Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium | Malden

Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Update

So negotiations have taken a lot longer than first thought and expected opening day has been pushed back to April 2015. A deal between National Grid, the city, and the ballpark developers still hasn't been signed. Furthermore, the 3 smaller businesses on the lot will not begin discussions until a deal with NG has been reached. The Malden Redevelopment Authority is working on a urban renewal plan in case eminent domain is needed to be used.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Hmm. Odd. My inside source told me last week that National Grid and the developer reached an agreement. I understood to be that a deal was signed.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Who are the three smaller businesses on the lot?
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Spadafora Auto Parts, L&L Trucking and Collex auto body repair

The deal with NG does seem to be close
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I can't believe Massachusetts is one of the 6 states that have done nothing about eminent domain being use for private use. Not that I'm crazy about an auto parts store, a trucking firm, and an auto body repair shop in the commercial center of town, but my sense of fairness is livid from the New London vs Kelo decision in that eminent domain can be used in this form.

Of course, without it, the land is probably price gouged ala Japan when they have to buy land, but that is preferable to me over the ability of government of having a power that give opportunity to be manipulated as an arm of private corporations. What's the point of ownership if private groups supersedes the individual?
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Yesterday, a deal was inked between National Grid and the developer. Lots of political pizzazz with Congressman Markey and AG Coakley there.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I think we can all support pizazz.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I am a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee regarding the Ballpark. My feeling is that this thing is basically a done deal, but we have to try to get the most benefit for Malden out of it. My top concerns are:
1) Who is on the hook for knocking down/redevelopment of land if it fails? This is the elephant in the room no one is talking about.
2) What efforts will be made to keep the site active year-round? There will only be about 68-70 home games.
3) How will the park be woven into the rest of the downtown in order to maximize benefits to the city and have favorable environmental impact and safety for pedestrians?

Any thoughts would be most appreciated!!
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

lensma said:
I am a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee regarding the Ballpark. My feeling is that this thing is basically a done deal, but we have to try to get the most benefit for Malden out of it. My top concerns are:
1) Who is on the hook for knocking down/redevelopment of land if it fails? This is the elephant in the room no one is talking about.
2) What efforts will be made to keep the site active year-round? There will only be about 68-70 home games.
3) How will the park be woven into the rest of the downtown in order to maximize benefits to the city and have favorable environmental impact and safety for pedestrians?

Any thoughts would be most appreciated!!
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2) As I understand, concerts, high school games, and Malden Public Schools + Malden Catholic High graduations were being weighed heavily as additional uses. It would be huge to have this venue available for the city's baseball teams and for outdoor graduation space. The concerts may be a bit trickier to pull off, being that it would be outdoors and potentially very loud very late. But I think it would potentially make for a really awesome venue. I would so go to concerts there! (Provided someone good is playing)

3) The only "weaving" that needs to be done is to make that Rt 60/Commercial St intersection as pedestrian-oriented as possible. This requires the state and MassDOT to be involved. AFAIK, Rt 60 cannot be modified without state participation. The pedestrian "overpasses" sound interesting, but I think it will make things incredibly ugly and sort of sweeps the real problems out of the way, rather than confronting the actual problems that Rt 60 is a highway in the middle of downtown.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

What overpasses? Most of Route 60 in Medford and Malden is a two lane road, plus parallel parking. The small section downtown that is wider should be reduced to match the rest of the road.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Ron Newman said:
The small section downtown that is wider should be reduced to match the rest of the road.
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That's what I'm suggesting. At the least, four lanes MAXIMUM (including turning lanes). It is pretty much five or six lanes in some spots. This is absurd.

The overpasses don't exist yet (thankfully). But they're proposed for the park to get to the station. Hopefully that doesn't happen.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

As a Malden resident I'm really wondering where the car traffic will go...the area is fairly congested already, the major streets are very busy, and they haven't even built out the developments promised on Commerical St. yet...and the attendant traffic those will bring. I like the idea of the stadium sans car traffic.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

UrbEx,
Thanks for your thoughts!

2) As I understand, concerts, high school games, and Malden Public Schools + Malden Catholic High graduations were being weighed heavily as additional uses. It would be huge to have this venue available for the city's baseball teams and for outdoor graduation space. The concerts may be a bit trickier to pull off, being that it would be outdoors and potentially very loud very late. But I think it would potentially make for a really awesome venue. I would so go to concerts there! (Provided someone good is playing) (Posted by Boston UrbEx)

In terms of using the stadium for Malden Schools' functions, yes, that's fine. However, from what I hear from experienced coaches, these games only attract a small number of folks. We're talking about a 6,000 seat stadium. I don't believe this is maximizing the potential for bringing more folks and businesses to downtown. Concerts would be great, too, but as you say, trickier to produce and manage, and limited as it's outdoors.

3) The only "weaving" that needs to be done is to make that Rt 60/Commercial St intersection as pedestrian-oriented as possible. This requires the state and MassDOT to be involved. AFAIK, Rt 60 cannot be modified without state participation. The pedestrian "overpasses" sound interesting, but I think it will make things incredibly ugly and sort of sweeps the real problems out of the way, rather than confronting the actual problems that Rt 60 is a highway in the middle of downtown. (posted by BostonUrbEx)

Actually, there is a lot more to "weaving the stadium into the downtown" than you might think. A very knowledgeable citizen has written and spoken about this topic. He writes:

"I wanted to follow up and reinforce an idea, if I may. When I look at the rendering of the baseball stadium I am struck by how the plans show the stadiums main entrance facing directly at the Malden Center train station. That is important, but equally important is it's relationship to Jackson st. and the parking garages that its customers will be using. How will the 6,000 visitors cross route 60 on their way to both the train station and the Jackson st. parking garage?

We need to look at a redesign of the median and cross walks all along route 60 from the intersection of Commercial st. and the Orange line station all the way to Main St. If we direct our 6,000 visitors as they leave the baseball stadium after a game towards the Jackson street entrance to the parking garage and we have a nice linkage with good signage on Jackson's street directing people to Pleasant st we have knit the down town to the ball field.

Canal St. is also critical. Canal street is in bad shape and will need to be completely rebuilt during the stadium construction process. We need to grab this opportunity and create a street that links Jackson st. and the down town to Canal Street and then Anthony's restaurant. This will form a link that will connect the ball park to the Malden River and then open up the potential of properties along the river and a linkage to the rivers edge development.

I think the developer needs to show us a plan that addresses the potential to integrate or link into the rest of the city. Some of the work would be done buy the developers but some would fall to the city of Malden and other private developers.

Detail plans that show all of the abutting streets cross walks and median strips and how the ball park relates to them and links to the T station, downtown and the Malden River are citical.

One last thing: WOONURF Google that, or check link below.

This is a dutch term for a street that both cars and people can use but people have the right of way. Canal Street by the ball park could become a WOONURF. The city could close it down during games and hold street festivals. This would link Anthony's to the Ball field and Pleasant street."

http://www.greeninfrastructurewiki.com/page/Woonerf

So....more food for thought. More thoughts welcome, please!
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I believe the developer already planned to put the main entrance facing the station, but yes, that is good to make sure that happens.

Also, the city has been pushing the whole food truck thing. It might be good to have a section of the plaza where a food truck (or several) could pull up off of the street onto a designated small portion of the main entry plaza. This could draw people in, maybe get them to walk around the area and stick around. As well as feeding people before or after a game. But the food trucks should be allowed to utilized a designated spot at any time, provided it is within regulations set by the city (not the developer).
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I know that this has somewhat been discussed, but $50M is alot of money for such a high risk project. While I agree that there is a market for cheap sporting events, I don't understand what the exit strategy is for the developers.

The entire nature of the Independent League is predicated on turnover. You have washed up ex MLB players who can't sign with any big league club and younger players who couldn't make it. I'm not saying that it can't be good baseball, as it can, its just that I think it would be difficult for a team to develop a strong fan base, other than it simply being a good cheap night out every once in a while.

This stadium is going to have a higher capcity than the one in Lowell. I know that place always sells out, but all of the Sox top prospects usually start there, so there is consistent appeal. I alsp think Umass Lowell uses that field and the state has the high school baseball finals there as well.

Moreover, I don't think another club could set up shop there as I think there is a competition radius restriction with MLB so only a Sox affiliate could go there. Unless of course the Sox are looking to get out of Portland and move the AA team there.

If it's not sucessful then what? The developer allegedly has all these private investors lined up, but those private investors surely want a strong potential ROI for that risk. I'm really at a loss on this one.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Is this really the best and highest purpose for this location? A limited use, often empty, high traffic venue so close to downtown doesn't sound like it will end well. How many people will actually use the Orange line to get here? Wouldn't bet on that many.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

I believe downtown Malden needs two things for a renaissance: tear down of city hall, and some added energy.

Problem with Malden is that all the things which make an area livable, like supermarkets, already exist; but they are all on autocentric route 60. So what should go in this spot? Something that reconstitutes the urban fabric and gives some life and activity to the street. I think a ballpark - properly executed - foots the bill especially if it engenders an ecosystem of businesses and attractions. This combined with city hall teardown could really be transformative.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Another element I forgot to mention: retail space should be crammed in to the street frontage wherever possible. There's going to be a lot of space underneath those stands, how much of it do they really need? Retail would be awesome to have embedded in the outer walls.
 
Re: Malden Minor League Baseball Stadium

Shepard said:
I believe downtown Malden needs two things for a renaissance: tear down of city hall, and some added energy.

Problem with Malden is that all the things which make an area livable, like supermarkets, already exist; but they are all on autocentric route 60. So what should go in this spot? Something that reconstitutes the urban fabric and gives some life and activity to the street. I think a ballpark - properly executed - foots the bill especially if it engenders an ecosystem of businesses and attractions. This combined with city hall teardown could really be transformative.
Click to expand...

I believe that Malden needs a new name. The prefix "Mal" is associated with everything that is bad. Malnutrition, malaria, malignant, malodorous, malcontent, malicious, and so on. (feel free to contribute your favorite "mal%" word).

Swapping out the Ma and replacing it with Be would make something new, "Belden". Ahh. Isn't that better? Belissimo!
 
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