Which stadium site do you prefer?

[Jose Luis Luviano]

That's right. There's nothing to do in Murray.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

[Hiddnfox]

there used to be a rusted out airplane to play in at the park.....oh the good ol days

[balltoon]

As a soccer stadium and ONLY a soccer stadium, the murray location might have a slight edge because if all you want to do is get in the car or on a train, park close by and watch the game, and come straight home, it is a little more convenient for most of the population. However, if they want to hold other events, use the stadium as a television headquarters as was suggested, and take advantage of those who want to make more of an evening out of a game than just the 3 hours involved in the game and travel, downtown is clearly better. There just isn't anything to do in Murray. If I go to Murray, I'm going to the game and coming straight home. Downtown, and I might eat or get down early and shop a little bit or something else. At least for me, the extra time it will take to park downtown is about the same as the extra time to get to Murray. As a soccer stadium Murray will work out great I think. If they want to make something more out of it (which judging by the way the other SSS's are marketed is very important) downtown is much better. But what really matters more tha any of this is which place will really make it possible to build the stadium. Murray seems to have a solid plan with exception to the financin, and SLC seems to be working on findin some space in a crowded area. I'm not convinced yet that Real will actually be able to choose between the two, but I have no doubt they'll get it done somewhere.

On another note, regarding the "walk-up" attendance, I've heard that generally speaking around MLS when there is a Latino population that regularly attends games, it's usually of the "walk-up" sort. And that means literally walk-up on game day and buy tickets. So acheiving that walk-up goal may actually be pretty easy if the Latino population supports the team, which isn't a given. If they can get a lot of support from them, then Real can easily achieve those goal I think. If not, it may be a while before they reach their goal. One sort of wildcard population we have here in SLC that I'm not sure is so heavy in other MLS markets is Eastern Europeans. Right in SLC there is a very large population of Croatians and Bosnians who are very active in the soccer community. Whether this will mean RSL fans waits to be seen, but both these demographics are probably going to either strongly support RSL or completely ignore it. If they manage to get support, RSL should have a pretty good sized fan base.

[Jim Umber]

I agree with you about the various ethnic populations around here. They would be a great source of support, if the RSL marketers can grab their interest, but they tend to think that American soccer is a lower level of soccer and not worth watching. They will have to be enticed into the fold. Their support is not a given and, I think, is not likely without some effort. The latinos are more likely to come only when the Seedy Cheetos are in town. The F/O marketers will have their work cut out for them, convincing the latinos that ReAL is THEIR team, and the Seedy Cheetos are the enemy.

[Loyal1]

Now wait a minute!

How is that Jazz games don't get this 12 block security zone? Yea, I remember all the times 5th South gets shut down for events 🙄

I spend more nights downtown than the average poster here and I can tell you parking issues are all in your head. If you're the type who gets annoyed at having to park at the outskirts of a lot and walk x# of yards to the chapel or store then I can't relate.

It seems that there are 2 schools of thought.

1- Downtown/cities are not to be feared. Parking sharmking.

2- My hometown doesn't have meters let alone pay lots.

I fall into #1.

It 20k can cram into the Conference Center &/or Delta Center, WHY, o' WHY do you need a special RSL aesthetically pleasing parking tower?

[SoccerPrime]

Personally, I am a fence rider, as non-Utahn. However, I have to agree with Loyal1 that downtown parking in most cities is over dramatized. Sure it might be bad in morning or evenings during the week, but at 7pm on a Saturday? Get ReAl!

Also, I might add that Checketts announced in his first address about the team that he looked forward to a day when he could walk downtown to a soccer stadium and see a match. I would think he prefers downtown SLC in his mind, if not in his wallet.

[Czar Jake]

I was in the camp of SLC, then I was on the fence. Now I'm back to the SLC camp, you guys have convinced me. It would be so great to walk up to a downtown stadium, rather than drive into some suburb surrounded by McD's and Wend's. SLC.

[Jim Umber]

The problem is that you guys are thinking of parking from the perspective of someone who frequents SLC. Sure parking is no big thing. But I've been on the other side of the coin.

You drive up to SLC for the big game, or for shopping, or whatever. You drive around and there just isn't anyplace you can park. Then you find a small pay lot, blocks from your destination, after spending 15 minutes just driving around randomly. If you don't know where a parking lot is, any direction is as good as any other.

Then, after the event, you have to remember where you left your car. Was that two blocks south and one block east, or was it one block south and two blocks east?

It is not convenient, and it is not fun, and it is not something that the casual attendee would do. A fan? Yes. But the casual follower (the kind that you have been calling "walk in" attendees) will not do it, or will only do it once. It's too much work.

Parking is VERY important.

I agree with you, however, that that is Dave Checketts' desire. I get the same feeling. I think that is his wish, and he is kind of holding out to see if something workable is forthcomming. And I think he recognizes that the proposals for downtown, so far, are unworkable. I think he is holding the Murray offer over the heads of the city officials to keep them motivated to find something better.

I personally like the Murray location, but I'm planning to be there, even if they have to play on a high school field (we did it for the BLiTZZ).

[clarette]

I totally want SLC!

I'd take the TRAX from Sandy either way, so I might as well make it worth my while.

Not really sure where this myth of 'no parking downtown' comes from... there's plenty of parking, but you have to be either willing to pay for it or walk more than a block. People are willing to do so for Jazz games, stuff at the Capitol Theatre/Jeanne Wagner/Abravanel Hall, and so forth, so I don't see what the big deal is about doing it for a soccer match.

The Murray site is gridlock waiting to happen, unless the city or UDOT puts up another major access road in the area. At least with downtown, you can get out using 400, 500, or 900 South to I-15, take 700 East or State St. to I-80, etc, depending on which way you're headed.

I'd rather walk three blocks to the TRAX or to my car downtown than sit in traffic on 4500 South for seventy-five years after the game, personally.

[montgjules]

For those without personal experience about parking in SLC, here is my latest experience. And yes, it influences my opinion about this matter and I think it's a valid concern.

Somebody offered us tickets to the Saturday evening (same time as RSL games would be) performance of the Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra etc. Christmas concert. For those who don't understand the popularity of this event, the tickets to fill the huge conference center for four performances were sold out in about two or three hours.

We left Orem at 5:30 for a 7:30 performance. We got into SLC about 45-60 minutes later and came in from the north where it was much less crowded. The 6th south exit was backed up for miles on the freeway, so we took 6th north. We had a parking pass for a lot across from the conference center, so we headed toward the lot (I couldn't go to any other lot because of my current "condition"). From about 2nd North to North Temple took about 15 minutes. The two blocks heading east to our parking lot took approximately 25 minutes more. By the time we pulled up to our parking lot, nearly swearing and ready to mangle any human being who looked at us the wrong way, the lot was full and the concert was starting in 15 minutes. Our seats had already been given away at this point anyway. I couldn't park in a lot farther away and wouldn't have been able to walk that quickly anyway.

So we turned around and went back to Orem. We couldn't think of a single thing in downtown Salt Lake that we wanted to do. We don't live in Salt Lake, so we don't obviously just know the numerous benefits of the city. People who live downtown will be able to just "do stuff downtown" but anybody coming from elsewhere will be about as lost as we were. We arrived back in Orem around 8:30, and had wasted three hours because the traffic and parking in downtown Salt Lake were so hideous. The police, who should have been directing traffic, were only paying attention to pedestrians and ignoring the hideous traffic violations going on all around them.

And, for icing on the cake, I was put on bedrest last night, so Saturday was my last chance to get out and do anything fun for probably six months! All wasted because our event of choice was downtown! I'm in no mood to commit myself to driving downtown EVERY Saturday night. I'll do it for RSL, but I will NOT like it and will NOT think it's the best option! No more of this "parking and traffic downtown aren't issues!"

(Okay, I'm obviously upset about my experience and not being as level-headed as usual, but I hope I make my point: Getting around downtown SLC is easy for people who do it all the time. But if you DON'T do it all the time, then it is confusing, STRESSFUL and inconvenient! The Murray site may have bad traffic, but at least they'd have more on-site parking and that alone makes it a better option in my mind.)

If you actually read this entire post, you deserve rep from somebody!