Stadium Study Drags On...And On...

The San Francisco Bay Area is on the verge of moving from last to first in sports venues. As displayed earlier this week with the spectacle of the Major League All-Star Game at AT&T Park, several of the region's major sports franchises like the Giants are enjoying new confines. The conclusion of the much anticipated decision on the 49ers new address will be a culmination and completion to a long process of turning over outdated facilities in favor of new ones. For fans, a new facility is a nicer place to watch a game because the design and technology of sports facilities has improved. These benefits, however, can be offset if a new facility is less convenient, whether that translates into longer travel times to the stadium or more headaches in the parking lot. All the proposed facilities involving the 49ers have fan convenience problems.

Hunters Point, (left) one of the sites under consideration by the 49ers, is farther from Highway 101 than the team's current home, Monster Park. The other proposed site, Great America, is near Highways 101 and 237, but lacks nearby mass transit. More worrisome for the fans, the smaller Great America site would require a parking structure, which is less suited for tailgating and takes longer to enter and exit. Currently, the 49ers' fan base is centered in San Mateo County, with many from the North Bay. If the 49ers move to Santa Clara, the fan base would shift south, because travel times would increase for fans from San Francisco, Oakland and other points north. The original 49ers plan was to replace Candlestick with a stadium, a shopping center and perhaps a gambling casino.

Santa Clara will be spending over $100,000 for research on a stadium feasibility outline. Mayor Patricia Mahan says the stadium plan will take a long time to review. Santa Clara is six-months into a review of building a massive football stadium complex (right) for the 49ers on a huge city-owned parking lot being leased by Great America Amusement Park. Santa Clara is being asked to contribute $160 million to the proposed $850 million price tag for a potential South Bay stadium complex and in return, reap the benefits of having the tourism dollars associated with an NFL team.

However, the city of San Francisco hasn't had their final kick at the can on this and probably aren't ready to part with those tourism and event dollars just yet. Stay tuned.