Even the "go-easy" types you refer to admit that the suburbs are a different animal... and that's the main reason the central cities fight to get baseball stadia sited in them.

If Tom Potter had a brain, he could at least set the groundwork to get Portland thinking.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockstar:
I was not talking about just growth rates. It is more the types of people moving to certain areas. Portland attracts the easy-going, we don't need anything else crowd. Other cities attract those looking for perhaps big league sports and othe big city bank for your buck items. Growth will happen everywhere along the southern boundary and the Carolinas as well. Look at your neighbors in PDX right now and that is the types moving there,.

Well that is a completely different argument than what you brought up elsewhere in this thread. I think it's a valid consideration... does the "Keep Portland Weird" crowd want to shut out MLB? I think some of them do.

At the same time, you answered your own question earlier when you brought up the fact that the character of a city changes as people migrate and the demographics shift.

Whether the old timers and granolas want to admit it or not, Portland is a big city. People are not moving to Portland to escape the big city and all of its amenities. If that's what they wanted, they would move to Eugene (rather than the Hawthorne District) or Boise (rather than Vancouver) or someplace smaller. My neighbors and coworkers who are transplants all want to live in a big city. They want a place with a mild climate. They want to ski, fish, hike, go to the beach, etc. And they want world class amenities (restaurants, plays, arts, entertainment - and yes, sports) that only a big city can provide.

I know plenty of people from my church who moved here from the Midwest or the Northeast and they love everything about this area except that, especially now that they are living here and raising families here, that they don't have some of the same entertainment options that they had back east. Like more big 4 sports. Like theme parks. Like more playhouses. Etc... and that's why there will continue to be more pressure (mostly from the outside in) to have these amenities in the area. Those people realize what they are missing when they move here.

I highly doubt that there are hordes of people moving to a city primarily based on the number of big 4 franchises. And if there are (by your theory), then Sacramento, Vegas, San Antonio, and others are at least equally hurt by that trend.

The "keep Portland weird" crowd? Most of those people are anti-establishment types... in other words, MLB/Red Sox fans.

Disagree!!! I believe your thinking on this is somewhat like others on this site and this is the fact you can't see outside of the box. I tried when I was in Portland, but at some point you realize the more things change the more they stay the same. It will be a shame in 5 years down the road the same few people will be posting with their "keep Portland weird", "small town mentality" and whatever else they have mentioned without any progress are real solid evidence that any of the other Big-4 will be coming. Enjoy!!!!!

Ummmm... well, OK. I guess we're down to arguing about hypotheticals anyway, so it's a moot discussion.

Enjoy Phoenix. There was a good article in today's WSJ about how the state wants to penalize TIF dollars for retail development (not sure if it applies to sports facilities as well). Apparently there is a huge development in North Phoenix (near Desert Ridge, I think) that has a massive public subsidy that many felt was unnecessary. Interesting topic, and relevant to some of the discussions we've had in here.

Very true! We just stayed for spring training at the JW Marriot just a few blocks away. what is happing there is the fact it sits on the border between Scottsdale and Phoenix so there are some sales tax issues. While Scottsdale has given the farm away out there for upscale shopping centers (very high income area), Phoenix wanted to help build something to rival to get some of the sales tax for their city. What those two cities are doing don't really apply in PDX due to no sales tax. But there are somewhat similarites: mainly revenue brought into a respected jursdiction that may indeed get some type of sports facility which for sure will have some public subsidy.

Desert Ridge is nice. We try to stay at that JW every summer when we can get a super cheap rate. Also, the nearby In-and-Out Burger gets my business most every day that I'm there.

Desert Ridge is very nice. Also, that part of Scottsdale and Phoenix has some very high incomes nearby. There is also the Kierland Commons which is a Bridgeport Village, but with lots of offices and condo's. It would of have been nice to all of the different types of retail centers as they do in Phoenix (Scottsdale, Tempe, East Mesa and Chandler) are all great niche areas. I think Phoenix and the entire metro area understand to the fullest what sports venues do for their area. Now, I believe, 2 more spring training facilites will be built. Another great sports venue is the Cardinals training camp 2 hours North in Flagstaff. I took the family there last year for a week and what a great thing to watch, not real hot weather, lots of mountains and trees and great college town atmosphere (alot like Bend, but with a nice size college).

Maury,
Look South? How is this thinking going for you? Any progress, any uplifting news, any news what so ever? Or did you mean look South to LA?

quote:

Originally posted by Rockstar:
Maury,
Look South? How is this thinking going for you? Any progress, any uplifting news, any news what so ever? Or did you mean look South to LA?

Looks like he answered your question over a year ago...

http://obc.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/635605187/m/20...061018483#9061018483

Apparently that desert heat is frying your brain.

Hum....Look South is the obvius direction Wolf is taking with the A's. Were the A's ever a real relocation prospect, no (the Bay Area vs. PDX). Look South came about because the Expos, Marlins and the Twins were never going to happen. Look South was the obvious and easiest answer at the time based on geography. I know Look South meant it was just a thought more than anything, but never was it going to come true. But, in terms of Look South for the dynamics on how a true entertainment area may proceed and look, then yes Look South maybe the option.