Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	6/2/2003

A picture named fisherparkcrowd.JPG Fisher Park Park

Haven't even broke ground on the new baseball stadium for Greensboro and already it is drawing crowds -- like the 60 or so people here for the monthly fund raiser of the Petitioners Committee for Downtown Neighborhoods. After this early evening fete I went on to a hockey game where afterwards over a Rolling Rock at Friday's I received a competing position on the stadium issue from our team captain who is well versed on the subject -- and not just because he used to car pool to elementary school with his little brother and Ed Cone.

Here are some thoughts:

1) Is the Stadium really revenue neutral to local taxpayers? For example can $4 million dollars from "private" sources pay for moving a county building in the way that is budgeted now to cost $6 million?

2) Does downtown Winston-Salem have an excitement filled night scene because it has a minor league baseball stadium downtown?

3) A major reason for not renovating or rebuilding a new stadium in the existing location is that the current War Memorial Stadium site is, "in a bad neighborhood." What has changed or is different since that stadium was built (as something good for the neighborhood) such that we should expect an alternate outcome?

4) Does rejuvenation of downtown live or die on having a nice home for the Greensboro Bats or their hopeful successor to play in?

5:53:44 PM

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