Where to build "Cowboys Park"

[psukhu]

http://www.dallascowboyspark.com/

[mikedsjr]

I put 'I don't live in Dallas County'. I think DTD is probably the favorite to Dallasites. I think people's view on the Stadium are dependant on where they live.

Even if someone lives in Dallas, the Irving location might be easier for them to get too. Its also a neutral location in the Metroplex.

I would certainly have to see the plans for both.

[evdallas]

why does it need to be a neutral location?

[dallastophoenix]

I agree... Why neutral? Beyond the obvious economic reasons that would benefit DT, the "Dallas" Cowboys' most neutral location for "Dallas" citizens would be DTDallas, right?

[evdallas]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[JBB]

He didn't say it had to be in a neutral location. I believe he was just pointing out that many people who don't live near DT Dallas would vote for Irving because that is a more neutral location. Please reread it again and see if maybe I'm the one that is missing something.

I don't live in Dallas county, but I would really like to see the stadium in DT. However, like many others around here, the cynic in me says that the LC site is a done deal. Why else would they go through the county?

[gc]

Well, just to look at the other side of the fence here. There may be several reasons for Jones to the county rather than the city.


Miller was anti AAC and has already been anti Jerryworld unless the city gets a cut of the dinero. The county does not share that attitude.
Maybe JerryJones thought the only way he could get it into Dallas proper was to go through the County.
The county is obviously more proactive. They have not been dragging their feet like the city has.
The city council has heartburn from the whole Vicotry debacle, the county does not
Perhaps the county could sell or market the idea better than the city could
???


Who the heck knows? Not me.

[evdallas]

I think they should be renamed the "Dallas County Cowboys" if they don't choose within the Dallas city limits.

[mikedsjr]

I don't want people to get me wrong by my statements. I prefer the DTD location. But trying to stay non-bias, is it possible that he is being quite on locations so to find out the direction of the Trinity River Project? Los Colinas already has the water thats needed for his site. Im sure he wants some sort of "natural" water feature.

[dallastophoenix]

I have to agree w/ GCarey. Many Dallas citizens feel burned over the Victory development (which has yet to be anything but the arena) and the Trinity project... By including the entire county, Jerry increases his chances to help fund a DT stadium... Which definitely makes me think now that his plans are for DT after all.

Also, I realize that Las Colinas is more neutral for the metro, but DT is the most neutral spot for Dallas County - the county that will be voting on this issue.

[Quiz03]

Don't forget the money. Dallas is capped out on Hotel and car rental taxes with the AAC, but Dallas County is an untapped(somewhat) bigger resource.

[bloodandpopcorn]

Great point Quiz03... I hadn't thought of that as a reason to go through the county, but it would make sense.

[dallastophoenix]

not sure if I should place this here - or if it's already been posted... very interesting from the publisher of D Magazine...

A new stadium for the Cowboys?

by Wick Allison

Jerry Jones is smoking something, and whatever it is, he’s got some county commissioners puffing it with him. He and they seem to think Dallas County voters will approve a $400 million subsidy to help him build a super-duper Cowboys stadium and entertainment complex.

Read my lips: it ain’t gonna happen.

No matter how hard they try, the Cowboys can’t escape the fact that an NFL team plays only eight regular-season games at home. That makes a new stadium an unprofitable proposition before it gets off the drawing board. To overcome that, the Cowboys are designing an “entertainment zone,” with a museum, rides, and all sorts of fun stuff—so much fun stuff that the construction bill will be around $650 million.

The talk is that the Cowboys need up to $400 million in subsidies to help pay the bill. The idea floating around is that voters will be asked to impose more hotel and rental-car taxes to pay for it. The justification, I suppose, will be that a Cowboys entertainment complex will draw so many visitors to Dallas that the influx will pay off the bonds. That’s wishful thinking. The real result would be to push our visitor taxes so high we’d send our struggling convention business into a hole it could never climb out of.

Let me say it again, in case anyone missed the message: it ain’t gonna happen.

Whether the new stadium is in Irving or near the Trinity in Dallas, the idea that Dallas County voters will subsidize Mr. Jones, his millionaire players, or his millionaire investors is about as likely as Terrell Bolton getting into the Ring of Honor.

Councilman Gary Griffith has a suggestion: Dallas is completing a plan to turn Fair Park into the year-round, seven-day-a-week entertainment zone it should have always been. The cost is estimated at $200 million, and the plan is to invest in increments in bond elections for the next 10 to 20 years. The plan was presented to the City Council in October, and it is innovative, practical, and exciting—restoring and using the assets that already exist at Fair Park.

The only problem with the plan is that Dallas will never do it. We are a great city for studying problems and coming up with ideas to solve them. But our city government has a mediocre record for actually getting things done. That’s no reason that we should miss this opportunity.

Our urban center is the only one in the world with 277 acres of park smack dab in the middle. Fair Park’s collection of art deco buildings is the largest in the world. The State Fair proves that millions will go to Fair Park when there is a reason to make the trip. The Cotton Bowl has completed a plan for a retractable roof and expanding to 85,000 seats.

Why not merge? The Cowboys can have what they need. The taxpayers get a full-use park. And Dallas turns its 277 acres into a spectacular visitor attraction, a tax-revenue source, and a great venue for its citizens.

Fair Park was dismissed early on by the Cowboys because it doesn’t accommodate all they want to do. But, according to a city planner, the Cowboys haven’t even inquired about the new design for Fair Park.

The Cowboys may be sentimental favorites of a lot of people, but that doesn’t have much pull in the voting booth. Go back to the drawing board, boys.
Make it good for Dallas as a whole, or you won’t even get a second look. If Fair Park doesn’t look good now, maybe it will look better when you realize it’s the only option we’re willing to give you.

[Columbus Civil]

Looks like Jerry isn't the only one smoking something.

[mikedsjr]

This is what i thought. The average citizen doesn't care about 5 or 10 years from now when or if Victory is fully completed. The average citizen wants to see 'money' being built now.

Maybe the best idea is to have a vote in the 4 main Counties that people will be coming from to get to the stadium. Either that or let the Dallas county citizens approve this and have all the visitors stay in Euless(just inside Tarrant County) and ride the train to the game. Maybe a new hotel that is right on the track that the train stops at. We don't mind the visitors riding the train to the game. We are very hospitable over here.

[JaeTex]

It won't happen but combining the cotton bowl and the the cowboys plans in Fair Park is very sensible, no matter what you're smoking. It won't happen because Jerry doesn't want to be in Fair Park or to share, but it does make sense.

Now I think Cowboys fun land will be well supported downtown and might even pass in las colinas.

[mikedsjr]

I agree. I don't believe Jerry would want to place it there with all those old buildings. The Cowboys are not about Historical value. They are about new and improved. They are about innovative.

The new stadium will be built. The question is who wants to take on the tourist tax.