Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 4, 1994 TAG: 9405040032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tuesday's election is history, and maybe all the recent talk will lead to action. It's time Victory Stadium was history, too.
Yes, Roanoke needs a stadium. Victory Stadium is the biggest municipal stadium in the state. The 24,540 permanent seats makes it the state's third- largest stadium, behind Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium and Virginia's Scott Stadium. Roanoke, however, doesn't need a stadium that large.
It certainly doesn't need a stadium that large in disrepair, which is what Victory Stadium has been for more than a few years - and that's being kind. And the locker rooms are in worse condition than the exterior of the stadium.
Among the opinions expressed by council candidates was one proposal to spend about $700,000 to repair the facility. That wouldn't be enough. Besides, the only events that draw large crowds to the stadium aren't sports events. So, use that money to build a nice band shell or music pavilion with a large grassy area for picnics, festivals and outdoor concerts.
The two Roanoke City high schools need a place for football games, but they don't draw decent crowds. Tech and UVa haven't played football in the Star City in two decades and won't again. There has been some interest in playing a VMI-Marshall game at Victory Stadium, but the projected attendance isn't likely to cover the desired financial guarantees.
When the Roanoke Valley originally wanted to bid for the NCAA's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the bid was going to be made for Victory Stadium. It was changed to Salem, which splendidly staged a sellout in December. It was changed because the Roanoke stadium was too big and needed too much renovation to properly hold a national championship event.
There has been some talk about building a field house for indoor track and recreational facilities for youngsters. That's a good idea.
It seems Salem is going to vote to build a new ballpark for the Buccaneers, but that shouldn't keep Roanoke from having its own decent baseball facility. There's a lack of good baseball fields in the Roanoke Valley. The city's Maher Field - which faces exactly the wrong way for a baseball game - needs to go, too. If a new stadium is going to be built at the present location, use Maher for parking.
The best place for any stadium/ballpark would be adjacent to downtown Roanoke, within reasonable walking distance of restaurants and businesses. Check other cities that recently have built outdoor sports facilities downtown, from the majors down to the Class A minors.
Not only are the facilities successful, but they've added vibrancy to those downtowns. If the stadium is going to be used for festival weekends, think of the increased business the park could bring to downtown. And as long as Salem has minor-league baseball, Roanoke won't.
This is a back-burner issue to be sure, but wherever a new stadium is built, make it a multipurpose facility. It doesn't need to have more than 10,000 seats. It can be built to accommodate football, soccer and baseball. And put an all-season restaurant in the park with office space and maybe a museum, like the Roanoke-Salem Baseball Hall of Fame, if Salem's new ballpark doesn't include Hall space.
If the city is going to build a first-class track-and-field facility, it must decide whether it wants to open the track for walking and running by its citizens. If that's what the city wants, it doesn't want a track that will lure college and Olympic-style events, because heavy usage by the public will diminish the facility's quality.
If that's what the city wants, it should simply tear down one side of Victory Stadium, renovate what's left, change the field configuration to accommodate soccer and football and pave a wider asphalt track around the field. That would serve the city's needs. That type of facility, however, isn't likely to lure events that would bring tourism dollars to the valley.
Victory Stadium's 52 years include a lot of wonderful history. It's mostly ancient history, however. Roanoke doesn't just need a new stadium. It should want one.
\ WHAT DO YOU THINK?: Fix it up? Tear it down? Let it crumble? Sell it to Whitey Taylor for stock car racing? Fill in the end zones and flood it to create Lake Reserve Avenue? Write Jack Bogaczyk with your opinion on the future of Victory Stadium. Write to Jack at the newspaper, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, 24010. Or fax your letter to 981-3392.o
by CNB