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Post by The Green Gull on May 27, 2012 12:40:30 GMT -6
A very intriguing option for the Wisconsin State Fair Park would be to demolish the racing track at the Milwaukee Mile, and to use the existing grandstand to build a stadium specific for soccer and football. The two main tenants could potentially be an MLS team (season goes from March to October) and a NCAA Division 1 College football team (season goes from September to November). Annual events such as both the boys and girls WIAA State Soccer Championships, which are currently held at Uihlein Soccer Park, could be held at the State Fair Park Stadium. Also, regional WIAA state football playoff games could be played at the stadium too. Concerts could also be a major draw at the stadium as well. Exhibition soccer matches could be played at State Fair Park Stadium too. For example, both international and national youth soccer tournaments could be held at the stadium. Exhibition matches between U.S. select teams versus other national teams could also be featured at the stadium. What would the proposed soccer and football specific stadium would look like? The main grandstand would remain, while connecting the main grandstand with permanent bleacher seats from the south end zone to the east sidelines. The north end zone would have portable bleacher seats. A stadium I used as a template is Rio Tinto Stadium ( www.riotintostadium.com/index2.php) which is the home to Real Salt Lake of the MLS. The Before Picture: The After Picture:
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Post by The Green Gull on May 27, 2012 12:46:30 GMT -6
Model of the Proposed Soccer and Football Specific Stadium at the Wisconsin State Fair: Proposed Soccer and Football Specific Stadium at the Wisconsin State Fair • Main Grandstand (West Sidelines) o The main grandstand will remain intact where the field is located. o The red box denotes where the stadium will be removed o It might be possible to reuse the lower level of the grandstand (in the red box) for bleacher seating in the east side of the stadium • State Fair Tower (East Sidelines) o A 2 story press box, and luxury seating complex will be built over the bleachers in the east sideline o Luxery seating will include club seats and executive suites and it will be competitive with other MLS stadiums. • South Endzone o Permanent Bleachers o Locker rooms will be located in the South End zone underneath the bleachers • North Endzone o Tents for sponsors and club members o For concerts the stage will be located in the north endzone o For MLS games or sold out games the bleachers will be available o For high school or college football games, or for games which are not sold out, the portable bleachers will be removed, and there will be a VIP club (similar to the Panther Pit) in its place.
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Post by Pantherholic on May 27, 2012 14:15:25 GMT -6
More importantly, the MM could provide what we'd need for an Athletic Village for soccer, baseball and track & field. Ohio State's baseball field cost $4.7M and seats 4,450. I'm assuming we could cap ours at 2,000 or something around there. Build the soccer stadium for potential expansion for football in the future as well as concerts for State Fair (I'm thinking this would be mandatory if we're to get the land).
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Post by The Green Gull on May 27, 2012 19:56:35 GMT -6
Another interesting feature of the proposed soccer and football specific stadium at the Milwaukee Mile is an aesthetic awning over both the east and west sidelines. Modern soccer specific stadiums, such as The Home Depot Center (home of the LA Galaxy), PPL Park (home of the Philadelphia Union), and Rio Tinto Stadium, (home of Real Salt Lake), have aesthetically impressive awnings over both the east and west sidelines. The Home Depot Center: PPL Park: Rio Tinto Stadium:
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Post by illwauk on May 29, 2012 11:44:56 GMT -6
State Fair is hardly ideal, but if the MM can be converted that (relatively) inexpensively, then it makes no sense not to try it. Perhaps we could also sell this as a long-term home of the WIAA football (and soccer) championships. Those who bemoan the loss of Camp Randall's "tradition" might be interested to know that the MM's infield (or the Dairy Bowl, as it was known back then) is where the Packers played their Milwaukee games before County Stadium was built, and happened to be the site of the 1939 Championship Game where they captured their 5th NFL title. Besides, I feel like Championships should be contended for in packed houses full of loud, intense fans... not a crowd that's scattered across the lower half of a ridiculously oversized stadium.
Either way, your mock up looks pretty good! Although a true VIP section would have to be more than a set of moveable risers.
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Post by The Green Gull on May 29, 2012 15:10:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the feedback, I greatly appreciate it! I agree that there needs to be ample space for VIP areas. Located on the west sideline will be the current main grandstand, and located on the east sideline will be a two story luxury seating complex encompassing both club seats and luxury suites. It would be similar to Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT, home of Real Salt Lake of the MLS. Rio Tinto Stadium: The space located in the north end zone is similar to the north end zone at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX, home of FC Dallas of the MLS. For concerts, the north end zone section is utilized as a stage, and for soccer games it’s the location of Pizza Hut Park’s “Budweiser Beer Garden.” In the proposed State Fair Stadium, bleachers could also be located in the north end zone section depending on the demand. Pizza Hut Park Seating Chart: Pizza Hut Park During Soccer Games: Pizza Hut Park During Concerts: Another example of this working is at Vanderbilt stadium, home of the Vanderbilt Commodores. For football games Vanderbilt Stadium has tents in the north end zone, and for concerts a stage can be placed in the north end zone as well. Vanderbilt Stadium Football Setup: Vanderbilt Stadium Stage Setup:
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Post by yuhayden on May 30, 2012 6:05:39 GMT -6
Another intriguing option would be to start the first division 1 Indy Car Racing Team. The cost of the team would be offset by the fact that UWM would only need a few scholarship racers- as opposed to triple digit scholarships for football. Also, race car drivers don't eat as much as big lineman, I'm guessing, so the cost of training table would be significantly less. Plus, it could be co-ed, so no title IX issues. AND you could use the Race track "as is". Problem solved. You're welcome.
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Post by illwauk on May 30, 2012 10:34:46 GMT -6
^This... is a huge reason why our athletic department and university as a whole have the problems they do. No one can have so much as a simple conversation on a message board to discuss what everyone knows are hypothetical ideas without being mocked as grandiose and unrealistic.
If you have such a problem with discussing ideas, what the hell did you even go to college for?
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Post by The Green Gull on May 30, 2012 13:35:07 GMT -6
Another intriguing option would be to start the first division 1 Indy Car Racing Team. The cost of the team would be offset by the fact that UWM would only need a few scholarship racers- as opposed to triple digit scholarships for football. Also, race car drivers don't eat as much as big lineman, I'm guessing, so the cost of training table would be significantly less. Plus, it could be co-ed, so no title IX issues. AND you could use the Race track "as is". Problem solved. You're welcome. The Milwaukee Mile hasn’t been used enough to justify the amount of space it takes up for the amount of revenue it generates. In 2010, the Milwaukee Mile withdrew from hosting major racing after previous track promoters ran into financial problems and the Wisconsin State Fair Park board of directors could not find a suitable replacement. A new promoter was found to bring IndyCar back to Milwaukee last year, but the race drew one of the smallest crowds of the season. NASCAR dropped it from its Nationwide and Truck Series schedules at the end of the 2009 season and has not been back. In 2012, the Milwaukee Mile has only two major races, the ASA Midwest Tour on June 12th, and the Milwaukee Indy Fest on June 15th-16th. www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/138648869.html#!page=1&pageSize=10&sort=newestfirst www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/indycar/story/2012-01-13/Milwaukee-Mile-2012-race/52534488/1Other racetracks comparable to the Milwaukee Mile have also had significant financial difficulties as a result of not having enough races to schedule. For example, the Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, the Memphis Motorsports Park, and the Nashville Super Speedway have recently closed operations as a result of not having enough bookings to generate revenue in order to stay viable. • Gateway Raceway closed o www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2010-11-03-3337010238_x.htm• Memphis Motorsports Park is Closing; Officials Seeking Buyer o www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/oct/30/memphis-motorsports-park-closing/?partner=RSS• Another One Bites the Dust as Nashville Super Speedway Bids Farewell to NASCAR o www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/08/another_one_bites_the_dust_as.htmlBy converting the main grandstand, which was renovated in 2003 for $40 million, to a soccer and football specific stadium the facility will be used for more major events than literally a couple weekends a year. For example, the State Fair Stadium could potentially host 17 regular season home games for Major League Soccer, 7 regular season home games for NCAA Division 1 College football, numerous concerts during the spring, summer, and fall as well as the WIAA state soccer championships, and national and international youth soccer tournaments and U.S. select team exhibition games.
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Post by gman2 on May 30, 2012 13:44:58 GMT -6
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Post by The Green Gull on May 30, 2012 14:53:08 GMT -6
Great Find! It’s a really interesting plan, although it seems to require a very large investment. The plan states that, “This highly valuable site, which could contain over $1.2 billion in development value, has the potential to accommodate nearly eight million square feet of future improvements with inviting public open space that could bring life to the area year-round.”Furthermore, the plan states, “A central feature of this new vision is the opening – or daylighting – of Honey Creek, which is currently channeled underground. This site complements the uses and character of the State Fair area, while including major mixed use developments that are integrated with regional attractions. Easy freeway access and the existing activities of the State Fair grounds contribute to the redevelopment opportunities. The plan envisions development occurring over 20 to 30 years. The first phase would be the creation of two mixed use buildings and a public plaza along W. Greenfield Avenue, just south of the new riverwalk. Full build out of the proposed plan would provide nearly eight million square feet of development.”In my opinion, a renovation of the main grandstand into a soccer and football specific stadium can coincide with the city of West Allis’ plan to include mixed use development into the Milwaukee Mile site. The opening or daylighting of the Honey Creek would have to be scrapped though, because if opened, the Honey Creek would run right through the stadium. In 2003, the state of Wisconsin paid over $40 million to renovate the main grandstand at the Milwaukee Mile. To completely raze the entire Milwaukee Mile complex would be a travesty. A sports facility (i.e. a racing track) has been located on the grounds of the Milwaukee Mile since 1876. Also, this is where the Green Bay Packers used to play games in Milwaukee before Milwaukee County Stadium was built. The 1939 NFL Championship game between the New York Giants and the Packers was located at the current site of the Milwaukee Mile. I believe a compromise can be reached where a soccer and football specific stadium can coexist with the future plans of mixed use development at the Milwaukee Mile site.
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Post by PantherU on May 30, 2012 17:36:58 GMT -6
^This... is a huge reason why our athletic department and university as a whole have the problems they do. No one can have so much as a simple conversation on a message board to discuss what everyone knows are hypothetical ideas without being mocked as grandiose and unrealistic. If you have such a problem with discussing ideas, what the hell did you even go to college for? Well that guy like to act like a prick, so...
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Post by yuhayden on May 31, 2012 5:46:13 GMT -6
^This... is a huge reason why our athletic department and university as a whole have the problems they do. No one can have so much as a simple conversation on a message board to discuss what everyone knows are hypothetical ideas without being mocked as grandiose and unrealistic. If you have such a problem with discussing ideas, what the hell did you even go to college for? Well that guy like to act like a prick, so... +1
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Post by bulldogger on May 31, 2012 7:17:03 GMT -6
Just dont let Rob Jeter in as crew chief of Indy Racing Team because he will fire all of the crew members!
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Post by PantherU on May 31, 2012 8:15:56 GMT -6
Well that guy like to act like a prick, so... +1
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