City struck out on chance to revitalize Downtown
By Joel Roffers
Albuquerque resident on Thu, Apr 18, 2013
I read with interest and bittersweet memories the Journal’s three-part story on Isotopes Park and its 10-year anniversary. Sitting at a Lobos game in Isotopes Park sipping on a beer — proving the world won’t come to an end with alcohol sales at Lobos games just like it hasn’t in the Isotopes 10 years, but that’s another story — made me think if only wiser heads had prevailed.
First and foremost, thankfully the city built this gem of a ballpark that’s had 10 years of solid success. But, I also thought how nice it would have been if this was the Lobos ballpark and if Albuquerque had done the sensible thing building Isotopes Park Downtown with its many benefits including revitalizing a stale and decrepit Downtown in desperate need of revitalization, renewal, and a vibrancy that would have brought scores of people to Downtown not only for baseball games but to the old and new shops, restaurants, sports bars, hotels or any of the other city development that did not occur. The University of New Mexico also missed out on having the nation’s most unique triangle of college sports facilities with all three across the street from each other, but instead the city and state are left with two multimillion dollar ballparks sitting on UNM property without any needed Downtown Albuquerque development. How wise was that?
I’ve lived in some great cities including Kansas City, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Denver, Houston and now Albuquerque. And those other cities built sports venues downtown to rejuvenate their inner cities and with great success. When my wife and I lived in Denver back in the 1980s, you didn’t go downtown unless you were in a large posse or you were armed. I’m being facetious. But Denver built Coors Field for the Major League Colorado Rockies and then the Pepsi Center, which houses the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, which led to the massive rebuild of 16th Street into the now famous and hugely popular 16th Street Mall, making it the happening place in Denver (i.e. downtown).
In city after city nationwide and around the world cities have vastly improved their blighted downtowns by building sports-related facilities especially in areas which had been abandoned and become eyesores of old and dilapidated buildings that are found in most inner cities, even Albuquerque.
Others said parking would be an issue in Downtown Albuquerque, yet most Isotopes games are after 5 p.m. or on weekends and holidays when city meters don’t require money, and there are many large parking lots and garages. And what started as free parking for Isotopes games and other sports events in the UNM area has ceased.
Also, Downtown Albuquerque has sadly become a “20-something-only” place after dark that requires a big posse or a loaded gun (just kidding again). Mayor Richard Berry and Police Chief Ray Schultz have tried to make Downtown a more family friendly oriented atmosphere at night instead of the very young people big party it’s become. I applaud their efforts. But just think what an Isotopes Park along with all the other wonderful inner city development would have created Downtown.
Now, there’s been talk of building a Downtown arena and convention center, which no longer makes economic sense because we have a convention center that isn’t paid for and the convention business is drying up with modern technology and weak economies. Thus, Albuquerque should stop wasting money studying such a notion. Besides, this is a two-sport city — i.e. triple “A” baseball and UNM hoops). Hopefully, Bob Davie can turn around Lobo football. But, the city already has a renovated Pit, University Stadium, two ballparks — Isotopes and Lobos — the Pavilion, Tingley Coliseum, a fairgrounds racetrack, several casinos with entertainment venues and a nearly new arena in Rio Rancho. Hence, the city had its best chance to do something great Downtown and unfortunately it struck out.
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2013/...-downtown.html