Brewers Maryvale Spring Training Lease

[Invader3K]

Everyone talks about how horrible the Maryvale area is. I've been there twice, only during games, and it certainly doesn't look like a high class area but I've never felt unsafe there. Has there ever been any issues with players or fans and the locals? I mean there are multi-millionaires and their very expensive cars and gullible midwesterners around for a month and I can't recall ever hearing of any incidents.

 

I remember hearing about some car break ins that happened in the parking lot a while back. I suppose that sort of thing can happen at any ballpark, though.

 

During the day time the area is probably OK, but I definitely wouldn't wander around that neighborhood at night.

 

It's clearly an economically depressed area. Like I said a while back in this thread, you drive out of the parking lot, and there are folks begging for change along the street's median. Neighborhoods surrounding the ballpark look pretty rundown, etc. Just not a great place. The Brewers would be better suited to move to a nicer area where people could also enjoy shopping, dining, bars, etc.

 

The ballpark is fine from a fan standpoint and a plain old "watching a ballgame" experience, though I still say other stadiums have better food offerings, better club stores, etc.

[MrTPlush]

Look we can try to sugarcoat the stadium and area as much as we want, but the place is not anywhere near the level of a lot of other facilities. Attanasio can get a better/newer/nicer/more high tech complex built somewhere else and that is exactly what will happen. Whether that is in Arizona or Florida I don't think it really matters...what matters is the facilities being the best they can be for the players. I doubt they move out of Arizona...I think they can find what they want locally.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

As someone who has never been to Maryvale. What part of Milwaukee would Maryvale be like?

[nate82]

As someone who has never been to Maryvale. What part of Milwaukee would Maryvale be like?

 

Maryvale is like Locust street area E of the 43 in Milwaukee. That is the best that I can think of. During the day you will be fine but do not be there late at night it is definitely not the safest part of the city to be in.

 

To also clarify the proposed new Brewers spring training facility would be in the middle of no where in Peoria. The closest gas station to the new proposed spring training facilities will be about 8 miles away. The only thing that is close other than what would be on Happy Valley is a grocery store and a few small restaurants.

 

 

This is the general area where the new proposed spring training facilities would be located at:

 

link

[Warning Track Power]

To also clarify the proposed new Brewers spring training facility would be in the middle of no where in Peoria. The closest gas station to the new proposed spring training facilities will be about 8 miles away. The only thing that is close other than what would be on Happy Valley is a grocery store and a few small restaurants.

From what I have heard from family that lives in Peoria/Glendale/Surprise, this area is the next area in Phoenix that is anticipated to see a rapid amount of development. If that is the case, then perhaps the Brewers complex will be the spark that ignites that development.

 

Nate, given your location is Phoenix, is this what you are hearing as well?

[nate82]

To also clarify the proposed new Brewers spring training facility would be in the middle of no where in Peoria. The closest gas station to the new proposed spring training facilities will be about 8 miles away. The only thing that is close other than what would be on Happy Valley is a grocery store and a few small restaurants.

From what I have heard from family that lives in Peoria/Glendale/Surprise, this area is the next area in Phoenix that is anticipated to see a rapid amount of development. If that is the case, then perhaps the Brewers complex will be the spark that ignites that development.

 

Nate, given your location is Phoenix, is this what you are hearing as well?

 

I actually live in the area of where the new proposed spring training facilities are planned.

 

It is growing but it is not as fast nor as strong as some are making it out to be. The other side closer to the 17 is definitely growing as there is a lot of construction on that side business wise. Mostly just housing where the spring training facilities would be.

[lcbj68c]

Look we can try to sugarcoat the stadium and area as much as we want, but the place is not anywhere near the level of a lot of other facilities. Attanasio can get a better/newer/nicer/more high tech complex built somewhere else and that is exactly what will happen. Whether that is in Arizona or Florida I don't think it really matters...what matters is the facilities being the best they can be for the players. I doubt they move out of Arizona...I think they can find what they want locally.

 

I concur with this. Spring Training is a nice experience. I've lived it in Florida for 11 years. I've worked law enforcement details for the Pirates in Bradenton. I've taken in many games. But I want the best Spring Training experience possible for the Brewers. I want fans to spend money at Miller Park and around the economy in Milwaukee from April into October. If better facilities, even in Florida, result in better preparation and better results, then the Brewers should do it. Practicing 15 feet from spectators instead of 5 feet be damned.

[AZBrewCrew]

Simply put...there's a reason there are never night contests at Maryvale....

[Patrick425]

Also, for reasons noted earlier in this thread, the whole bad neighborhood thing is really overblown.

 

I disagree on your opinion on Maryvale. Maybe it has improved in the six years since my wife and I went down there, but I remember the first thing we were told by someone at the hotel we were staying at was, "Yeah, most of this area is pretty good, other than Maryvale...oh, you're Brewers fans? Well, it's not so bad if you just go to the stadium..."

 

I do personally prefer that they stay in Arizona, if at all possible.

 

Well, like I said, "for reasons noted earlier in the thread", but I'll rehash I guess:

 

- I'm not saying it's not a bad neighborhood, it's just not that big of a deal. I guess for those who have a need to stay at a hotel across the street from the park it might be a big deal. Maybe I'm wrong but, I think most people rent cars when they go to ST. I believe we have been to ST in AZ something like 12 or 13 times. Our M.O. has always been to just go watch the Brewers wherever they are playing while we are there (usually about 5 games). We never stay anywhere near Maryvale (most years we have stayed near South Mountain). I don't think our drive has ever been more than 30 minutes and we have never really felt in any really serious danger when we got off the freeway and traveled north on 51st street towards the park. Last year, we stayed a little North and East of Scottsdale and our trip to the park took us a little more through the neighborhood, but again, not a big deal. Felt like driving through West Allis or something (no offense meant for anyone living in West Allis. I lived most of my life in West Allis).

- Once you are in the park, there is not any thoughts about the neighborhood. Feels completely safe. I never felt like my car was in any danger of being broken into or stolen.

- No, you don't want to stick around in the neighborhood and have dinner afterwards, but again, just get in your rental car and go to Scottsdale, downtown, Chandler, Tempe, etc. Sometimes that's a bit of a hike, but never bothered me. I'm on vacation and have all the time in the world.

- Many of the parks in AZ are not within walking distance of a hotel anyways (or at least it's a long hike).

 

Having said all that, no, I would not mind if they moved to a nicer location. I'm just saying, I really do not think about the Maryvale neighborhood that much when I attend Brewer ST games. It's a nice park that is very fan friendly (especially when it comes to accessibility to players).

 

Simply put...there's a reason there are never night contests at Maryvale....

 

Actually, we were to one night game at Maryvale. It was one of our first years there (somewhere around 2002-04?). I remember it because my son got to run around the bases under the lights after the game.

[AZBrewCrew]

I just left the scrimmage between UWM and the Brewers Sunday squad....here are some more thoughts on the whole Maryvale thing. As baseball fans and more importantly Brewers fans,we all love Maryvale because it's "accessible" and never sells out which means you can sit almost anywhere,however....from Mark Attanasios standpoint as a business man it is not entirely about the fan experience. While important,at the end of the day he is in this business to make money. Ultimately if that means moving the ST facility to a more desirable location that will generate larger crowds (read $$$) then that is what will happen. The average blonde haired blue eyed visitor from northern Wisconsin doesn't want to travel through the barrio to watch a spring training game. On a side note,there were 9 Phoenix PD officers working the game today (pretty much baseline for Maryvale)

[MrTPlush]

If more fans are coming to the games/park doesn't that mean it is a better fan experience?

 

Just curious how hard are tickets to get at other stadiums. Not price wise, but simply buying a ticket. I know someone mentioned a couple marquee match-ups, but is it really a wide spread thing over the entire schedule? Are we honestly going to be selling out Brewers spring training games even if we have a new stadium?

 

I just looked up some numbers...it looks like the teams that actually draw well are large markets. I think the Brewers would be safe. Yes you may not get 1st row seats every game, but tickets should be readily available.

[AZBrewCrew]

Pretty much all of the Cactus League teams sell out at some point during March with the exception generally being the Brewers. Obviously the proximity to LA and San Francisco help skew some numbers in favor of the Dodgers,Angels and Giants...but the Brewers are known locally as the place to go if you want to enjoy a non crowded experience

[DHonks]

The Brewers are one of the bigger draws in the Cactus League. Lots of retirees here, and lots that visit. The biggest detractor for the Brewers is the stadium neighborhood and location. It's a nice facility. I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

[MrTPlush]

The Brewers are one of the bigger draws in the Cactus League. Lots of retirees here, and lots that visit. The biggest detractor for the Brewers is the stadium neighborhood and location. It's a nice facility. I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

 

They are not...actually the #6 worst draw in all of baseball. They are the #3 worst in the Cactus League. I went back as far as 2010 and they have consistently been one of the worst draws.

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/2015/04/05/2015-spring-training-attendance-by-average/

[FVBrewerFan]

I don't care where it is, but they need a new ST / Rookie league home, not to mention A+ and AAA.

[Patrick425]

The Brewers are one of the bigger draws in the Cactus League. Lots of retirees here, and lots that visit. The biggest detractor for the Brewers is the stadium neighborhood and location. It's a nice facility. I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

 

 

DHonks, you live in the Phoenix area, correct? I guess if I lived there I may be a little more selective with how far I want to drive, but for someone who is only there for a week to see ST games, I'm pretty much just going to go to wherever the Brewers are playing every day while I'm there. Milwaukee traffic is not bad, but I live in Waukesha and work in downtown Milwaukee, so I drive 30-40 minutes each way to work every day (and now through the Zoo interchange construction). I've been doing that for 25+ years, so I guess I may just be use to driving and traffic. I just always thought getting to any of the parks in AZ was pretty easy. We were even going to go down to see a game in Tucson once (when there were teams down there and the Brewers were scheduled to play there). However, my son (who I think was 5 or 6 at the time) got the flu, so we did not go.

 

I would not be opposed at all to a nice new ST facility in a nice area of town (as long as it stayed in AZ!). There are some really nice parks they have built over the last several years in AZ. I really enjoyed the Dodgers facility last time we were out there (It was a really pleasant walk through a park like setting from where we parked to the stadium). I just don't have the issues with Maryvale that others seem to have. The facility has always felt really welcoming to us. So, while a new park would be nice, I would also not be disappointed if they stayed in Maryvale for another 10 years.

[jerichoholicninja]

Slightly off topic but still relevant, how much longer is the Phoenix area going to grow? The end of the boomers are getting near retirement and a good chunk of them will probably end up there but what after that? Also, as the first wave of retirees starts to die are there going to be enough young people moving there to replace them? I don't know if anyone really has an answer for that but I'm just thinking of the last time I was there which was 5 years ago I couldn't believe all the construction and expansion that was going on. That bubble burst has to be in sight, right? They're going to run out of people, money, or desert at some point.

 

I bring that up because the taxpayers are going to be paying for a big part of this or any other team's complex. Is the public money going to be there for this or more importantly will there be the public support especially when a large part of the population is on a fixed income. I'd assume the same issues would arise in Florida.

[Warning Track Power]

I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

It's interesting hearing this. The family I have that was raised in Arizona versus the family that was raised in Wisconsin have totally different views on what is and is not close. The distances between Goodyear, Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa are nothing to the family who grew up in Arizona as they are used to driving some distance daily. Whereas, the family that grew up in Wisconsin think it's an all day trip driving from Wauwatosa to St. Francis. Funny to see the difference in perspectives.

[AZBrewCrew]

Slightly off topic but still relevant, how much longer is the Phoenix area going to grow? The end of the boomers are getting near retirement and a good chunk of them will probably end up there but what after that? Also, as the first wave of retirees starts to die are there going to be enough young people moving there to replace them? I don't know if anyone really has an answer for that but I'm just thinking of the last time I was there which was 5 years ago I couldn't believe all the construction and expansion that was going on. That bubble burst has to be in sight, right? They're going to run out of people, money, or desert at some point.

 

I bring that up because the taxpayers are going to be paying for a big part of this or any other team's complex. Is the public money going to be there for this or more importantly will there be the public support especially when a large part of the population is on a fixed income. I'd assume the same issues would arise in Florida.

 

The growth will stop when water supply becomes a true issue. As of now there is no end in sight at all. There are still new developments breaking ground on a daily basis

[FVBrewerFan]

They're going to run out of people, money, or desert at some point.

 

You've been there, safe to say they're not going to run out of desert. But to your point, yea, there's no way the Phoenix metro can continue to grow at the same pace indefinitely.

[FVBrewerFan]

I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

It's interesting hearing this. The family I have that was raised in Arizona versus the family that was raised in Wisconsin have totally different views on what is and is not close. The distances between Goodyear, Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa are nothing to the family who grew up in Arizona as they are used to driving some distance daily. Whereas, the family that grew up in Wisconsin think it's an all day trip driving from Wauwatosa to St. Francis. Funny to see the difference in perspectives.

 

It is interesting. When we go to ST, we often stay in Chandler/Gilbert area and drive to Maryvale or other parks each day. In fact, not uncommon for us to drive from Chandler to Maryvale, drive all the way back, then drive to Scottsdale or somewhere for dinner. Some people may think that's nuts, but it just doesn't seem like a big deal to drive all over the place each day.

[1992casey]

Following one's team around the Phoenix area would be nothing compared to following one's team around Florida. And it's also nothing for those who travel 1,800 miles to do it. Keep in mind that fans travel to Miller Park from all over southern Wisconsin, sometimes several times a week.

 

I could see where someone living around Phoenix might be a little more choosy. But if I lived there, I'd probably choose my games based on the times and dates that were convenient rather than the location of the games.

[Patrick425]

I refuse to drive to the Goodyear or Camelback ranch facilities, and Mesa's too far for me. I'll try to catch the Brewers in Scottsdale, Maryvale, Peoria, or Surprise.

It's interesting hearing this. The family I have that was raised in Arizona versus the family that was raised in Wisconsin have totally different views on what is and is not close. The distances between Goodyear, Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa are nothing to the family who grew up in Arizona as they are used to driving some distance daily. Whereas, the family that grew up in Wisconsin think it's an all day trip driving from Wauwatosa to St. Francis. Funny to see the difference in perspectives.

 

It is interesting. When we go to ST, we often stay in Chandler/Gilbert area and drive to Maryvale or other parks each day. In fact, not uncommon for us to drive from Chandler to Maryvale, drive all the way back, then drive to Scottsdale or somewhere for dinner. Some people may think that's nuts, but it just doesn't seem like a big deal to drive all over the place each day.

 

We do pretty much exactly the same thing FVBrewerFan. So, I don't think it's nuts. We have stayed many years at a place near Baseline road and south 32nd street and go to Maryvale and back (or even Surprise) and back, then go out to Scottsdale, Tempe, Downtown, etc at night for dinner. It's usually nice, sunny, dry....great driving conditions. I'm with my family, we are on vacation, listening to vacation music mixes in the car as we are driving....don't mind it at all.

[MrTPlush]

Wow that is far? I grew up where going to Wal Mart took about 30minutes. Driving from one baseball game to another in only 30minutes...I could only dream.

 

Then again some of you would be totally fine taking 20 minutes to drive through 5 miles of city traffic. Me? I want to cry.

[homer]

They're going to run out of people, money, or desert at some point.

 

You've been there, safe to say they're not going to run out of desert. But to your point, yea, there's no way the Phoenix metro can continue to grow at the same pace indefinitely.

 

 

Probably run out of water first.