Washington Commanders buy land

Yeah, everyone wants to do what the Wilfs and other recent new stadiums have done: a retail/hotel/commercial area surrounding the stadium. Makes sense as you want that investment in the land to have returns year round. Smart for Washington to dome it. 

@"StickyBun" said: Yeah, everyone wants to do what the Wilfs and other recent new stadiums have done: a retail/hotel/commercial area surrounding the stadium. Makes sense as you want that investment in the land to have returns year round. Smart for Washington to dome it. 

It's of mutual benefit too. Vikings built the metrodome in a part of downtown nobody went to. The Twins and Vikings weren't there enough to draw people in. No people, no business. No business, no people. So when it was decided US Bank would go in the very same place, people were skeptical. The Wilfs were smart to build the stadium with a plan for the surrounding area. 

Sometimes it can happen organically. Coors Field in Denver almost single handedly turned a warehouse district into the hottest area of Denver. One of the things I love the most about Denver is that all of its event facilities are downtown, within walking distance. Mile High, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, the DCPA...hell even their amusement park is downtown.  Love that Minneapolis is following a similar strategy. 

I've always felt that if you build a strong downtown, the suburbs prosper. If you build a strong suburb...it's sort of disconnected from the rest. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Yeah, everyone wants to do what the Wilfs and other recent new stadiums have done: a retail/hotel/commercial area surrounding the stadium. Makes sense as you want that investment in the land to have returns year round. Smart for Washington to dome it. 

It's of mutual benefit too. Vikings built the metrodome in a part of downtown nobody went to. The Twins and Vikings weren't there enough to draw people in. No people, no business. No business, no people. So when it was decided US Bank would go in the very same place, people were skeptical. The Wilfs were smart to build the stadium with a plan for the surrounding area. 

Sometimes it can happen organically. Coors Field in Denver almost single handedly turned a warehouse district into the hottest area of Denver. One of the things I love the most about Denver is that all of its event facilities are downtown, within walking distance. Mile High, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, the DCPA...hell even their amusement park is downtown.  Love that Minneapolis is following a similar strategy. 

I've always felt that if you build a strong downtown, the suburbs prosper. If you build a strong suburb...it's sort of disconnected from the rest. 

Downtown East is where USB Stadium resides - right over the base footprint of Metrodome.

But it wasn't until Mpls changed their zoning laws, miles of asphalt parking lots were blown-up, the economy boomed and some old stubborn buildings were sold b4 that area developed into what it did - and still is growing. 

I would give the Wilfs little credit for that boom downtown - but they rather rode the coat-tails of what was happening organically. 

I was actually rooting for USB Stadium to go to the other side of MPLS - the west side by the Twins Stadium. There are a bunch of bars, restaurants and fun down there - it would have been even better imo in the long run. 

But they got their palace and the Vikings are staying so I guess thats what matters most. 

I do think what they did with the old Delta Airlines property in Eagan is most impressive. TCO is state of the art, has had to help with free agents and is really helping Eagan grow even quicker than it was. 

The Commodes new land looks interesting…!  ;) :p