We have what Jim Collins called a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” of bringing Major League Baseball to Albany. I envision bringing the Tampa Bay Rays here someway, somehow and creating the Tech Valley Nanos (or maybe the Upstate New York Rays).<\/p>\n
What will this do for the Capital Region from an HR perspective?<\/p>\n
1. For the players on opposing teams in the American League East, there would be less travel.<\/p>\n
2. For fans of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Orioles (and Toronto), companies could offer incentives\/tickets for their fans to visit their teams on the road here in Albany.<\/p>\n
3. For food service companies in the capital region, having a location inside a baseball stadium would give 81 additional days of business (and potentially new permanent jobs).<\/p>\n
4. I foresee a food service element much like at Fenway, where food outlets could be open outside the stadium year round while serving a larger crowd during games. The street outside Tech Valley Stadium could be closed off during games to give a feel like outside of Fenway.<\/p>\n
5. The facility could be built in such a way to allow convention tie ins with the soon to be built Albany Convention Center, or perhaps be used as a concert venue with 40-50000 seats that could allow other incentives for employees of local companies.<\/p>\n
I’m excited at the possibilities bringing baseball here to Albany could bring. Whether I convince Rays ownership to move here or am able to find the right investors and collaborators to make this happen, the thought that this could actually happen someday excites me.<\/p>\n