/8b14f9bb0028e09163de9adde49c6bed.jpg
Obviously, I posted to the wrong thread above. I blame going to optometrist earlier.
Must be all those stadiums shining in your eyes.
If it happens, the downtown businesses (and, very possibly, the Padres) aren’t going to like it at all while construction is underway. Parking, traffic, and access to nearby businesses will be a real mess for 2 years.
$130 Million? Just charge it to the Underhill’s room.
I’ll have a steak sandwich and a…steak sandwich.
The chargers didn’t like this idea initially because of the time it would take to move the bus depot.
I thought Cory Briggs was the guy who said he would sue if they tried to build the convention center along the waterfront anyway? If I’m not mistaken there is some city ordinance that prevents it (after the failed attempt to do this in the mid 2000’s… which I believe Cory Briggs sued successfully to stop).
I feel bad for the people across the street from that stadium…