maha Mayor Mike Fahey is continuing his effort to have a new $140 million downtown stadium built without the approval or blessing from many Omaha voters. The plan is to build the new stadium on Qwest Center parking lots C & E. The proposal also includes using the former Pinnacle plant property on 10th and Capitol Avenue for temporary replacement parking.
       
The mayor won support from MECA (Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority) a few weeks ago, although one MECA member, former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub had some reservations about financing the project. A contract would be awarded to MECA to manage the new stadium.

The plan is to build a new stadium is an effort to keep the CWS in Omaha for another 20 to 25 years. NCAA officials have threatened to move the event to another location after the current contract expires in 2010 unless certain conditions are met. The city feels it is in the best interest to build a new stadium rather then make more improvements to Rosenblatt Stadium which has been home to the CWS for more than 50 years.

A seven-member Omaha delegation, including Mayor Fahey, met with the NCAA's top officials last week in Indianapolis to discuss the plan. Although no verbal commitment for a long-term contract was made by the NCAA, both sides considered the meeting productive.

The NCAA, which owns the CWS, wants more information about revenue opportunities for their organization. They are seeking partial revenues from such areas as selling the naming rights to the new stadium, skybox and premium seating sales and an adjustment in the current formula for splitting the CWS ticket, food and merchandise receipts. The city has been counting on these new sources of income to help pay for the construction.

NCAA officials are planning a trip to Omaha this week for further discussion on these issues. Fahey hopes to have a final contract signed by June 10th, before the start of this year's CWS.

Although the Omaha Royals and Creighton University are still in discussions to decide if they will use the new stadium, there has been no commitment from either party. There seems to be fewer issues involving Creighton than the Royals. Financial aspects of the deal and the scheduling impact on the Pacific Coast League being the most predominant. 

So what will happen to Rosenblatt Stadium, the current home of the CWS? It will most likely be demolished and made into additional parking for the Henry Doorley Zoo. There has been a suggestion to bring in another attraction such as a Great Wolf Lodge but nothing has been determined as of yet.

I personally have mixed feelings about this issue. I have been delighted to see all the new developments in downtown and the riverfront but being originally from South Omaha, I have to admit the thought of tearing down Rosenblatt Stadium brings a tear to my eye.

Over the years, I've witnessed millions of dollars poured into making massive improvements to this structure. The CWS has always been about family entertainment and what better way to emphasize that than the neighborhood atmosphere that surrounds Rosenblatt? One of the reasons for building the new stadium is to do away with the carnival-type merchandise tents and beer gardens that appear along 13th Street during the games but I found that to be almost as entertaining as the games themselves. The city already dismantled Dingerville, the temporary RV park that attracted hundreds to the games each year. The tradition had been in place since the 80's but campers were evicted last year when the city needed the space to expand the fan fest area around the stadium.

The new stadium will most likely be much grander and more sterile looking than Rosenblatt. It will also be a great addition to our ever-changing skyline downtown but it will never have that hometown feel about it that many think is what baseball is all about.