New Downtown Baseball Stadium, AAA Club, and Associated RE Development

[SHOCKvalue]

https://www.kansas.com/news/business...217868940.html
http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Sou...492532341.html
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orle...38af4203c.html
https://www.wwltv.com/article/sports.../289-591203801
https://www.ksn.com/news/kansas/wich...es-/1420173779
http://www.kake.com/story/39031411/r...-baseball-team
https://www.nola.com/baby-cakes/2018...s_wichita.html
https://www.wdsu.com/article/baby-ca...-2019/22997571

With this news finally breaking, thought maybe we should have a thread to talk about the new stadium, the club that might occupy it, and associated downtown development.

This is pretty big time news for downtown Wichita. One of the links above mentions a $75M stadium, and if so, it should be legitimate. However, have to watch out for the "here, hold my beer" faction in Wichita public-private development that has historically screwed the pooch on many projects over the years.

EDIT: The $75M info came from the Eagle link, but it has since been edited out. It formerly said $20M from the City directly, with a $75M total when including STAR bonds.

[Shock Top]

I wonder if the team will stay associated with Miami?

Seems awfully far away to have the next level in your club's system.

[ShockerDropOut]

A pretty ambitious get for Wichita if this happens. AAA seems like a stretch, but good to aim high.

[RoyalShock]

Can we start the petition now to rename the team?

Baby Cakes . . .ugh.

[WstateU]

https://media.giphy.com/media/OxvYf3jsq8bIc/giphy.gif

[WstateU]

[SHOCKvalue]

Can we start the petition now to rename the team?

Baby Cakes . . .ugh.

I don't think a minor league club has ever made a move and NOT changed their name, but I could be wrong. It's a complete branding and marketing change.

I'd also assume we'd change divisions in the PCL. New Orleans is currently in the PCL American Southern, and with OKC currently in the PCL American Northern it wouldn't make much sense. The Colorado Springs AAA club currently in the PCL American Northern are moving to San Antonio in a fairly parallel timeline, so I'd bet the Colorado Springs - San Antonio move and the New Orleans - Wichita move makes for a swap of PCL divisions for the two clubs. Would put us with OKC, Omaha, and Des Moines. Makes too much sense, but I'm just speculating obviously.

[SHOCKvalue]

A different source is saying $80M-$90M on the stadium.

https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orle...1d3fc31a3.html

If this all goes through, and the overall PPP development project down there isn't screwed over with historical Wichita PPP incompetence, this is basically Wichita swinging for the fences and actually connecting for the first time ever.

[ShockerFever]

I agree that if those amounts are accurate, then for the first time in this city's history, they are building it right and for the future.

An $80-90 million baseball stadium is definitely high-end.

[ShockerDropOut]

I just hope they don't pull the same thing they did with IBA and when the cost go up, they start cutting.

[SHOCKvalue]

Supposedly Longwell is making an announcement of some sort tomorrow at 10:45 AM. If anyone sees or hears a media source to catch it live I’d be curious. Hope there’s more specificity this time. Be real letdown if it was just a bunch of blah generalities yet again.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Also rumors in NOLA that they have a AA team to replace them at the “Shrine on Airline”

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

A video I saw posted on a NOLA TV station had a local sportscaster saying he heard the Wichita stadium was going to be the nicest and most lavish in AAA.

I hope that is true. I will be making a trip back to town to inspect it myself. :)

[AZ Shocker]

Is it also possible...if the city is gonna swing for the fences and build an amazing new state of the art Triple AAA baseball stadium...that there is possible talk about potentially swaying the College World Series from Omaha??? Wondering out loud.....

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

I can't figure out how to embed a tweet on mobile, otherwise I'd link this, but I found a tweet from the president of the Missions on 8/16 that said San Antonio will be in the PCL's American Northern Conference with Round Rock, OKC, and New Orleans. So it appears they are realigning slightly for the addition of Wichita.

Now that I'm back on desktop, here's the tweet:

Well fudge it. I can't figure out how to embed a tweet on desktop either.

[SHOCKvalue]

Is it also possible...if the city is gonna swing for the fences and build an amazing new state of the art Triple AAA baseball stadium...that there is possible talk about potentially swaying the College World Series from Omaha??? Wondering out loud.....

Not a chance. Not even rational talking about it.

Omaha basically built a 1/2 scale MLB park for the CWS. If we do end up building a killer $90M, say 12K seat stadium, we will still be down about 30% in outlay and 50% in seating from the new Ameritrade Park. Plus bigger town and oodles of CWS history.