Bloomberg says Camden Yards was a stupid idea

[mojmann]

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/blog/morning-edition/2013/11/bloomberg-report-makes-camden-yards.html?ana=e_bal_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2013-11-26

A ridiculous analysis. It's also interesting that they make Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed seem heroic for not supporting the Braves -- even though he just gave the Falcons a $1 billion stadium deal for 8 games a year.

[centralpaosfan]

I'm not saying Camden Yards should take all the credit, but maybe Bloomberg should do his research and realize what the Inner Harbor area once was and what it is now.

[Tony-OH]

"Without doing much research (or any, really), I think it's fair to say that many neighborhoods in many cities have seen businesses close and unemployment rates rise since 1998. But economic recession seems to be a likelier culprit than baseball stadiums."

I agree with this. The nation and the city's economy has a lot more to do with this than a baseball stadium. Not to mention Baltimore's ridiculous tax rates on businesses and their employees within the city has drive a lot of companies out of the city. Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium has revitalized that area and I would argue helped revitalized Federal Hill and possible Fells Point ares as well.

Did it create jobs outside of the bar and restaurants scene, probably not. But that has more to do with city politics than any failure of Camden Yards.

Saying that, I don't doubt for a second it made the owners rich. MASN does that as well.

[mojmann]

Now the publicly funded hotel NEXT to Camden Yards -- that was a stupid idea.

[Can_of_corn]

While I am very much opposed to publicly funded stadiums I am unsure why OPACY would be used as the epitome of a bad deal for municipalities. Last I checked the residents of Miami are on the hook for a BILLION that was spent to finance an already empty stadium housing a bargain bin team.

At least Baltimore ended up with an aesthetically pleasing stadium that is well regarded both in the city and abroad.

[paulcoates]

Bloomberg.

Enough said

[ShaneDawg85]

You won't get any disagreement from me that publicly financed stadiums aren't always a good deal for citizens, in fact many of them have been bad ones. However, Camden Yards is a different beast. It was built with a vision of having it lasting, and of being a long standing image of what a baseball stadium should be, not just in the 1990's, or the 2000's, but in 2030, and 2050, and so on. This is a stadium that is going to be the closest thing to the old Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field of the modern era. Generations to come will come to this ballpark, and that counts for a heck of a lot.

[Number5]

You won't get any disagreement from me that publicly financed stadiums aren't always a good deal for citizens, in fact many of them have been bad ones. However, Camden Yards is a different beast. It was built with a vision of having it lasting, and of being a long standing image of what a baseball stadium should be, not just in the 1990's, or the 2000's, but in 2030, and 2050, and so on. This is a stadium that is going to be the closest thing to the old Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field of the modern era. Generations to come will come to this ballpark, and that counts for a heck of a lot.

[video=youtube;NZ1dZhh0_RQ]

[ShaneDawg85]

One more thing, I challenge anyone who involved with that article to look at pictures of Memorial Stadium in its last years, and to see the area around where it used to be now, and tell me that staying there would have been a better choice. Romanticizing aside, the stadium had run its course, it was never an easy area to get out of unless you lived in the area, and its had some rough times over the years. It was time to go, and Camden Yards was it.

[Can_of_corn]

One more thing, I challenge anyone who involved with that article to look at pictures of Memorial Stadium in its last years, and to see the area around where it used to be now, and tell me that staying there would have been a better choice. Romanticizing aside, the stadium had run its course, it was never an easy area to get out of unless you lived in the area, and its had some rough times over the years. It was time to go, and Camden Yards was it.

That is irrelevant.

Ownership profits disproportionally from a new stadium and they should foot most, if not all, of the bill.

[atomic]

I'm not saying Camden Yards should take all the credit, but maybe Bloomberg should do his research and realize what the Inner Harbor area once was and what it is now.

Inner Harbor area was what it is now before Camden Yards ever existed. Camden Yards is a nice stadium but other than the bars like pickles and parking garages I don't know how much it really helped the downtown area. I mean we lost HammerJacks.

[ShaneDawg85]

That is irrelevant.

Ownership profits disproportionally from a new stadium and they should foot most, if not all, of the bill.

I don't disagree. My comment is directed at the writers, which based on their assertion that Camden Yards was a stupid idea, would seem to suggest staying at Memorial Stadium, which was simply no longer a viable or attractive venue when the decision was made.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't disagree. My comment is directed at the writers, which based on their assertion that Camden Yards was a stupid idea, would seem to suggest staying at Memorial Stadium, which was simply no longer a viable or attractive venue when the decision was made.

No argument here, the only way you could view OPACY the "worst" is that it was a model for how ownership could force municipalities to foot the bill for stadiums.

That would be a valid argument.

[atomic]

One more thing, I challenge anyone who involved with that article to look at pictures of Memorial Stadium in its last years, and to see the area around where it used to be now, and tell me that staying there would have been a better choice. Romanticizing aside, the stadium had run its course, it was never an easy area to get out of unless you lived in the area, and its had some rough times over the years. It was time to go, and Camden Yards was it.

That is true about Memorial Stadium and I think the Orioles might help the city with all the games they play and the taxes the city can charge. But I have a hard time that the Ravens stadium is nothing but a huge loss for the city. The state could have spend the money trying to make the BMA and the Zoo into world class attractions and that probably would have drawn more people into visiting. Paris has more visitors than anyplace and people aren't going their for the sports.

[Can_of_corn]

That is true about Memorial Stadium and I think the Orioles might help the city with all the games they play and the taxes the city can charge. But I have a hard time that the Ravens stadium is nothing but a huge loss for the city. The state could have spend the money trying to make the BMA and the Zoo into world class attractions and that probably would have drawn more people into visiting. Paris has more visitors than anyplace and people aren't going their for the sports.

Actually Bangkok does.

Guess Baltimore needs more ladyboys.