N/S - What Does a Stadium Cost These Days? (1 Viewer)

[jimrip]

The 43 year old Superdome is already much much much much much more gorgeous looking than the not-even-opened-yet Indianapolis eyesore.

 

[jerryrip]

I'd like to know why, if the Superdome is so great, do we keep having these countless new threads about a new stadium? i say it's because there's a real need for a new one, and any future owner of the Saints will want one. It's just good business sense. As far as taxpayers go, why do you people keep railing on a tax hike? You'll never ever even see the increase. It'll be the state that pays for a chunk of it, and the rest will come from the NFL, the Saints, and the Sugar Bowl, as a previous poster mentioned. What is the big deal? Is it just the "principle of the thing"? If that's the main reason, then put a sock in it. Geez.

 

[MLU]

I say it's because people will believe anything they're told. No owner is against anything that will make them more money, just like you look after your own interests..

 

['79 Saints]

The new stadium issue keeps coming up because the NFL pushes the issue when awarding Super Bowls.

The Superdome was built in an era when multipupose facilities were in vogue. What you see now are pushes for "football only" or "baseball only" facilities.

In addition, some new stadiums have resturants, mini-malls, etc. within them... Likewise, wherever a new stadium is built the city/state invests in capital improvements in the surrounding area making it all appealing for visitors.

When the Superdome was built and opened in 1975, it too had an excessive price tag ($163 million in 1975 dollars... it was supposed to cost $46 million). The late Hap Glaudi called it a "White Elephant" arguing that it wound NEVER make enough money to pay for itself, let alone justify its contiuned existence. Tulane Stadium was good enough for football games, he argued. Just modernize it for the NFL.

Likewise, take a look at photos of Poydras Ave. c. 1965. It was a decayed mess of old buildings, rail tracks, a cemetary and so forth. The Downtown Development District was created to revitalize the area around the Superdome -and it worked.

And, as we have seen, Hap Glaudi was horribly wrong, thankfully.

Now, some 33 years later, we are hearing the same arguments made in defense of Tulane Stadium, now made in defense of the Superdome.

I'm not saying I'm for or against a new stadium -but there will be a day soon that the issue will have to be confronted and solved. Personally, I believe a new stadium will do all the things the Superdome did wherever it is built -and will more than pay for itself with the revenues it generates. Expansive parking for tailgating for example, would be a huge upgrade over what the Superdome has now. Larger concourses, sports bars, resturants and so on all would be welcome additions. You can see hits of the possibilities just in the New Orleans arena built next door.

And a retractable roof on those glorious mild winter days at the end of the season would make the Saints games even better, IMO.

And all these revenues would not have to be shared with the rest of the NFL... something that has been discussed here as to why the Saints have difficulty competing with the larger market franchises in the NFL.

It is possible to renovate the Superdome -complete with a retractable roof as well. That's why I'm not taking "sides" on the issue.

I'm just saying there is far more to the issue than Benson and some fans want a nice shiny new babble to show off to their peers...

 

[dd]

PSL's are where I, and many other working stiffs, who are the majority of the Saint season ticket holders, will draw the line. They will simply become unaffordable.