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I did not realize it but Birmingham is hosting DII championships in Swimming/Diving, Indoor Track and Field, and Wrestling at the Crossplex. I did not even know there was a swimming pool in the facility or enough room to host wrestling and Track and Field at the same time.

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I don't know the economic impact the D2 festivities will generate, but one can probably multiply it exponentially for what we might generate if we also had the MPF up and running for the past 10 years. Do you suppose the secret "RAPS" plan all along was to build it in Atlanta for B'ham to envy as we refurbish Legion Field again and again?.

(03-08-2013 02:08 PM)uab278 Wrote:  I did not realize it but Birmingham is hosting DII championships in Swimming/Diving, Indoor Track and Field, and Wrestling at the Crossplex. I did not even know there was a swimming pool in the facility or enough room to host wrestling and Track and Field at the same time.

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Hosting that particular event was one of the design motivations behind building it, IIRC

(03-08-2013 03:58 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(03-08-2013 02:08 PM)uab278 Wrote:  I did not realize it but Birmingham is hosting DII championships in Swimming/Diving, Indoor Track and Field, and Wrestling at the Crossplex. I did not even know there was a swimming pool in the facility or enough room to host wrestling and Track and Field at the same time.

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Hosting that particular event was one of the design motivations behind building it, IIRC

It is pretty awesome IMO. If I lived in Birmingham then I may have attended.

The economic impact of the event goes beyond just the facility rental too. The Sheraton is completely sold out and the Westin is largely full as well. They also had an opening ceremony reception at the Barber Motorsports Museum.

(03-08-2013 03:05 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  I don't know the economic impact the D2 festivities will generate, but one can probably multiply it exponentially for what we might generate if we also had the MPF up and running for the past 10 years. Do you suppose the secret "RAPS" plan all along was to build it in Atlanta for B'ham to envy as we refurbish Legion Field again and again?.

Or maybe the RAPS people were against the MPF and the rest of the MAPS plan becuase they were afraid of the graft, corruption, waste, and mis-management that a "blank check" plan (with little or no oversight) would have created. There were two sides to this issue, and many of those against MAPS looked at the overall picture.

The CrossPlex is a fantastic, world class facility, which will bring many great events to our area. Look for a NCAA Div 1 Indoor championship within the next 5 years, as well as an Indoor National for USATF. There is even a possibility of and IAAF World Indoor here.

BUT there were many issues of waste and overpayment in the construction of the CrossPlex, AND there are huge amounts of money be wasted on it's management.

I'm a big fan of the CrossPlex, but it has it's issues. The MAPS plan would have had these same issues X 10.

Dang I agree with both of you. I tried to get the contract for the Crossplex but we didn't and it was not due to money. We also came in second on the Barons stadium. The City will eventually learn that it's better to spend your money wisely instead of continuing the good ole boy network and paying people to essentially do nothing. I could elaborate but I digress.
the UA system is currently in bed with a bunch if crooks itself and I could go on all day about it. It's time to stop the corruption that is prevelant in this state.

Before someone yells sour grapes there are several repeatable firms that if they got some of these projects I would be fine with. I just want to see things done right with as little waste of money as possible and the best quality possible.

(03-08-2013 02:08 PM)uab278 Wrote:  I did not realize it but Birmingham is hosting DII championships in Swimming/Diving, Indoor Track and Field, and Wrestling at the Crossplex. I did not even know there was a swimming pool in the facility or enough room to host wrestling and Track and Field at the same time.

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I went for two days of the track championship and also took in some championship wrestling last night. It was a fantastic event. I can hardly wait to see bigger events come to the CrossPlex.

(03-10-2013 09:45 AM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(03-08-2013 03:05 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  I don't know the economic impact the D2 festivities will generate, but one can probably multiply it exponentially for what we might generate if we also had the MPF up and running for the past 10 years. Do you suppose the secret "RAPS" plan all along was to build it in Atlanta for B'ham to envy as we refurbish Legion Field again and again?.

Or maybe the RAPS people were against the MPF and the rest of the MAPS plan becuase they were afraid of the graft, corruption, waste, and mis-management that a "blank check" plan (with little or no oversight) would have created. There were two sides to this issue, and many of those against MAPS looked at the overall picture.

The CrossPlex is a fantastic, world class facility, which will bring many great events to our area. Look for a NCAA Div 1 Indoor championship within the next 5 years, as well as an Indoor National for USATF. There is even a possibility of and IAAF World Indoor here.

BUT there were many issues of waste and overpayment in the construction of the CrossPlex, AND there are huge amounts of money be wasted on it's management.

I'm a big fan of the CrossPlex, but it has it's issues. The MAPS plan would have had these same issues X 10.

Your points about the "MAPS" and Crossplex, along with what AB just said, brings up questions about whether it is even possible to have ANY major project built by B'ham ( or perhaps ANY large city) that is not shadowed by suspicions of graft and other corruptions??? Are we that far removed from 1998 in state &/or local politics that we can now say these threats don't exist today?

While the baseball field will turn out to be good, I question who was awarded the contract to build it and why?

(03-10-2013 05:04 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  While the baseball field will turn out to be good, I question who was awarded the contract to build it and why?

At least it is being built and will be a test of the metro area's ability to support a local team in any sport. When (not if) McGee and Haase produce winning teams, we will be able to gauge the metro public's willingness to support a local collegiate team that wins consistently over time.

I really believe the "RAPS" constant expressions of doubt about corruption in financing and building the MPF was largely built on the suburban suspicion of anything "those people" (B'ham's leadership) wanted tax money to do. After all, they knew that a lot of those suburban voters has formerly been living in B'ham but chose to do the "white flight" thing and would vote accordingly in 1998. Would they vote the same way in 2013 or 2014? Maybe we will have the chance to find out some day.

So Birmingham isn't perfect and politics in Alabama sucks. Guess we should just burn the place down and never try to make anything better around here.

All I ever hear is that everything is corrupt, so let's not build anything. In the mean time, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, etc are all eating our lunch and building and building and building cities that aren't miserable cesspools of pessimism that people want to live in.

It's a pretty self-loathing city.