Capitalizing on Stadia Investment through Strategic Integration with the Urban Neighborhood A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the department of Architecture of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning by Emily Adams Bachelor of Science in Architecture University of Cincinnati May 2015 Committee Chair: M. McInturf, M.Arch. Committee Member: A. Kanekar, Ph.D. ii Abstract Sports have a special place in many people’s hearts. Stadiums create a venue for fans to witness their teams duke it out against competition in an emotional atmosphere riddled with tradition. While stadiums have been part of regions’ major infrastructure since Ancient Greek and Roman times, costs of modern stadiums have soared in recent years. The extreme investment associated with new stadiums is a hurdle for both cities and franchises. Stakeholders in stadium infrastructure can only capitalize on their investment by scheduling a variety of different types of entertainment to draw from the largest possible customer base. For a stadium to be an integral part of the urban fabric, it must perform at a much higher utilization rate than today’s standard. Local businesses must be incorporated into plans for stadia development. To better serve the diverse user group, a surround of hospitality spaces including bars, restaurants, and hotels must be present to allow for a customizable experience. Ease of transportation is another vital component of a successful stadium district. Ultimately, experiences hosted in stadia need to be versatile enough to excite a wide variety of users and offer them a customizable experience to cater to their personal traditions. Cincinnati, Ohio is home to a rich sports history. Traditionally, Reds baseball has been the talk of the town. Most recently however, soccer has moved to the forefront of the sports scene. While the city has never been able to successfully house a long-term professional soccer team, Carl Lindner, owner of recently founded Fútbol Club Cincinnati, is determined to secure a bid into Major League Soccer. In addition to strong financial standing and signed sponsors, the club is responsible for the addition of a soccer specific stadium to house the team. The city of Cincinnati, notoriously the home of bad stadium deals, is wary of the addition of yet another sports facility. A thorough investigation of urban site conditions led the stadium to Newport, Kentucky, a riverfront neighborhood in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The development of the stadium as an urban artery on the existing vacant site led to exciting opportunities regarding the revitalization of the community. A unique landscape, uninterrupted cityscape views, and new publically funded infrastructure are the foundation of the extension of Cincinnati’s dense urban core across the Ohio River. iii This Page is Intentionally Left Blank iv Table of Contents List of Tables / Figures v List of Illustration vi Introduction 1 Home Court Advantage 1 Viewer Experience 3 Cultural Context 5 Multipurpose Sports Venues 6 Madison Square Garden 7 Barclays Center 9 Intra-Sport Sharing 10 Professional-Collegiate Sharing 12 Public Stadia 13 Experiential Programming 14 Tailgating 14 Food and Beverage 15 Hotels 16 Commercial Offices 17 Residences 17 Cincinnati Sports History 18 Baseball 18 Tennis 19 Collegiate Sports 21 Football 22 Basketball 22 Hockey 23 Soccer 23 Cincinnati Sports Venues 26 Football Club Cincinnati 28 Stadium Siting 30 Oakley 33 West End 34 Newport 34 Development Plans 35 Interstitial Space 38 Conclusion 39 v List of Tables / Figures vi List of Illustration Illustration 1: Cincinnati Sports Facilities 30 Illustration 2: Fútbol Club Cincinnati Top Ticket Sales by Zip-Code 31 Illustration 3: Ideal Stadium Site Region 32 1 Introduction Sport has been an aspect of civilizations for thousands of years. Whether for entertainment or military training, sport has always had a strong following. Today, megastructures are being erected to allow for the mass viewing of sporting competitions. Stadia are a very complex building typology. Not only are they rooted in oversized footprints and serve a wide demographic of users, they also represent a major capital investment made by teams and regions that inherently reshape the surrounding environment. Success for sports franchises is obviously measured in winning records and championship titles; however, sports teams are also businesses managing capital and cognizant of the bottom line. Stadiums are major elements of a city’s infrastructure and require large investments. Like any investment, it is important to understand the return. Urich and Benkenstein of the Institute of Marketing and Services Research at the University of Rostock found that “stadium atmosphere is also likely to influence long-term internal and behavior variables. Team sport events can be categorized as atmosphere dominant services, which means that the experience of atmosphere is a pivotal factor in the popularity of these events”1. It is essential to note that the magnitude of the siting and design of the stadium contribute to building a fan base and, ultimately, a team’s long-term success. Home Court Advantage With the analysis of successful environmental qualities, sports infrastructure can inspire an emotional tie and allegiance to teams. “Because long-term psychological factors such as identification with the team or the image of the club, and behavioral variables such as purchases 1 Uhrich, Sebastian, and Martin Benkenstein. "Journal of Sport Management." Sport Stadium Atmosphere: Formative and Reflective Indicators for Operationalizing the Construct 24 (2010), 229. 2 of season tickets or club membership, can therefore be positively influenced by a good stadium atmosphere.”1 This loyalty or allegiance directly translates into “an emotional attachment to place and perceived safety and security.”2 Stadia are an incredible example of how users dramatically influence an environment to create an atmosphere. Sports venues sit stagnant until fans transform the building from a sports field or court into a game day experience. Athletes have a lot demanded of them. They are physically pushed to the edge and mentally stressed with the gravity of their performance. Sports fans are familiar with the concept of a “home-court advantage.” Playing at home is considered a major advantage in matchups. Athletes are not only familiar with the facilities but can also expect a less hostile fan atmosphere. “While sports fans typically don’t have any effect or influence on an athlete’s physical ability, fans have the power to make or break some professionals’ psyche and can enhance or undermine concentration.”3 Sports arenas create a unique environment where two very different users, fans and players, ultimately converge. The athletes’ performances influence the fans, and the fans’ behavior influences the athletes’ performances. While a “home court advantages” is a mainstream concept in the sports world, it is not often coupled with environmental psychology within architecture. According to Sebastian Uhrich and Martin Benkenstein of Human Kinetics, “environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary area of research that provides various theories to explain the interdependencies between environmental characteristics and human perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and behavioral reactions.” 1 Though individuals do not physically reside within stadia, “concepts of home are often tied to place meanings; both terms identify a state of mind and…what a place 1 Uhrich. "Journal of Sport Management." Sport Stadium Atmosphere, 212-229. 2 Kopec, David Alan. Environmental Psychology for Design. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Fairchild Books (2012), 175. 3 "The Psychology of Sports Fans: How Fans Affect Players." Psychology Educator. August 15, 2013. 3 means to someone.”2 A subject interviewed in the “Journal of Sports Management” study explained that “the feeling when you come into the stadium is just overwhelming. The crowd…is really…insane. You feel real emotion. It kind of gives me a high.”1 Kopec explains that this type of high, or: Intense emotion can be inextricably woven into a physical place, thereby forming meaning or an identity. This is why places are so important to people: They provide paths to self-identity by way of memories and emotional attachment.”2 Franchises leverage this type of attachment through season ticket renewals. Youngsters who have grown up with exposure to the energy and camaraderie present at major sporting events will follow their elders’ lead to secure tickets and continue the generational aspect of sport. This lineage of loyalty can ultimately be responsible for the financial success of sports franchises and is founded in the environment the stadium is capable of providing. Viewer Experience So often today designers allow for the dominance of vision over the other senses. Stadia are a unique construct in that regard as they are one of the few venues that allow other senses to transcend. Spectators’ favorite sports venues are not loved merely for the way they look, but instead for their complete atmosphere. What makes up a great atmosphere is a balance of sensory details. Hard and soft, loud and quiet, light and heavy, are all descriptions of spaces that trigger senses beyond that of vision. After all, loyal audiences fill up entire arenas from courtside all the way up to the “nose bleeds” where sightlines are oftentimes