Some Lowertown Residents Don't Want New Saints Ballpark

The new ballpark has been hailed by the Saints, politicians and local businesses as a great addition to Lowertown. But, some of the people who live there year round tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they see things a little differently. They say the new ballpark just adds to a long list of growing concerns for hundreds of people who live in apartments near the new stadium.

Matthew Rucker, President of the Northern Warehouse Condominiums, says the stadium will attract 400-thousand people year round. Rucker says there already is a terrible lack of parking space in Lowertown and the ballpark will only complicate it. Rucker also says it will be more difficult for smaller businesses to attract new clients because a lot of them are artists and, he says, their clients will be discouraged from coming to Lowertown because of poor parking and congestion.

Rucker told us most of the people who will be the Saints neighbors are artists and if property taxes go up and property values go up, then rent payments will likely go up. He says that will ruin the culture of the Lowertown area and many of the artists will be forced to leave within the next ten years. And, Rucker says, many people are not happy that a dog park, just north of the ballpark site, will also be lost.

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