SmashMouth

The SuperDome is cool... for a little while at least ... but we must face reality... it'll be time before you know it to have to up the ante. First off, New Orleans could use some infrastructure upgrades. That means building a new dome at an alternate location would facilitate much of that. Combine that with the upcoming new LSU/Charity/VA project, it could be a complete new facelift. Locations are one of two in my view. First and most priority is the area of the Bienville projects. It is an area that sorely needs a facelift and it would help the Rampart Street area including Armstrong Park. Its still close proximity to the Quarter makes it a natural. It would help with Conventions as well by increasing the space available to compete with Las Vegas. The other location is across the river in Algiers. We could have a fancy Gondola system, one better than what we had at the world's fair to cross the river. Or maybe even a mono or regular rail system that connects the new dome with downtown and the airport. Either way, having an area to tailgate would enhance our games in an immeasurable way. What we have now in tailgate space is a joke.

Not sure how this city can afford all of this. It couldn't before and it certainly cannot now as the tax base has shifted yet again. New Orleans was already behind in technology and business pre-Katrina. They must find a way to diversify its economy and not rely so much on tourism. The new LSU/Charity/VA project is a start. Incentivisation of business through tax breaks is key along with making education tops so you can attract businesses. It must modernize its port facilities. We need a new regional airport, one somewhere close to the river; up river is my best guess. And tie it in with rail for freight transportation. It could continue its push to become the Hollywood of the south. None of this is possible without ensuring proper levee maintenance and bringing them to a much higher standard than pre-Katrina. New Orleans is geographically unique. It needs to take advantage of its key advantage over other cities. It's sad politics have gotten in the way. Let's hope this new mayor can do something.

Sir Psycho Sexy

I like our Dome!

OldMaid

I know Smashmouth has a point and others about a new facility.

N.O. and the state has had so many wrong, half-ass things, but the Superdome was one the really good things. The SD still looks good. Now, I have not been to other NFL stadiums, so yeah, I don't know what the rest look like. I will assume the SD is still one of the better sports/concerts places.

By the time a SD is built, price could be about 2 billion-imploding old one, building new one, time away for team to play some where else.

Yeah, where else could a new SD be built but where the old one is.
SD has the Hornets/concert N.O. Arena. These two places together really are a good thing.

Bienville, ghetto land on the outer edge of the Quarters, is dangerous.
SD is safe to walk around because it has a busy main streets, Poydras , there. Harrahs is right up the street.
The down ramp coming from Met. is alright to drive down and the ramp going up to go to Met and that way is right there.
N.O. Shopping Center , which was really a booming shopping center, downtown for tourists and locals, office place, etc. a little before Kartina. It will come back.

Algiers, I personally would hate the new Orleans Saints to be at any address other than New Orleans, LA.
Algiers is not around any tourists destinations. Traffic on the bridge is the only way in/out and it is tight on a regular weekday.
Other NFL teams like NY Giants ,Jets don't really belong to NY. I never got with that. Why not officially change the name to NewJersey Giants, New Jersey Jets?
There are many points from both sides, but I like SD as it is, where it is.

SmashMouth

Precisely why you want to bulldoze and redevelop guettoland... it won't be ghettoland after the new SD .... and also why you can't wait too long due to price increase in building costs.

poydras

I have to say that I like the SuperDome. All they really need to do is reconfigure the plaza level for football instead of being multi-purpose and do some upgrades and it will last another decade. Besides; it took us 44 years to break the curse on the SuperDome and now you want to move?!?!

Tobias-Reiper

The Superdome has a mayor advantage over all other football venues: it is sitting in the middle of a city that's built for and used to handle huge crowds in a small area, and has a whole array of entertainment services around it.

Stadiums like Jones Mahal which are basically a huge mall with a football field in the middle don't have any real competition for all of their extra amenities, whereas any amenity you can add to the Superdome would have to compete with the French Quarter and the casinos. When you go to the Superdome, you are not trapped in a huge area surrounded by a huge parking lot, as the Dome is pretty much within walking distance of everything Downtown NO has to offer.

Same with Superbowls: NO gets awarded Superbowls not because they have a state of the art stadium, but because the city can handle the crowds.

Also, moving the Dome from the CBD would negatively affect many businesses in the CBD.

So, just renovate the Dome if need be, and see what's up in 15 years..

'Cause the simple man pays the thrills, the bills and the pills that kill

Nemesis

I wish theyd put JazzFest in the Dome also. I cant drink right in the heat.

C17-BING

I don't think we need to get a new stadium, but those seats (except the loge 200 level) NEED TO GO!!!

It can't cost more than a couple of million to put in modern seats into that place ... At-least do that! I agree with most everyone else --- The Dome is BAD ASS ... We don't need to be "like everyone else" ... We just need a few modifications.

saintsfan1976

Me too!!

Yeah, those are some stanky-azz bathrooms!



Exactly.

saintsfan1976

Good to see you back JP.

Oh, and both weekends of Jazzfest are in April this year - hopefully a much cooler April than May.