First off i'm only talking about what to do with stadiums: construction of them, the amount of seats, what to do with vacated land they will leave behind. Other UAB improvements are off the subject and is another topic.
Do you have any idea of the amount of smaller attendance events are held at Legion Field (In a stadium that seats 70,000)? Dozens......iterally! lol. It would make much more sense for those "dozens" of aunnal events be held in the city and in a fresh new facility downtown (like the new UAB stadium) than canceling the events all together, moving them out of the city, or trying to have them held in the new dome (that will already be packed with events).
And thats the whole point in my "idea of this thing" UAB wont be playing at the dome......70,000 or 80,0000????? Im talking about 35,000-40,000 seat stadium for UAB, there are about 18,000-20,000 people on average for home games.....and 30,000-35,000 for homecoming. The nightlife is already in place so that will give plenty to do after the games. And having a stadium on campus is a HUGE tool to give schools more of a campus feel than commuting feel (not to mention that i'm a sopohmore in college now and if it wasnt for our events at our stadium, college life would be much different)
Also Birmingham host a number of soccer games per year and the UAB stadium would be perfect for those events, also high school and college band competions (inwhich are held almost every weekend during football season; not to mention they can draw up to 25,000 people).
When the dome is built and up and running with all its surrounding development, we will have tons of events held there and they wont have time for smaller events that were once held at legion field...and also for bowl games....before ppl come they do research to see how the venue is and etc. and just by the event being held downtown, in a well lite area, clubs and restaurants near by (entertainment district), hotels (with average up to lux priced rooms) in walking distance or 4-5 blocks to them: I'm sure 25-35% more ppl will commit to traveling and attending. 25-35 percent thats alot more ppl.
ANd having both the stadiums in the city center will be like Nashville having the titians stadium and vandy's stadium pratically downtown together. And both of them have there own entertainment districts and hotels nearby and even more in other spots downtown.
