69% of Montrealers in favour of Expos return

[mikecubs]

New poll says 69% of Montrealers in favour of Expos return

Talk to any Montreal Expos fan, and they’ll tell you about what could have been. The strike-shortened 1994 season still hurts.

“That’s why I’m a football fan today,” Claude Laforest said while laughing.

Expos fans will get a chance to pay tribute to the 1994 roster on Saturday, March 29 at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

A special ceremony is planned prior to a Blue Jays-Mets pre-season game.

A number of players from the 1994 Expos have confirmed their presence for the celebration.

“Felipe Alou, Moises Alou, Jeff Fassero, John Wetteland. They’ll all be there,” confirmed former Expo Warren Cromartie.

He’s part of a group that is promoting the return of major league baseball to Montreal.

On Tuesday, Cromartie held a news conference to discuss the tribute event, and he also announced the results of a new survery, which shows most Montrealers are in favour of a return of “Nos Amours.”

According to a Leger Marketing poll carried out among nearly 1,600 Quebecers, 69 per cent of the general public supports the idea of bringing a Major League Baseball team back to Montreal.

But Cromartie said that his group’s first real test will come on March 28 and 29, 2014.

For the Expos to have a shot at a comeback, Cromartie believes the “Big-O” must be “packed” for both games.

“I can’t emphasize how critical it is for the fans to show up to these games. The whole world will be watching,” he noted.

Tickets went on sale a few days ago, and already around 40,000 have been sold.

globalnews.ca/news/861140/new-poll-says-69-of-montrealers-in-favour-of-expos-return/

[mikecubs]

Would have loved to see the question do you favor public funding for a new downtown park?

On the video on the link Cromartie says they are going to have to get "creative" to fund a new stadium. That sounds like getting public money in a way that makes it seem like private money.

[jval07]

40,000 tickets sold in a few days... not bad but if baseball fever has truly returned to Montreal, the two games should have sold out in a day or 2 IMO.

[Bruinsfan]

how much would a new stadium cost? assuming its outdoor retro stadium put a small camden yards if you are going outdoor

[mikecubs]

Target Field in Minnesota was the last retro park that opened in 2010. It cost 545M or $574M in current dollars. Target Field seats 39,021 and has fancy limestone making up the outside of the park. A Montreal park would likely seat 35,000 so that would save on some material/seats. I'd say it would be around $550Mish. Certain somewhere between 500-600M.

Tampa has a little tougher climb. They will outright need a retractable roof because of Florida's humidity and summer/early evening rain showers. There is 0 chance Tampa goes without a roof.

[Bruinsfan]

IF they go true retro look (brick, concrete, metal) its possible they could go under the 500 mark. Say 450. It would have to be fairly basic but thats the look they are going for. Camden Yards is only 180mil in todays money, something like Busch Stadium in St Louis which would be significantly larger than montreals new box would be 416 in todays money.

37500 Retro Classic Stadium without the fancy limestone and more of a brick classic look could make it under 500m

[Bruinsfan]

the proposed Cisco Field in San Jose is listed online as 400million...32000+ seats..i think that would be a good cost price point to look at for montreal.

[mikecubs]

Maybe you could do it if you cut some corners. The San Jose ballpark(if built) would be pretty bare bones in the concourses in terms of clubs etc... That online thing was a couple years. Selig made Lew Wolf increase the capacity to 34,000. Not sure how much this affected the cost.

[Bruinsfan]

I should state that costs are not universal, especially when crossing state and international lines. labor is worth different amounts, materials, etc.

[mikecubs]

True, everything in New York for example is super expensive due to labor costs. The New Yankee Stadium was 1B dollars.

[Bruinsfan]

NY Yankees costs = Organized Crime Success story.

[jetsfan85]

Sept 27, 2013 7:38:55 GMT -6 jval07 said:

40,000 tickets sold in a few days... not bad but if baseball fever has truly returned to Montreal, the two games should have sold out in a day or 2 IMO.

thats like saying the jets only chance of returning was them selling out all pre season games in a few days.. wpg only sold out the first ever one, havnt sold it out since then before the jets actually came back. 40k seats sold in a few days for a team thats not even theirs is phenomenal. IMO