Dome stadium in Boston - anyone else heard of this?

[Fanfrom1960]

So have the Red Sox been looking to move out of Fenway?

Not during the current ownership regime. Instead they've been improving it, adding seats everywhere they can (above the Green Monster, etc.). Up to 37,446 people yesterday, used to be 34 thousand something. Funny, but I remember in the 90s there was talk that the foundation pillars for the park, sunk into the old Back Bay, were being eaten away and would not much longer support the place.

 

[Pats726]

I believe there was talk about Weston at one time near the 128/mass pike area, striking fear into the hearts of all westonians. The Boston Pols killed any chance of Boston Stadiums. Didn't want to spend the money on a nasty old football team.

NIMBY...even though it wasn't at all CLOSE to neighborhoods...in fact it was bordering on other communities and really would have had NO negative impact as far as cars went...
Even worse than the SOuth Boston situation where some how 10 football games in Southie would disrupt the community...while 82 baseball games was welcomed. (Antisemitisim rampant there...)

 

[TrueBeliever]

Some of this talk reminds me of some talk 8-9 years ago on the Patriots.com BB when Gillette was being planned. Apparently there was some real doubt if Foxboro was going to allow the plans to go through, because some residents there were tired of all the traffic, etc. on game days. I remember one guy saying, "How bad can the traffic be when we're talking about 10 days every year?!"

Wonder how much resistance there would have been if the new stadium proposal had come after SB 36?

 

[TrueBeliever]

Not during the current ownership regime. Instead they've been improving it, adding seats everywhere they can (above the Green Monster, etc.). Up to 37,446 people yesterday, used to be 34 thousand something. Funny, but I remember in the 90s there was talk that the foundation pillars for the park, sunk into the old Back Bay, were being eaten away and would not much longer support the place.

That's kinda what I was getting at. These days people talk about Fenway like it's the Lambeau Field of baseball, so I was surprised to read that the Sox ever looked at replacing it. At the same time, I'm sure just about any pro sports owner would take a new stadium if the price was right.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Fenwy is/was getting old 40 years a go. No matter how much make up you put on an old dowager, she is still an old bag of bones...

Fenway wil have to be repalced within a decade. Even Hallowed Yankee stadium fell to the wrecking ball and it was a decade younger.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Fenwy is/was getting old 40 years a go. No matter how much make up you put on an old dowager, she is still an old bag of bones...

Fenway wil have to be repalced within a decade. Even Hallowed Yankee stadium fell to the wrecking ball and it was a decade younger.

What, America's most beloved ballpark?

The place still has a better "feel" to it when you're there than any other. I would beg to differ and say it's good for at least 20 more years. Would you be knocking down Wrigley Field too?

 

[Jimke]

Jacobs would rather sell beer and roadkill hotdogs then share a stadium see Page 1

Tom Yawkey was not willing to share Fenway with the Braves until

the Braves had committed to moving to Milwaukee. The Braves had a

crap hole of a ballpark on Commonwealth Avenue near the train

tracks. When the coal fired train passed by, the coal smoke would

drift across the field.

 

[Pats726]

Tom Yawkey was not willing to share Fenway with the Braves until

the Braves had committed to moving to Milwaukee. The Braves had a

crap hole of a ballpark on Commonwealth Avenue near the train

tracks. When the coal fired train passed by, the coal smoke would

drift across the field.

There were p[lans in th elate 40s to build an upper deck on Fenway and have the park be both the home to the Braves and the Sox...Yawkey didn't want that at all...ruled the team like a plantation and so the Braves moved. Mt father told me a LOT about the differences between the Braves and Sox..

 

[tanked_as_usual]

What, America's most beloved ballpark?

The place still has a better "feel" to it when you're there than any other. I would beg to differ and say it's good for at least 20 more years. Would you be knocking down Wrigley Field too?

heh.......fenway is a total dump next to progressive field(indians, camden yards (orioles), att partk(giants), petco (padres), safeco (mariners).....basically every ballpark that I''ve been to is miles ahead of fenway

 

[tanked_as_usual]

the megaplex died because of local politics.......

Gillette Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first major stadium proposal from another city came in September 1993. Lowell Weicker, the Governor of Connecticut, proposed to the Connecticut State Assembly that a new stadium should be built in Hartford to attract the Patriots to move there, stating that a stadium had "potentially great benefit" if it were built. The bill passed in the State Assembly on September 27, 1993.[14] In Massachusetts, there was a proposal to build a "Megaplex" in Boston, which would be the site of the stadium, baseball fields, and a much needed convention center. Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Boston mayor Tom Menino wanted this stadium in West Roxbury, but governor William Weld wanted it in South Boston. Neither of these neighborhoods wanted a stadium, thus Menino backed out fearing it would affect his chance at re-election.[15]

Kraft then began a plan to build a new stadium in South Boston. In that plan, Kraft was to pay for the stadium himself, hoping to win the support of Weld and Menino. He began to sketch designs, but the project was leaked to the press in December 1996. The residents of South Boston objected to a stadium being built there, causing Menino and Weld to become angry at Kraft. Kraft abandoned all plans for a Boston Stadium after the affair.[16] In January 1997, Kraft began talks with Providence mayor Vincent Cianci to relocate the team to Providence and build a new stadium there. The proposed 68,000 seat domed stadium would have cost $250 million, and would have been paid through income tax, public bonds, and a surcharge on tickets. However, citizens in the proposed neighborhood were highly opposed to the project, and the surrounding area would have needed massive infrastructure improvements. The proposal fell through after a few weeks.[17]

During a news conference in September 1998, the team revealed plans to build a new stadium in Foxboro, keeping the team in Massachusetts. It was to be funded by the state as well as Kraft himself. This plan brought more competition from Connecticut, as a $1 billion plan to renovate an area of Hartford, including building a stadium.[18] Kraft then signed an agreement to move the team to Hartford on November 18, 1998. The proposed stadium included 68,000 seats, 60 luxury boxes, and had a cost of $375 million.[19] The stadium, just like in Boston and Providence, was once again challenged by the residents of the proposed neighborhood. Problems with the site were discovered, and an agreement could not be reached regarding the details of the stadium. The entire plan eventually fell through, enraging then Connecticut governor John G. Rowland, who lobbied hard for the stadium and spent weeks deliberating with Robert Kraft.[20] In 1999, the team officially announced that it would remain in Foxboro, which led to Gillette Stadium's construction.[21]

 

[TrueBeliever]

There were p[lans in th elate 40s to build an upper deck on Fenway and have the park be both the home to the Braves and the Sox...Yawkey didn't want that at all...ruled the team like a plantation and so the Braves moved. Mt father told me a LOT about the differences between the Braves and Sox..

We're getting a bit off topic, but Boston's loss was Milwaukee's gain. Milwaukee loved the Braves, and they were almost as popular as the Packers in the state during their tenure here. My mom used to tell me how when she and my aunt were kids sometimes they'd get sent to their uncle's for a weekend so my grandparents could go to a Braves game (Milwaukee is 4+ hours from where I live, and probably more in those days).

Then they up and moved to Atlanta. The Brewers are popular here now (especially since they FINALLY made the playoffs last year) but I've heard a lot of people say they will never be as beloved as the Braves were.

 

[AzPatsFan]

What, America's most beloved ballpark?

The place still has a better "feel" to it when you're there than any other. I would beg to differ and say it's good for at least 20 more years. Would you be knocking down Wrigley Field too?

Wrigley not Fenway is the most historic and unique, but both will have to face the wrecking ball soon. America's most beloved ball park was ...(hate to say it)... Yankee Stadium

 

[Jackson 2]

Wrigley not Fenway is the most historic and unique, but both will have to face the wrecking ball soon. America's most beloved ball park was ...(hate to say it)... Yankee Stadium

Wrigley Field, as any honest person who has ever been there will attest, is a beer-soaked, smelly dump. The dirtiest venue I have ever been in, by far. It makes the old Garden look like a pristine palace.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Wrigley Field, as any honest person who has ever been there will attest, is a beer-soaked, smelly dump. The dirtiest venue I have ever been in, by far. It makes the old Garden look like a pristine palace.

I've watched ball games in both. Both have great sight-lines. Its older than Fenway, the Ivy is unique, Wrigley took as good a care of it, as Yawkey did.

But "smelly dump" that is an apt description for Fenway, too. Have you ever smelled the urine soaked aroma emanating from the "rest rooms" in hot August?

Fenway is also a standing reminder of the useless, perfidy of Boston Politicians. When construction started, there was an "understanding", payments having been made, that Landsdowne Street would be closed so a proper Left Field could be constructed. But the Pols didn't stay bought. When they reneged, ostensibly due to local opposition, but for more payoffs, and Landsdowne street was never closed, as promised.

The "Green Monstrosity" was erected half a decade later when it was realized that it never would be, and that Team-destroying Wall was there for a Century to assure that the Red Sox never had a balanced Team with some Left Handed pitching, and not a lot of right handed fly ball outs, masquerading as Fenway power hitters; but easy outs in the rest of the league Parks. Hence was born the "can't win on the road" syndrome that distorted Red Sox teams, constructed to win but only at warped Fenway, always bear.

Most fans don't even know the last twenty game winning Lefty to pitch for the Sox. That is the real "Curse of the Bambino".

 

[Pats726]

We're getting a bit off topic, but Boston's loss was Milwaukee's gain. Milwaukee loved the Braves, and they were almost as popular as the Packers in the state during their tenure here. My mom used to tell me how when she and my aunt were kids sometimes they'd get sent to their uncle's for a weekend so my grandparents could go to a Braves game (Milwaukee is 4+ hours from where I live, and probably more in those days).

Then they up and moved to Atlanta. The Brewers are popular here now (especially since they FINALLY made the playoffs last year) but I've heard a lot of people say they will never be as beloved as the Braves were.

I agree...THAT was so so true!! AND the Braves were quite popular here AFTER they left. I could follow them ONLY through the box scores and here and there on radio because No National league games were ever broadcast in Boston during the season. (I remember going in the summer to Maine and the big treat was seeing National league baseball) There was also the Jimmy Fund game..where the Braves returned to play the Sox...once a year in an exhibition game. Always great!!
And...by the way...the beloved Jimmy Fund was started by the Braves...not the Sox...as so many believe.
(And yes...I grew up not being a Sox fan for many reasons...)