New Baseball Stadium in Biloxi

[BiloxiDawg]

No team has been announced yet, but the stadium is a go. This is going to be huge for the revitalization of downtown Biloxi.

</SPAN>http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/21/4681763/biloxi-baseball-stadium-site-called.html

 

[GhostOfJackie]

This is great. I can see MSU, UM, and Southern all playing games there every year. It will give people a reason to visit Biloxi other than the casino's. I always thought the coast was big enough to support a minor league team.

 

[BiloxiDawg]

Who remember the Winn Dixie Showdown in the Superdome?

That used to be a lot of fun... Would love to see that revive in Biloxi.

 

[FirstPoetsThenSunDoggy]

I'm happy they're doing something, but I'm skeptical of its impact. Downtown Biloxi will not revitalize until it again becomes a fun place to go and be. I'm a Biloxi-blooded boy, but I've gotta admit that downtown Gulfport is on the right track as far as revitalization goes.

 

[Thirty-Two Dive]

As much as I want Minor League Baseball, I'm (a little) skeptical of the ability to lure AA affiliate. Im basing that only on market size. Then again, market size isn't the only variable here.

I like the vision of bringing an outdoor event setting, as a non-gaming economic engine to downtown Biloxi. The Coast needs amenities of this order, to promote further growth. However, I'm concerned insurance will continue to be an obstacle of development in this area. Let's hope there are some incentives to kick start surrounding businesses, to mitigate high insurance premiums.

I hope it is oriented facing the SE, like Rangers Field. The Hard Rock and Beau Rivage could serve as a panorama. Working at Beau Rivage, I'm ready to catch some ball games after work, by just crossing the street.

 

[patdog]

I'm skeptical too. Jackson is small for a AA market. The MS Gulf Coast is about half the size of Jackson and there is already a AA team in Mobile and a AAA team in New Orleans. As nice as the stadium sounds, it looks like a waste of money to me.

 

[rem101]

They come for the beaches, bro.

brownwater

 

[BiloxiDawg]

I'm happy they're doing something, but I'm skeptical of its impact. Downtown Biloxi will not revitalize until it again becomes a fun place to go and be. I'm a Biloxi-blooded boy, but I've gotta admit that downtown Gulfport is on the right track as far as revitalization goes.

Could you ask for a better shot in the arm to downtown than a project like this?

Gulfport had a master plan, and it started with Jones Park and the new Harbor. They had a vision for downtown GPT... Biloxi has no master plan at this point. This project will have a master plan for the surrounding area (i.e. Howard Ave, Caillavet St, Beach Blvd). One can only hope this will spill over into Vieux Marche' as well. Look at downtown Ocean Springs too, where was that 10 years ago? The trend in many cities is going back to the old downtowns...

Also, Insurance is the reason D'Iberville and North Gulfport is booming with strip malls and chain restaurants... none of those businesses would ever have any interest in being in a downtown area anyways and they want far away from the water. They want large parking lots at their front doors. You have seen a few specialty restaurants and bars pop up here lately, and they seem to be doing very well.

 

[1reddog]

don't know the size of Jackson area but the 3 coast counties is about 375,000

 

[dawgstudent]

Jackson metro is around 540K.

 

[saltybulldog]

As much as I want Minor League Baseball, I'm (a little) skeptical of the ability to lure AA affiliate. Im basing that only on market size. Then again, market size isn't the only variable here.

I like the vision of bringing an outdoor event setting, as a non-gaming economic engine to downtown Biloxi. The Coast needs amenities of this order, to promote further growth. However, I'm concerned insurance will continue to be an obstacle of development in this area. Let's hope there are some incentives to kick start surrounding businesses, to mitigate high insurance premiums.

I hope it is oriented facing the SE, like Rangers Field. The Hard Rock and Beau Rivage could serve as a panorama. Working at Beau Rivage, I'm ready to catch some ball games after work, by just crossing the street.

You will like the orientation.

I think the market size is sufficient, but location is a huge factor in this. Mobile has the market, but they have a ****** location. Given that the stadium will be situated in an area that will require you to walk within the downtown area will help many of the local storefronts.

 

[esplanade91]

The guy leading the project is a former Met and was born and raised in Biloxi... I'm almost certain that's how Biloxi is getting a little bias here.

Gulfport is already building a 5,000+ stadium in Jones Park as part of their masterplan with grants and public funds. It is going to be in walking distance of restaurants and bars with a backdrop of the Gulfport Harbor, so I think this Biloxi project will go the way of the last 3 minor league initiatives this guy has gone after and flop. He tried to put a AA team in D'Iberville in like 2006 or 07.

The coast most certainly could support a AA team. Gulfport or Biloxi individually are smaller than Jackson, but together and then coupled with Ocean Springs, Long Beach, Pass Christian they have a huge population that has a lot easier way of getting from one city to another (as opposed to going from Ridgeland or somewhere to Clinton or again... somewhere) AND those people are more likely to spend money on season tickets than the majority of the greater Jackson area. Plus you've got corporate entertainment as a sponsor with the casinos, which Jackson doesn't have. I'm willing to bet that the casinos would hold a significant amount of passes, and the park would be littered with casino billboards. Whether people came or not it would generate a lot of money which allows the risk of investing in a park not knowing if people will come.

If you build it, they will come though. If it wasn't true they wouldn't have said it.

 

[patdog]

Per 2010 census, Jackson - 567K, Biloxi-Gulfport - 371K. So Jxn is 1-1/2 times as big instead of twice as big. Point remains, Jxn is one of the smallest metro areas to have a AA franchise. And that one draws some from outside the Jackson MSA since there are no other minor league teams within 200 miles. I don't see one in Biloxi-Gulfport drawing much from outside its MSA since there is already a AA and a AAA franchise within about 60 miles.

 

[FirstPoetsThenSunDoggy]

I doubt you'll get many people coming from Pascagoula or BSL to attend these games. I really think Biloxi needs to demand more amenities from the casinos that it already supports. IP closed its theater; Beau Rivage closed its brew pub. The large sailboat that used to offer trips left Biloxi because it could not get support from related tourism businesses (went to Tampa, I think). A casino construction project (original Margiritaville) has replaced a large swath of our beach with useless concrete and steel, and has paid no penalty for this blight on the city. Beau Rivage has not reopenned its marina. Hard Rock was allowed to build a parking garage that blocks the view of the harbor from the town green.
On another front, night clubs that have tried to open downtown have been denied permits because of some law that prevents one club within a certain distance of another. The bottom line is that the businesses in Biloxi have the politicians' support as they continually minimize competition from other businesses. I want to got to a town, like New Orleans or Gulfport, where I can park my car and enjoy street life. I want to have a good time.
The ballpark is another huge corporate/government partnership that may amount to something in a decade or two, but in my view it has little chance of making Biloxi interesting enough to merit a special trip within the foreseeable future.

 

[saltybulldog]

The guy leading the project is a former Met and was born and raised in Biloxi... I'm almost certain that's how Biloxi is getting a little bias here.

Gulfport is already building a 5,000+ stadium in Jones Park as part of their masterplan with grants and public funds. It is going to be in walking distance of restaurants and bars with a backdrop of the Gulfport Harbor, so I think this Biloxi project will go the way of the last 3 minor league initiatives this guy has gone after and flop. He tried to put a AA team in D'Iberville in like 2006 or 07.

The coast most certainly could support a AA team. Gulfport or Biloxi individually are smaller than Jackson, but together and then coupled with Ocean Springs, Long Beach, Pass Christian they have a huge population that has a lot easier way of getting from one city to another (as opposed to going from Ridgeland or somewhere to Clinton or again... somewhere) AND those people are more likely to spend money on season tickets than the majority of the greater Jackson area. Plus you've got corporate entertainment as a sponsor with the casinos, which Jackson doesn't have. I'm willing to bet that the casinos would hold a significant amount of passes, and the park would be littered with casino billboards. Whether people came or not it would generate a lot of money which allows the risk of investing in a park not knowing if people will come.

If you build it, they will come though. If it wasn't true they wouldn't have said it.

I would suspect that if this deal in Biloxi goes through, the Jones Park plan changes. That master plan included having a team to build around. This is an either Biloxi or Gulfport deal. The area considered in Jones Park has land owners that were/are not willing to participate.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Jackson is one of the largest cities/metro areas in the Southern League.

Chattanooga
jackson TN
Huntsville
Jacksonville FL
Mobile
Montgomery
Pensacola

 

[esplanade91]

I would suspect that if this deal in Biloxi goes through, the Jones Park plan changes. That master plan included having a team to build around. This is an either Biloxi or Gulfport deal. The area considered in Jones Park has land owners that were/are not willing to participate.

You're right. I know an amphitheater is a popular option.

You will like the orientation.

I think the market size is sufficient, but location is a huge factor in this. Mobile has the market, but they have a ****** location. Given that the stadium will be situated in an area that will require you to walk within the downtown area will help many of the local storefronts.

Boom!

Hank Aaron Stadium is in the boons, and the Zephyrs' stadium is on the north shore and was meant to attract the Covingtons and $$$ neighborhoods on the outside of NOLA, not the Mississippi coast.

If they put it in D'Iberville or somewhere dumb like around I-10 in Gulfport, the thing will never succeed.

 

[Lettucexxxx]

That used to be a lot of fun... Would love to see that revive in Biloxi.

One of the greatest college tournaments of all time.......I used to love it. The best part was the card show going on inside the DOme. I will never forget giving up my Griffey Jr Donruss Elite card for a full set of "Score Select". Now that Im grown, I really would like to find that sumbitch who would dirty deal a 13 yrlold and give him a full set of "Nut Check Select".............. 17ing carni's

 

[RocketDawg]

I'm skeptical too. Jackson is small for a AA market. The MS Gulf Coast is about half the size of Jackson and there is already a AA team in Mobile and a AAA team in New Orleans. As nice as the stadium sounds, it looks like a waste of money to me.

I don't think you're right about that, Pat. Most of the AA cities are similar in size to Jackson. Huntsville is a bit larger, but was smaller when the AA team came here in the mid 80s. Montgomery and Mobile both have teams. Greenville, SC had one but I think that's the one that moved to Pearl. And there are several others. Jackson, TN has a team, and they're the ones that are too small if any of the AA towns are. Of course, there are larger towns with AA teams ... Jacksonville has one, and Memphis had one up until just a few years ago. There was even a lot of talk about a AAA team here.

Saw an article in the local paper a few days ago that the AA team in Huntsville may not stay too longer, unless they build a new downtown stadium, and unless the owner shows a bit more interest in the team. When it first came here, attendance of 11-12000 was not unusual. Of course, they had the likes of Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire too ... almost an MLB team. Anyway, there was some speculation that the Huntsville team may move to Biloxi/Harrison County. They're not as large, but would probably support the team for a few years anyway. If Huntsville had the Braves AA franchise (that Jackson, MS has) interest would be a lot higher. They're with the Brewers which nobody here cares a bit about. Moving the Jackson, TN team to the coast might be more probable though.

I suspect if the issue is pushed, they'll build a new stadium here for the team. And they'll probably also look for a better MLB affiliate. Maybe Jackson could go with the Astros and Huntsville go with the Braves ....

 

[RocketDawg]

I think Jackson (the city and the metro) is smaller than all of those except Jackson, TN and Montgomery .... And population isn't the only criterion. Some of the metros have only one or two counties, whereas the Jackson metro area is large in area ... 5 counties ... and I doubt many of those make the long trek to Pearl to see a AA game.