Drake and Des Moines Public Schools New Stadium

[JTFB]

DMPS Community Stadium at Drake University

Home to Drake soccer and DMPS Football teams, 4,000 seat Facility.

19.5 Million Dollars. 15 Million from DMPS, Drake will do remainder. Drake will Donate land, and manage stadium.

Open Summer 2021. Pending Approval from School Boards.

 

[franky1967]

DMPS Community Stadium at Drake University

Home to Drake soccer and DMPS Football teams, 4,000 seat Facility.

19.5 Million Dollars. 15 Million from DMPS, Drake will do remainder. Drake will Donate land, and manage stadium.

Open Summer 2021. Pending Approval from School Boards.

That seems like a small seating capacity for Drake and the amount of money. You would think between the two entities they would think bigger.

How many schools would share it?

 

[JTFB]

That seems like a small seating capacity for Drake and the amount of money. You would think between the two entities they would think bigger.

How many schools would share it?

Lincoln, North, East, Roosevelt

I think the whole point was to have a smaller stadium for both soccer, and DMPS football. When Roosevelt plays at Drake Stadium, it seems like there is hardly anyone there. Even the nicest stadium in the Metro (Valley) Seats ~7,500 and is only full 1-2 times a year when it is Valley Dowling.

I think 4,000 is the right size for the schools that will be playing there.

 

[franky1967]

Lincoln, North, East, Roosevelt

I think the whole point was to have a smaller stadium for both soccer, and DMPS football. When Roosevelt plays at Drake Stadium, it seems like there is hardly anyone there. Even the nicest stadium in the Metro (Valley) Seats ~7,500 and is only full 1-2 times a year when it is Valley Dowling.

I think 4,000 is the right size for the schools that will be playing there.

Waterloo East and West share Memorial Stadium, I can't imagine more than two high school teams sharing a stadium, unless they all played each other or do those 4 schools have their own Stadium ad a alternate?

I just don't see 4 schools getting many home games, unless they play Thursday night or double headers

 

[DodgerAlum]

All but Roosevelt already have their own stadiums.

 

[JTFB]

Waterloo East and West share Memorial Stadium, I can't imagine more than two high school teams sharing a stadium, unless they all played each other or do those 4 schools have their own Stadium ad a alternate?

I just don't see 4 schools getting many home games, unless they play Thursday night or double headers

Wouldn't be any different than Cedar Rapids or Sioux City, 1 home game Thursday, 1 Friday.

 

[JTFB]

All but Roosevelt already have their own stadiums.

I would hardly call them stadiums. North is terrible, and so is Lincoln. Just having Field Turf for all the schools will be a major improvement.

 

[DodgerAlum]

Agree. The locker rooms and seating aren't much at all. I think at North and Hoover, teams have to use the school to shower, etc. Lincoln's grass is always dead.
Tuft definitely an improvement for them all.

 

[Reasoned]

Wouldn't be any different than Cedar Rapids or Sioux City, 1 home game Thursday, 1 Friday.

Or Davenport Public Schools (3 teams) + Assumption & St. Ambrose sharing Brady St Stadium (at least until St Ambrose/Assumption complete their stadium).

 

[3buzzmable]

JTFB,

You seem pretty connected to this. You didn’t mention Hoover, but I assume they will play there too. Lower level games at “home” stadiums with varsity at the new complex? With five teams, every other week there would be three home games. Doesn’t mesh. The only thing that makes sense to me is that games are played at both this facility and Drake stadium. Or East continues to play at Williams. Can you continue to provide more details to correct my thinking?

 

[JTFB]

JTFB,

You seem pretty connected to this. You didn’t mention Hoover, but I assume they will play there too. Lower level games at “home” stadiums with varsity at the new complex? With five teams, every other week there would be three home games. Doesn’t mesh. The only thing that makes sense to me is that games are played at both this facility and Drake stadium. Or East continues to play at Williams. Can you continue to provide more details to correct my thinking?

I appoligize I misspoke, East will still play at Williams, Hoover will play at new stadium.

 

[GoBigD6788]

Wait. What? Why would Hoover play at Drake when they have a perfectly good stadium (with really nice grass)?

 

[JTFB]

Wait. What? Why would Hoover play at Drake when they have a perfectly good stadium (with really nice grass)?

If i were smart enough to upload the picture of Hoover's Field from Google Images, you can easily see how much wear their field has gotten, with all the practices, along with band, Soccer, and youth sports the natural grass fields are just not able to keep in nice condition, let alone the safety behind the field turf, as opposed to a hard natural grass field.

Will still be a great field for soccer and stadium for track. And obviously they are still going to practice there I would think...

 

[mtdew_fever]

Where would this new stadium potentially be built?

I know several years ago a proposed stadium site was downtown DSM in the flood plane just north of Grays Lake.

 

[JTFB]

Where would this new stadium potentially be built?

I know several years ago a proposed stadium site was downtown DSM in the flood plane just north of Grays Lake.

They said just East of the Drake Basketball complex.

 

[bobbyboy44]

Odd how over the years times change. Graduated from Marshalltiwn in 1964, Lincoln had one of the best places to play in Central Iowa. Plus they played pretty good football.

 

[franky1967]

Odd how over the years times change. Graduated from Marshalltiwn in 1964, Lincoln had one of the best places to play in Central Iowa. Plus they played pretty good football.

Thanks, I don't feel so old now. I think Lincoln and DM East had pretty good programs in that time frame.

You were in high school just a few years before the Big 8 was formed. It was called the Big 6 with Mason City, Ft Dodge, Wat East, Wat West, Cedar Falls and DM East.

However in Football Cedar Falls never played DM East the whole time

 

[tnobd]

Anything the DMPS system can do to boost football participation is a plus. A comfortable safe well lit facility with adequate parking is a plus for the players . If I were a non district opponent I would want to schedule games there also. if just 4 teams, then you could schedule Thursday and Friday night games weekly on a home and away basis.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Would a stadium east of Drake be safe?


QUOTE="tnobd, post: 176411, member: 1166"]Anything the DMPS system can do to boost football participation is a plus. A comfortable safe well lit facility with adequate parking is a plus for the players . If I were a non district opponent I would want to schedule games there also. if just 4 teams, then you could schedule Thursday and Friday night games weekly on a home and away basis.[/QUOTE]

 

[tnobd]

Would a stadium complex managed by Drake not be safe?

 

[mtdew_fever]

I am thinking more of walking to your car after the game at night. Parking would be an issue.

More so, have you been east of Drake at night?

Would a stadium complex managed by Drake not be safe?

 

[GoBigD6788]

I am thinking more of walking to your car after the game at night. Parking would be an issue.

More so, have you been east of Drake at night?

This is a ridiculous statement. The Drake neighborhood is perfectly fine.

 

[tnobd]

Like in other communities if you build projects like this you get an opportunity to gentrify those areas?

 

[cidhawkeye]

This is a ridiculous statement. The Drake neighborhood is perfectly fine.

Definitely depends on how narrowly you define that neighborhood.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I have had some experiences that would suggest otherwise.

West of Drake, not bad. East of Drake, not as much.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Drake neighborhood is perfectly fine.

 

[stickman80]

Anything the DMPS system can do to boost football participation is a plus. A comfortable safe well lit facility with adequate parking is a plus for the players . If I were a non district opponent I would want to schedule games there also. if just 4 teams, then you could schedule Thursday and Friday night games weekly on a home and away basis.

This is a foolish waste of money.

If you go to these teams games, it is pitiful the number of fans in attendance. Area 3A schools put more people in the stands for their JV games than the metro schools do for varsity. Any bump you would get in attendance by playing in a nice new stadium would be very short lived and hardly worth the price tag for a school district in need of money.

As far as safety with the existing fields here is what I see. Not all the schools are going to be able to play all their non varsity level games on 1 field. Obviously there is still going to be a need to maintain those "unsafe" fields for the lower levels of players to play on SOOOOOO.....you are still going to have the cost to maintain those fields PLUS you are still going to have kids playing on fields some are claiming to be unsafe.

To me the obvious solution is to put some money into these "unsafe" fields and most importantly find a way for these teams to be more competitive. More competitive games will put more A$$E$ in the seats and can be accomplished by a 5A system or consolidation of the metro doormat teams.

Get these teams competitive and generating a few dollars then maybe talk about spending money for a new stadium somewhere especially when we are talking about a sport which appears to be in a state of decline.

 

[franky1967]

This is a foolish waste of money.

If you go to these teams games, it is pitiful the number of fans in attendance. Area 3A schools put more people in the stands for their JV games than the metro schools do for varsity. Any bump you would get in attendance by playing in a nice new stadium would be very short lived and hardly worth the price tag for a school district in need of money.

As far as safety with the existing fields here is what I see. Not all the schools are going to be able to play all their non varsity level games on 1 field. Obviously there is still going to be a need to maintain those "unsafe" fields for the lower levels of players to play on SOOOOOO.....you are still going to have the cost to maintain those fields PLUS you are still going to have kids playing on fields some are claiming to be unsafe.

To me the obvious solution is to put some money into these "unsafe" fields and most importantly find a way for these teams to be more competitive. More competitive games will put more A$$E$ in the seats and can be accomplished by a 5A system or consolidation of the metro doormat teams.

Get these teams competitive and generating a few dollars then maybe talk about spending money for a new stadium somewhere especially when we are talking about a sport which appears to be in a state of decline.

Well I can tell you a 5a of 4a Finals every year with Dowling/Valley will be the nail in the coffin. If the other schools cannot produce any D1 athletes and can't afford o attend Dowling or move to Valley School district.

They are not going to go out for football to be used as tackling dummies for these two schools

 

[mtdew_fever]

I agree with Stick.

Sounds like Drake would be getting a good deal by making DMPS pay for most of the upfront costs

DSM residents approved for a property tax increase to improve the schools. Doubtful they can get them to vote again for another increase to fund a stadium.

As Stick suggests, why not just improve what they have? That would be half the cost.....plus keep their home field in their part of town. Lincoln's facilities could be decent if they improved the field.

This is a foolish waste of money.

If you go to these teams games, it is pitiful the number of fans in attendance. Area 3A schools put more people in the stands for their JV games than the metro schools do for varsity. Any bump you would get in attendance by playing in a nice new stadium would be very short lived and hardly worth the price tag for a school district in need of money.

As far as safety with the existing fields here is what I see. Not all the schools are going to be able to play all their non varsity level games on 1 field. Obviously there is still going to be a need to maintain those "unsafe" fields for the lower levels of players to play on SOOOOOO.....you are still going to have the cost to maintain those fields PLUS you are still going to have kids playing on fields some are claiming to be unsafe.

To me the obvious solution is to put some money into these "unsafe" fields and most importantly find a way for these teams to be more competitive. More competitive games will put more A$$E$ in the seats and can be accomplished by a 5A system or consolidation of the metro doormat teams.

Get these teams competitive and generating a few dollars then maybe talk about spending money for a new stadium somewhere especially when we are talking about a sport which appears to be in a state of decline.

 

[stickman80]

Well I can tell you a 5a of 4a Finals every year with Dowling/Valley will be the nail in the coffin. If the other schools cannot produce any D1 athletes and can't afford o attend Dowling or move to Valley School district.

They are not going to go out for football to be used as tackling dummies for these two schools

All depends how a 5A would be split. I'm starting to really like a 5A with a reduced number of teams that is by something other than enrollment (IE invite, RPI, ect.)

I could see the DM Public schools able to get some traction in their programs if they faced a schedule largely consisting of non suburban 4A and bedroom town 3A teams. Not saying they are automatically going to rule 4A but I think they could be competitive to a point of being able to get better participation and fan base.

As for the current suburban 4A schools in that scenario where they suddenly have a whole season of tough games with no breathers against DM 4A teams....you have the numbers. Develop and play more of those kids in your new meat grinder schedule.