Ottawa MLS bid not dead yet

[Vic]

... how can you expect this same city to draw the MLS average of 16 500 fans (2010) way out in Kanata with nobody able to walk to the stadium?

Given the location of Rio Tinto in Sandy, had they followed your logic Salt Lake wouldn't be 5th in MLS attendance and holding the championship. Again, a white-collar "family-oriented" soccer city of 1MM people that couldn't support Tier 2 soccer.

[kyam]

^ I always hated going to Renegades games downtown because of the lack of parking (valet only). You either had to park on the street and have a 20 minute walk to the stadium or park at the Park & Ride and take the bus.

I admit, the parking situation at Lansdown is poor for fans that insist on driving downtown.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the new stadium proposal include more parking? The valet only is a drag, but thats something that can be easily rectified. Building a stadium in Kanata is permanant. You can't simply pick up and move the stadium if it doesn't work. Valet parking? Thats a simple change in policy.

[Trillium]

Parking will not exist except for people going in the big box stores... game day will only be walk up .. real walk up and those coming in buses, parking and traffic will be horrible.

I admit, the parking situation at Lansdown is poor for fans that insist on driving downtown.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the new stadium proposal include more parking? The valet only is a drag, but thats something that can be easily rectified. Building a stadium in Kanata is permanant. You can't simply pick up and move the stadium if it doesn't work. Valet parking? Thats a simple change in policy.

[Ottawa MLS Fan]

I admit, the parking situation at Lansdown is poor for fans that insist on driving downtown.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the new stadium proposal include more parking? The valet only is a drag, but thats something that can be easily rectified. Building a stadium in Kanata is permanant. You can't simply pick up and move the stadium if it doesn't work. Valet parking? Thats a simple change in policy.

The parking was never adequate for CFL games and will be drastically reduced for the renovated stadium, not to mention shared with a new 300,000+ sq ft shopping centre, a multi-screen theatre etc. The majority of the parking spaces that the stadium transit plan assumes are available are dispersed in the residential streets of the Glebe.

[Ottawa MLS Fan]

We should stop this discussion the ottawa bid isnt dead but at the very least its on the last burner in the back! MLS has no plans to go to ottawa, they're looking at miami,NYC or st. louis for another franchise in the short term. Also this discussion isnt going anywhere -- ottawa is a bad sports market period.

Why the hell should we???? This thread is for discussing MLS in Ottawa. If you don't want to talk about this subject, there are many other topics on this board

[paul-collins]

As much as Bank is a disaster, and I'd hate to force people to park in the Glebe, I think from a city-planning perspective MLS at Lansdowne makes the most sense. However, transit has to be majorly improved. I was at a 67s game during Winterlude and getting a bus back downtown to the Westin was atrocious.

I would also prefer to see Jeff Hunt as part of the ownership. The reason the Lynx bb team failed wasn't the league they were in - it was the piss poor management of players by Montreal and the equally moribund promotion by Darwin (who was also running the 67s into the ground at the time). Ottawa isn't a "teir one only" sports town - it's a sports town pure and simple, and it just needs proper management to make the most of it.