- The proposed change to the roof of the Dome is to install an "operable roof panel", not to turn it into a fully-retractable roof. Part of the roof would be designed to slide open to let in more natural light. So Stan Kroenke's not really asking for a convertible; he's happy with a moon roof.
- But the Rams also want to demolish the entire east side of the Dome. I am a directionally-challenged person, but this appears to mean the Broadway Avenue side, which means they want to TEAR DOWN MY SEATS (section 414). East side would be the home sideline, the press box, all that. The new east section would be rebuilt with "enhanced seating, lobbies and entrances," and would be backed by a "glass curtain wall" that would let in more natural light. Sounds like something similar to Lucas Oil Field. I'm so directionally challenged I'm not even sure what side of the stadium we're looking at in the picture above, but I believe that is the east side, with Broadway running left to right in front of it.
- The plan also "re-configures existing seating to allow more flexibility for non-football events", which makes no sense. Why do the Rams care about ease of holding non-football events? Maybe this is a concession to the CVC.
- The Rams also want the flexibility to add 6,000 seats, which would qualify the Dome to host the Super Bowl. Good for the Rams; they're more forward-thinking than the city in this regard. However, the city shouldn't commit a dime to anything without a commitment from the NFL to put a Super Bowl in St. Louis post-renovation. The Dome is the only weather-neutral NFL venue constructed in the last 20 years that hasn't gotten to host a Super Bowl, which has been hosted in some real dumps in that time interval (I'm looking at you, Jacksonville). The seating shortage, if that's even a hard NFL requirement, isn't one they couldn't have waived just like they waived the weather requirements for the upcoming Super Bowl in New York City. They don't make their money from live attendance anyway.
Major details are not mentioned in the Rams proposal:
- They offer no estimate of what these Dome renovations would cost.
- They offer no indication what part of the renovation cost Stan Kroenke would be willing to pick up.
- I have to wonder a little where they're going to stick the 6,000 extra seats, but these would apparently be part of new platform areas behind the end zones. The re-designed east side would pick up extra seating, too, I'd imagine.
- And there's no indication what happens to the thousands of us getting our seats torn out. Will we all have seats to come back to? Will we get seats in the same place we have always had them? Is Kroenke going to jack the price through the (moon)roof for them?
Of course, the amount of worry over that stuff is proportional to my belief that these extensive changes are ever going to happen. So, no, I'm not real worried at the moment.
Updates as I gather them.
-$-
No comments:
Post a Comment