Nixon to discuss Rams stadium situation

[Sum1]

What's the deal with the other side of the river? I'm not familiar with St. Louis so it seems strange to me that all of that river front property is undeveloped. Is that the county line or a nature preserve or something?

No idea...that's Illinois.

 

[badnews]

What's the deal with the other side of the river? I'm not familiar with St. Louis so it seems strange to me that all of that river front property is undeveloped. Is that the county line or a nature preserve or something?

The other side is East St Louis, Illinois.

 

[Rams and Gators]

Anyone have B/R? Just got a text saying that the Rams have set a Jan. 28th deadline for stadium lease.

Not going to happen but that would be interesting if somehow we perform a miracle and get to the Super Bowl.

 

[moklerman]

Not going to happen but that would be interesting if somehow we perform a miracle and get to the Super Bowl.

Well, with the February 5th deadline by the NFL for teams to notify the league of intention/desire to relocate, it's scary for St. Louis. I'm with everyone else and just want a resolution and would hate for anyone to go through what I went through but it just needs to be over.

 

[drasconis]

Most major stadium concerts are in outdoor stadiums already and are almost exclusively in the summer months.

Regardless of any new football stadium built the Edward Jones Dome will still be in operation as it is a part of the convention center and is used for many events that a lot of people don't realize.

The cleanup after events in outdoor facilities is typically less expensive.

Retractable roofs have certain weight and rigging limitations that most domed stadiums/arenas do not. There are ways around that but it isn't always a simple solution.


I am not going to say I am a structural engineer or a stadium expert by any means, but I work in live events, my company has been involved in most major events in St.Louis for the past 15+ years, and I also have a family member that has served as the Operations Director at numerous arenas, convention centers, etc. across the nation. Again, not an expert but I do have some insight on the matter.

Thanks for the feedback.

When I was thinking upkeep I was thinking of things like painting, lighting, fading of seats/signs. Did not think about the clean up.

 

[Sum1]

Chevy just announced they will buy the naming rights for the new St.Louis stadium.

It promises to have the best technology 'n stuff.

 

[drasconis]

The other side is East St Louis, Illinois.

Back when Illinois had money local teams would use it as a threat to MO. Illinois loved to try steal projects to try and revitalize East STL or build up the East side of the river (a few nice areas over there around East STL). In the current situation I doubt they are a player.

 

[V3]

What's the deal with the other side of the river? I'm not familiar with St. Louis so it seems strange to me that all of that river front property is undeveloped. Is that the county line or a nature preserve or something?

I'm pretty sure that side is lower and in a floodplain. Harder to develop. Could be wrong. I swear I heard that in a documentary once, though.

 

[mr.stlouis]

I wish they'd wait until after the season for this, actually.

 

[Dxmissile]

I made a topic about the secret meeting between Nixon and Slay but somehow it got locked. I stated then that I thought the meeting was about the Rams some thought it was about Ferguson even Though Slay has no control in the County that would be Charles Dooley.

 

[MerlinJones]

They need to design the parking lots specifically for tailgating. Have bathrooms out there, electrical outlets(might be able to set up a cost per kwh type thing if they're worried about costs), grassy areas for touch football, etc. Get creative to make going to a Rams game unique that even visitors envy.

That's a big reason I don't want it in the city. Put it in Fenton where there's TONS of room for those kinds of things.

I agree that bathrooms and electrical outlets and green spaces would be cool for the tailgating experience.

Unfortunately, a downside to having these amenities in the parking lots might be recurring squatters that would have to be cleared out during the week, at least if the stadium is downtown. Of course if the stadium were someplace like Fenton it would most likely be a different story.

 

[Dxmissile]

They need to design the parking lots specifically for tailgating. Have bathrooms out there, electrical outlets(might be able to set up a cost per kwh type thing if they're worried about costs), grassy areas for touch football, etc. Get creative to make going to a Rams game unique that even visitors envy.

That's a big reason I don't want it in the city. Put it in Fenton where there's TONS of room for those kinds of things.

What about all the traffic in and out of Fenton. That would be a nightmare. I agree that tailgating has to be a top priority for the new stadium

 

[moklerman]

Honestly, it seems to me that they've waited far too long to move on the issue and are possibly doing this to save face. Just can't believe they've basically had to be backed into a corner before doing something.

 

[Dxmissile]

What's the deal with the other side of the river? I'm not familiar with St. Louis so it seems strange to me that all of that river front property is undeveloped. Is that the county line or a nature preserve or something?

Technically it's Illinois. But I know the new work that's being done to the Arch includes a sky tran that connects both sides of the riverfront

 

[RamBill]

Missouri governor takes first step in stadium process for Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...or-jay-nixons-announcement-just-the-beginning

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- For those hoping that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's Wednesday morning conference call would provide clear, immediate answers on the future of the Rams in St. Louis, the outcome was probably a disappointment.

What Nixon offered, however, was something more along the lines of a first step toward finding a resolution to keep the Rams and the NFL in St. Louis. There were no artist renderings of billion dollar stadiums or addresses given for possible locations. Instead, Nixon announced that he has appointed Dave Peacock, the former president of Anheuser-Busch, and local attorney Bob Blitz to take the reins of a complicated task.

The job of Peacock and Blitz is to spend the next 60 days (plus time already spent) figuring out how best to deliver Nixon real, logical options for a new, NFL-worthy venue in the St. Louis region. What Nixon hopes to see by Jan. 28 -- the deadline for the Rams to convert their expiring lease on the Edward Jones Dome into a year-to-year proposition -- is a realistic option that will meld public funding, private investments (read: owner Stan Kroenke) and the NFL's stadium loan initiative into something that all parties can swallow.


The Rams have played at the building now known as the Edward Jones Dome since 1995.
"We want to move beyond theoretical into more specifics," Nixon said. "In order to do that, I determined that the best way to do that was to task out the two most qualified folks in the St. Louis region to get into those details, to see what the concrete options were. For me, other than the framework I talked about on the financing side, the need to have private investment, need to have a good economic generator out of there, my mind is open to whatever the best options are moving forward. I’m not blocking anything out."

During the nearly 25-minute conference call, Nixon offered few details, choosing to focus instead on the announcement that Peacock and Blitz were taking on these leadership roles and what he hopes they are able to find in their efforts. He offered resounding confidence in the ability of the two civic leaders to find the right solution and he repeatedly listed their credentials, including Peacock's long history working with the NFL on advertising and marketing campaigns in his former job.

Nixon also pointed to a trio of things that will be imperative to getting a deal done. The first is the Edward Jones Dome itself. While Nixon repeatedly mentioned that the debt for the Dome is "almost" paid, it's actually a little further off than he insinuated. It's about two-thirds of the way to being paid, but theoretically, by the time a new stadium would be finished, it could be much closer. The idea then being that those already established forms of payment for the Edward Jones Dome could then be rolled into a new facility without much of a difference.

It's also worth noting that Nixon made multiple reference to the need to "protect the taxpayers." In other words, another sweetheart deal in which there's no private financing from the owner is extremely unlikely. In addition to that, Nixon wants to have what he called "provable return" for the region other than just NFL game days.

Those are all factors that Peacock and Blitz will have to consider when they present their options to Nixon. And, in turn, those are things Nixon will have to consider when he's figuring out what will best meet the Rams' needs while also best serving the public.

"These two will bring a tight pencil to it," Nixon said. "I wouldn’t want to comment on potential options because this can get complicated. Let’s not kid ourselves. Especially if you are moving real estate around and using other economic development tools that already exist."

During the next 60 days, there figures to be plenty more to chew on as this situation develops. While there were no concrete stadium plans presented Wednesday, that day is approaching soon enough. The Rams have yet to see any concrete plans, but it's clear that once Nixon gets one, the Rams will follow soon after.

After a plan does materialize, the hardest work of all will begin, convincing all parties to go along with it.

In the meantime, Wednesday's announcement should at least slow down any thoughts of the Rams relocating after this season. That isn't to say they're staying or leaving in the long term, but NFL relocation guidelines stipulate that a team can't just up and move as long as there's a good-faith effort on the city's part to salvage a solution.

If nothing else, finally having someone in a position of power comment on the situation was a show of that good faith and a small, but important step toward keeping the Rams in St. Louis.

 

[MerlinJones]

Honestly, it seems to me that they've waited far too long to move on the issue and are possibly doing this to save face. Just can't believe they've basically had to be backed into a corner before doing something.

It sounds like people have been working on this "behind the scenes" for awhile.
I may be wrong, but I believe that Dave Peacock has been working on this since last year.

Today may have just been a public acknowledgement of the committee and the process going forward.
Or it may also just have been an attempt to save face if things don't end well in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Rams.
We may not win much, but at least it's interesting.

 

[Young Ram]

Shouldn't this thread get locked? If it doesn't then there is clearly favoritism on this subject. Sigh.

 

[RhodyRams]

Chevy just announced they will buy the naming rights for the new St.Louis stadium.

It promises to have the best technology 'n stuff.

is my sarcasm meter broken or am I missing something here LOL

and on that note, why doesnt AB step in and buy the naming rights to the stadium. They are located in STL anyway and are "proud sponsors of the NFL and The Super Bowl"

 

[V3]

What about all the traffic in and out of Fenton. That would be a nightmare. I agree that tailgating has to be a top priority for the new stadium

It'd probably be an issue but traffic is bad in the city too so I'm not sure on that part. If it'll fit in the city with plenty of room for the parking and tailgating, I'm fine with it but I don't want the parking to be all over the place like it is now and I dont want it to be scrunched up so people can't do their thing.

 

[V3]

I agree that bathrooms and electrical outlets and green spaces would be cool for the tailgating experience.

Unfortunately, a downside to having these amenities in the parking lots might be recurring squatters that would have to be cleared out during the week, at least if the stadium is downtown. Of course if the stadium were someplace like Fenton it would most likely be a different story.

I never even thought about that. Good point.