Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordo
Opportunity cost. The three fields that you mention are in relatively low-cost, low-demand areas compared to what we're talking about here. Even the most used NFL stadiums are empty and dead spots more than half of the days of the year (probably more). That's a vast, vast dead zone for the pedestrian environment. As far as concerts and other events, anything large enough to be in an NFL stadium is a regional event, IMO, so I don't have a problem with it being in another city close by - and besides, AT&T Park already handles dozens of concerts a year, so it would likely just be taking most things away from that park. I'd love to have an arena in SF, because that's a much smaller size, which allows for many more events per year.
It's also been made abundantly clear during these negotiations that the NFL and the Yorks are completely unwilling to negotiate on parking. The only allowance they would even consider was that the parking could be on multi-purpose fields, but the number of parking spaces and access for tailgaters is a make-it-or-break-it deal for a new NFL stadium (anywhere, according to the NFL).
Transit access isn't really an urban thing in the Bay Area as far as stadiums go. An NFL stadium at Hunter's Point would have worse transit access than the Santa Clara site (which is at an existing light rail stop in Santa Clara and a short walk from a Capitol Corridor stop as well). The Oakland Coliseum is right at a BART station, and the oft-mentioned idea for an NFL stadium for the Raiders in Dublin would also be right at a BART station. I'd be pretty pissed if we used some scare SF transit dollars to build rail transit to Hunter's Point for a few dozen days a year when it's already needed far more (on a daily basis) in several other corridors.
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The whole discussion is moot. Santa Clara is building a stadium. The voters have approved the plan, SC has moved their redevelopment dollars to ensure that the state can't take it, they have already started moving utilities in prep for construction to start, and to top it all off, the voters allowed the Raiders to play there as well if the 49ers have financing issues.
It is a done deal. My bother works for one of the construction companies that will build it... the 49ers are spending a lot of money getting ready for groundbreaking as we speak.
How much money are they spending on any plan in SF???