This is kind of off topic, but I was interested in what everyone else thought.
Well, after meeting with the NCAA, Mike Fahey pulled another different number out of the air and proposed a new stadium would cost the same amount as renovating Rosenblatt. Fifty-nine million is the number the Mayor came up with this time, and it magically matched the number of upgrading the historic south Omaha home of the college world series since it came to Omaha in 1950. Well you probably know where I stand on this issue. There has been a process throughout this whole ordeal. Build a walking bridge to Council Bluffs, look into a rail car system, build a downtown stadium. One of the major beneficiaries of Mike Fahey’s quests always seems to be his Alma Mater, Creighton. Remember when they said you won’t be paying for the Qwest Center? Well it’s eerily the same talk now. That 59 million will soon turn into 75 and then 100 million. Omaha is currently facing a 1.5 BILLION dollar upgrade to it’s sewer/water systems, which will be paid for by the taxpayers. Has anyone noticed the condition of our roads lately? And let’s not even mention the public school system! The state has said it’s forecast of tax revenue has gone down and programs need to get cut. This is not very fiscally responsible in my opinion. I am all for change, but at what expense? My children’s children will be paying off this debt. Like I previously stated, the Council Bluffs walking bridge was all part of the plan. There will be no parking woes, as everyone will park over in C.B. and spend their money at the Casinos, who will probably shuttle them over for free. Omaha has missed the BOAT (pun intended) on many things and I think this is just a ridiculous idea! I really hope the City Council does the right thing and shoots this down. Everyone is so worried about the CWS leaving, and yes it’s nice, but it’s only 14 days out of 365. We will be paying this off for the next 7,300 days for sure. I am just not happy about how the whole process was handled, clouded in secrecy, constantly changing numbers, and the “me and my guys just got paid $800,000 to come up with the course of action we already knew we were gonna take” attitude from the Mayor. He has constantly said it’s the NCAA issuing these requests and the NCAA has said it is not demanding anything from Omaha. Who do you believe? It will probably pass because people will not fight for what they want. I hope it doesn’t, but who knows?
Let me know what you think!
February 27th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I think Creighton should pay for this thing.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Amen Brother!!!! I will do my best to never spend a single dollar at the Creighton/UNO (quest) Center. I’m a huge fan of all forms of motorsports and there will never be another show at the Quest with those two piece of crap schools playing there all winter long! Can you imagine what it will be like traffic wise down there if there are two or possibly three events going on at the Quest and a Baseball game! I’m glad I don’t live in the city limits of Omaha, what a bunch of friggin idiots!
February 27th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Let’s not forget the families that depend on the money they get for parking every year, or renting out their house for 2 weeks. King Kong built a store on 13th probably for the business they will get 2 weeks out of the year. It’s just a shame that our “leaders” can spend our money like this in secrecy! I would understand if it was needed, but it’s not!
February 27th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Oh, and as far as traffic, like I said why do you think they built that walking bridge? I mean, who really wants to walk over to C.B.? Unless, of course, that’s where they car is that is going to take them home. It was all part of the plan.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Look, this stadium should be built. If we want to keep the CWS then it has to be built. I dont know if you guys really care about the CWS but I do and I’m smart enough to know that the NCAA wants a big brand new stadium and they want to turn it into a corporate event. I dont normally agree with some of the ways our money is spent (i.e. the walking bridge) but I still think this has to be done. BUT… why the hell would you put it on a Quest Center parking lot? Dizz is right. Imagaine if theres two things going on. THERE WILL BE NO WHERE TO PARK! Now dont get me wrong, I’d rather have the CWS just stay at Rosenblatt but it looks like the NCAA doesnt agree with me. Lets put it this way…I’d rather have a new stadium and the CWS in it than have Rosenblatt with no CWS and just the Royals as their only tenant!
February 28th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Heres an idea:
If theyre really going to build this thing why dont they put it near Mahoney inbetween Omaha and Lincoln. While theyre at it they can tear down Eppley and Lincoln Municipal and build one big regional airport. Then they can have all sorts of attractions and theme parks and other cool things! Our “leaders” could really have a great time spending our money!
February 28th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Pete do you have the money to pay for all of this? Nevermind the little problem of their being no hotels by the stadium out in the middle of nowhere. But hell build them too right?
I know of one private school in Omaha who has been bitching for a new baseball stadium for years and DOES have the money to pay for it. Let those A-holes pay for it.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
It’s downtown because someone has to fill up all of those hotel rooms! Look, in my opinion, keeping the CWS is not a make or break thing. Being fiscally responsible to the community that you serve is more important. Who cares if we have the CWS for 10 days if we are all broke from property and other taxes. You know how it is, once they get you used to paying for something, it never goes down, they just find new ways to spend your money. The whole process of paying his buddies to come up with what they wanted in the first place is what peeves me off. There are so many flip floppers on this issue now it is making me sick. Either you were for it or against it. Take a position and stick with it. The mayor can put whatever he wants on paper to “make” it appear a good deal. When it all comes down to it, it will cost much much more. If you are against this you should take a stand and call your elected officials and let them know that a vote for this will not get your vote!
And like I said as far as parking, why do you think that “bridge to nowhere” was built? To accomodate all of the foot traffice for a downtown stadium! And don’t get me started on MECA! They thought of taking legal action against the mayor when they found out he wanted to build on lots C and E until he told them he would put them in the loop! Now they are fully behind a downtown stadium because they will continue to profit off of that too!
February 28th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Its all politics. Pick a site. Build it. Pay for it with money other than the peoples. Be done with it.
It seems that easy but the mayor and MECA seem to make everything difficult!
February 28th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
How about we just let the Zoo use “The Blatt” as the new cat house, we will leave them in there for the CWS and the players will just have to deal with it! Talk about some exciting Baseball!
February 28th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Take it back to Roman Times…….I like that Idea!
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 am
I haven’t lived in Omaha for twenty some years and haven’t followed the whole ordeal all that closely, I do however try to get to a a few games up there every year and see nothing at all wrong with the facilities. I find it difficult to believe that the NCAA called the mayor and said either we have a new stadium for the CWS in downtown Omaha or we are gone. Maybe they did, who knows. What I can believe though is a mayor and some of his mega rich buddies hatching an idea like this for some hidden agenda of their own. (not that I am into cospiracy theories or anything, it just sounds like something a politician would do) I grew up in Omaha and would be thrilled to see a new stadium downtown along the same lines as what most MLB cities have done, but from what I have heard it’s just not feesable for Omaha now, so it should be back-burnered untill a workable financial and logistics plan can be put together.
The same thing is happening in Lincoln with the State Fair. Big money, out-state interests (the f$***ing, 2015 group) bought a couple of local politicians, teams with the University and decides to take the land the State Fair sits on. Projected costs to move reach into the hundreds of millions, no body knows where to move it or who’s going to foot the bill but hey the University needs that land, and will probably eventually get it. Goodbye State Fair. Is anyone seriously going to drive to North Platte from Omaha to spend a day at the Fair?
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I decided to check in, and what do you know…I disagree with all of you. Doesn’t really matter though. The Stadium will be built downtown and there is nothing any of you on here can do about it. Omaha wins! If you don’t like it, move.
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Don’t need to move, I don’t live there. But thanks for the suggestion. We will see who wins when the thousands of out of state fans find out what it’s going to be like trying to get to and from a game down there. The second year of the series in the new stadium will look like a glorified Royals games attendance wise. The NCAA will help lower that number because they changed the Schedule around.
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Nice to see you are still charming, Ed.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Nice to see you are still charming, Ed.
And still an idiot.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Well Ed is right, Omaha wins.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Pete and Ed are probably right, they’ll do what they want. I guess I still don’t understand the why. Last year all the schools at the CWS, the NCAA officials, ESPN and everyone else was highly complimentary of the facilities in Omaha. Now all of a sudden it blows. Don’t get it, but, what the hell do I know. Having the Omaha sky-line as a backdrop over the left field fence would be very cool.
I’m curious though Brad, (and bear in mind I’m not trying to pick a fight, just a topic of discussion) will you be as adamently against the University leaving the Devaney center and building a new arena in downtown Lincoln? Because the same issues will be raised, i.e. funding, infrastructure, need, etc.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:30 am
The only issue I have is the secrecy, the paying of his buddies on the CWS committee to pick lots C and E, and the ever changing prices of it. You know when it’s all said and done, we will be footing the bill. RD, 9 months out of the year are quite a bit different than 10 days out of the year. If the university will fund it and big donors will donate, I don’t have a problem with it. I will not have a problem with the downtown stadium if it is funded privately either. Maybe the mayor and his goons can chip in the …..what is it up to now?…..140 million. We already pay enough taxes in this state, we don’t need more.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:56 am
The City of lincoln and the University ripped out some 400 or so trees in anicely landscaped area on the fringes of the State Fair park to allow room for an expressway that will accomodate football traffic on Saturdays - on what seven or eight days out of the year? And our tax dollars ARE paying for that. Rosenblatt as far as I know is used more than ten days a year.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
The University, in conjucntion with the city of lincoln, tore out some 400 trees on a nicely landscaped area on the fringe of State Fair Park to allow for an expressway for football traffic, which would be on what, seven days out of the year? So I am not sure our ‘leaders’ calculate need so much as what they want when they hatch these projects. As far as I know Rosenblatt is used more than ten days a year.
I’m with you on the tax issue, and Fehey’s proposal of hotel room and car rental taxes paying the bill sounds like a fairy tale written by a well paid CPA.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
so I posted the same thing twice, what’s with the delay?
March 4th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
For the CWS it is used for 10 days. I say, if the royals and Creighton are going to use it, they must pay as well. As far as the expressway goes, let’s take 7 x’s 84,000 = 588,000. Now let’s be conservative and say 1/3 come from that direction or are going to use that ramp and that comes to 196,000. I say that is money well spent considering the logjams facing many motorists on game day.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I’ve come to Memorial Stadium countless times from Omaha - I’m guessing you have too- and, traffic wise, it’s not that big of a deal. Regardless of which way you come into town everyone’s going to the same place, and that’s where the logjams are, not on the interstate coming into town. Lincoln also ripped out the West O st. overpass, and is in the process of building a new one. That’s a helluva lot of public works costs for a comparatively small tax base to bear. And neither of those projects will be completed by the first home football game. (That’s my oppinion, it is claimed that they will both be done by then.) My point again is need. I don’t think it’s needed.
As far as the stadium in Omaha goes you’re absolutely right, the Royals and the Blue Jays should be bearing a significant portion of the costs of a new facility. I also agree that something of that importance should not have been arranged behind closed doors.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Yeah, you are right RD, but those projects will pay dividends for the entire year to it’s tax base, not just 10 days out of the year.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
The Royals haven’t agreed to play in the stadium have they? They want a smaller place to play and are thinking of building thier own ball park.
Creighton hasn’t agreed to anything yet either for that matter. I’m sure dictator Fahey will find some way to sweeten the pot for them, but there is a chance the stadium could sit empty except for when the CWS is in town.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:25 am
I certainly hope that isn’t the case Dizz, that would just be pathetic. Fahey’s Folly. Oh yeah, you’re right Brad, particularly the ‘O’ st. overpass, there’s no doubt it’s a major artery in the city. I basically get pissed at everything the Linoln city leaders do. A few years ago the city claimed it was to broke to run public school busses, but there is plenty of cash for all these new construction projects, makes you wonder. I work there, but don’t live there so I guess I shouldn’t let it bug me.