Quote Originally Posted by tkelly1986 View Post
There have been rumors that George was even ticked off about Gilbert's development because he thought the DECG should be running the show and all development should go through him.
This struck me because I was recently thinking about what the DEGC thought about Gilbert's plans. I know the announcements typically seem to include them, but it does feel like Gilbert is being looked at as the man behind revitalizing downtown when for years the DEGC used that as their identity.

On the plan...I have mixed feelings. I would prefer this idea to a Walmart. However, I myself found it odd that the MLB cannot fund this idea on their own. Seriously...the MLB cannot afford $5-6 million for an academy to be built? Granted, they may be taking on the long term costs of paying instructors & upkeep [[I don't know). But honestly, I would like to see something on a grander scale at the site considering it's taking this long to develop. It's a lot of land in a community that's making a few strides for the better. Perhaps something that blends housing and retail would be a better fit.

I once had a pipe dream that an MLS soccer stadium would be built there, but I woke up :P