re: Soccer complex on The Fly is dead

To the downvoters who don't understand the difference between an open field with some paint lines vs. a dedicated soccer complex, here you go.

This is the Fly's soccer complex as it exists today. It does not have a fence or artificial turf. The fields can be used for soccer, or for many other things when the soccer clubs are not using them. Use your imagination. There are hundreds of uses for an open field.

Now here is the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, which is cited by the guy who started the project.



Do you think they are going to let the public have picnics on the midfield when the clubs aren't using it? Maybe fly a kite or throw some football? No. If they're dropping that kind of coin on a facility with artificial turf and drainage, there's no way they're going to let John Doe use it for cloud watching.

The field they would be taking for this new soccer field is currently open space and a playground. If the good guy dad would have met with people other than soccer boosters, I'm sure a deal could have been reached to use an existing soccer field and convert it to the nicer facilities desired.

One problem with his idea is that it wouldn't be a complex on the scale of what he is trying to compare it too. There simply isn't enough room for one that size at the Fly. It would've been better to build what is needed elsewhere in the metro area or upgrade City Park or Lafrenerie.

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But the green space at the fly that everyone uses is on the river side of the road and a little bit on the opposite side. The soccer fields are on the railroad track side of the land where very few people hang out and there's been soccer fields there for many many years. I haven't seen a full sketch of the proposed complex but the baseball diamond was upgraded a while back which is adjacent to the shitty soccer fields. I don't think they were asking to take away any of the river front green space but I could be wrong.

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You are pretty much correct. The proposed space was actually between the existing soccer fields and the river, in between two roads. It was not right on the river, but it was not as far back as some of the soccer fields. Most importantly, it has always been a very under-utilized area. The detractors whipped everyone up with cries of green space theft, but I am near that space 3 times a week at least and it gets little use because it is in between two roads and not as nice as the areas by the river or as big as some other areas. So now it will continue to be "green" space with a crappy little playground, an old art sculpture and run down bathrooms. Congrats to those who opposed; who can now continue to ignore that space, secure in the belief that they have saved it from development.

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The traffic/parking situation would be a hell of a lot better than the one entrance, one exit, funneling everyone to two lane Magazine St. Fly setup too.

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Now, this is a valid point, but I don't know if that one facility would have made that much more traffic than the baseball complex right next to it.

Regarding the point you raised about it being better suited for City Park, or as mentioned above at the Lakefront, I wonder what the purpose of the facility would be. If its to create some regional soccer center, that's one thing, but if its just trying to make a nice venue for the neighborhood soccer leagues, that's a horse of a different color.

I think a little, and I mean LITTLE, soccer stadium with a nice turf field would fit just fine out at the Fly, with little to no change or impact on the use of the park. That added baseball field over by the tennis courts didn't seem to cause any problems. What did they name that, Ranger Field?

Is that the fields behind Privateer Park where the flag football tournaments used to be held?

If those fields are still there, that is a perfect place for something like this.

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The site is already a shitty soccer complex

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It's terrible. Fields are uneven. Bathrooms are awful.

That anyone was fighting this is retarded.

Well, chalk up one for the community and not special interests, even with Drew backing it. That says a LOT.

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This is true, but unfortunately the majority of the public in New Orleans are some of the worse people in the world.

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What does that mean?

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Their political choices since 1970 speak for themselves.

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Why don't you speak for US, elaborate on those choices please.