Potential Soccer Stadium | Portland peninsula

[mainejeff]

Tracks around football and soccer fields stink....period. Even the University of Maine plans to remove the track from Alfond Stadium (football) to improve sightlines and atmosphere....and build a another one in a new location.

 

[PWMFlyer]

I still to this day don't understand why the city does not utilize the land behind Deering High School and build a track specific stadium

 

[TC_zoid]

I still to this day don't understand why the city does not utilize the land behind Deering High School and build a track specific stadium

Agree. Portland is changing in scope and size rapidly. To use this prominent piece of land (Fitzpatrick) as a high school running track is not in the best interests of the city, or at large that is. When was the last time anyone attended a track meet? And what kind of revenue can you make from selling tickets at a track meet? The city needs revenue. All cities do. This place as a dynamic soccer stadium (and concerts from an inside space to make revenue for the city) for pros, college, and youth is a GREAT idea. The track ruins it, a bit. But what can we expect? There is still a lot of provincial minded "thinking power" in Portland. A few years from now there will be a call to get rid of the track that no one uses. Change is good. Change is life.

 

[Corey]

Seems to check out, could potentially reorient the baseball field here...

 

[TC_zoid]

Nice job, Corey! Generally, with sports it's always better to have two separate places for separate uses than to have two that do both (a lowering compromise). In pro sports, the baseball/football marriage can't really work today. Send this image to the rec department "powers that be." I work with brands and venues and I see nothing but $$$$$$$$$$ with the Fitzpatrick soccer/concerts hybrid. The soccer comes first, then the concerts adapt. Remember how Bayside Bowl became and still is the toast of pro bowling? Portland fans would make this the most dynamic stadium in the country.

 

[Portlander]

Because everyone seems to want the track to go away, my suggestion would be to move the track which requires a 180 X 90 yard footprint to the Dougherty softball and soccer fields in the large rectangular area in the upper left. You would lose one or two diamonds but I'm sure it could be reconfigured to still be able to accommodate possibly two soccer fields for the Portland Public Schools. Soccer is not my strong point but I'd guessing that the dimensions of soccer fields are smaller for youth leagues and high schools due to the chalk lines that are barely visible at the Dougherty site unless those are for lacrosse?

 

[DanielPWM19]

Let's not forget Kennedy Park and Payson Park.

There can always be reconfiguration/consolidation/centralization of Baseball/Softball/Little League Fields and Soccer/Lacrosse/Field Hockey Fields.

While Back Cove was torn apart for the storm water tanks, if grass fields are planted on top of them again - then those are prime locations for Little League or HS Soccer Fields. That's where a ton of teenage immigrants would play soccer after school and they'd be amazing to watch as you'd walk or run Back Cove. These individuals grew up with a culture of playing Soccer rather than American Football. The rise in interest in soccer is great to see (former striker here).