If he could start the stadium project from scratch, he told Knox News, part of the process would include a master plan that considers nearby Fayetteville Street, “the spine” between downtown Durham and the Black business community.īell said the Urban Land Institute recently visited Durham to devise a plan for reimaging the potential of Fayetteville Street, which was disconnected from downtown years ago with a highway, much like what James White Parkway did in Knoxville.īoyd hopes the stadium can become a bridge between downtown and Knoxville’s Black community, and Klein believes new affordable housing options near a stadium are worth considering. While Bill Bell was not a city official when the stadium was built, he was a county commissioner and later served as city mayor from 2001 to 2017. People might feel more comfortable visiting the stadium if they recognize a face from their neighborhood, he said. The Bulls focus on making sure the ambassadors represent the community. … It’s all a piece of the pie that’s really important.” And three, you’re providing some safety as well – visual deterrents. “Two, you’re just being friendly, and that’s going to make you want to come back there. “One, you’re shortening and making that walk feel a little bit shorter for the customer,” Strickland said. Ambassadors outside the stadium and scattered throughout nearby streets can help make the game day experience easier for everyone. ![]() It needs to feel like a welcoming place for new and returning fans. I’ll admit that I don’t think over the last couple years we’ve done a great job of that.” Don’t underestimate a friendly face “Way-finding is something we really focused on in the last couple years. “So, I think that’s one piece of it is make it really attractive for people as they’re coming by to have those little pocket parks – those little places for people to kind of stop off, check out, play,” Klein said. The nearby American Tobacco Campus, however, has been designed in a courtyard fashion that allows fans to park and walk through the office and restaurant community without having to cross many streets. The areas around the Durham stadium do not have enough green space as new developments continue popping up in the area, Birling said, and planning for green space could go a long way in Knoxville. Part of that has to do with new, nearby apartment buildings attracting young professionals, which Boyd said will be a growing demographic the Smokies’ downtown stadium could attract.įamilies might reconsider bringing the little ones to an urban environment if it means parking far away and walking down busy streets. Downtown demographics could changeĪll you have to do is walk around Durham Bulls Athletic Park to notice fewer families are coming to games these days. Employees beg to leave early on game days to beat traffic. Similarly, Bulls staff assumed employees of nearby businesses would want to hang out after their shifts for games. ![]() “Traffic studies, all that – you just have (to) take those with a grain of salt because people aren’t going to do what you think they’re going to do.” “It just doesn’t happen the way you think,” said Mike Birling, vice president of baseball operations for the Bulls. While Boyd stands by his claim that downtown Knoxville has enough nearby parking to support the stadium, Durham Bulls officials were hesitant about this belief. Despite education efforts from Bulls staff, a large portion of fans still park in the same lots and walk through the same gates, with roughly 63% entering the stadium from behind home plate.
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