The coming decade: Design meets economic reality

The last 20 years in the U.S. have been some of the most prolific in terms of innovation and build-out in stadium design. Those days are gone for now. But what happens to those projects that are underway, when the budget money has been spent, the public is over-taxed and frustrated...and community icons are still at risk of fleeing? Ask Minnesota. The citizens of greater Minneapolis have no less than three facilities underway or or in discussion* and the state flagship Vikings will probably have to rent from the local University while permanent digs get hammered out under the Metrodome Next initiative.

*Target Ballpark
*TCF Bank Stadium
*Minnesota Vikings Stadium, TBD.

Public stadium financing is a nasty issue, with valid and invalid points on all sides, and not the point of this blog per se. (See other resourceful blogs and books for that.) But we're wondering aloud this morning whether a prolonged economic downturn might see the return of the days of the dreaded "multi-use facility" or just the end of new facility construction period. The latter portends bad things, and when the order of the day is to spend our way out of this mess with public works it becomes a high-stakes gamble. The former produced some of the most hideous and controversial stadium design in our lifetimes. (Ex: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, below). Sidenote- love the good people of Cincinnati, and I know you have fond memories of Riverfront, but...eeek.








Perhaps, in this age of streaming, updates, and video on demand, we'll find that smaller, more fiscally responsible settings will be the order of the day. More people will follow their teams from a venue other than the old ballpark, especially if the corporate sugar-daddies aren't there to foot the bill. I'll be sure to think about it when I'm eating my $10 hot dog at the New Yankee Stadium later this year.

Photo credits:
HHH Metrodome by Tim Wilson
Riverfront Stadium by Brent