CHICAGO, July 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For the second consecutive year, Rob Hunden, President of Hunden Strategic Partners, delivered the State of the Industry presentation at the Association of Luxury Suite Directors (ALSD) Design and Build Conference. The 2018 conference took place in Atlanta, home of two new major league facilities, during the last week of June. Beyond the $10 billion in new or renovated facility projects underway in the major leagues, HSP decided to take a closer look at cities/markets that could support another major league franchise.
Supported by new trends, intense market research, the realities of each leauge and numerous other factors, Hunden revealed top cities in the following categories:
Cities with no current teams ready to host a Major League franchise:
1. Austin – The only city without a team that could support at least two Major League franchises
2. Louisville
3. Norfolk/Virginia Beach
4. Richmond
5. Birmingham
Cities with at least one franchise and can support another
1. Seattle
2. Portland
3. San Diego
4. San Antonio
5. Montreal
6. Houston
7. Sacramento
8. Charlotte
9. Vancouver
Top NFL City Opportunities
1. San Antonio or Austin
2. Norfolk/Virginia Beach or Richmond
3. Portland
4. Toronto or Vancouver
5. Sacramento
6. London or Mexico City
Top MLB City Opportunities
1. Portland
2. Montreal
3. Charlotte
4. Austin or San Antonio
5. Norfolk/Virginia Beach or Richmond
Top NBA City Opportunities
1. Seattle
2. San Diego
3. Vancouver
4. Louisville
5. Norfolk/Virginia Beach or Richmond
Top NHL City Opportunities
1. Seattle
2. Houston
3. Quebec City
4. Portland
5. San Diego
Top MLS City Opportunities
1. Phoenix
2. San Diego
3. Raleigh-Durham
4. San Antonio
5. TIE: Indianapolis; Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg; Charlotte
Finally, while the following cities are not able to support a major league franchise today, their booming growth rates suggest that in 10 to 25 years, each could be a contender for a team: Cities on the rise:
- Des Moines
- Greenville
- Omaha
- Madison
- Grand Rapids
- Boise
- Charleston (SC)
- Bentonville/NW Arkansas
Hunden Strategic Partners' Top Major League Cities rankings analyze and compare three key factors to measure the economic and social factors that influence facility success, including:
- Market Power: Growth in population, TV market size/wealth, large companies, household income, GDP, presence of existing major or minor league teams, adult tourism, and central city strength, among others.
- Committed, financed ownership group
- City willing to finance
The full State of the Industry presentation is available for free download at http://hundenpartners.com
About Hunden Strategic Partners
Hunden Strategic Partners is a leading real estate and destination development consulting firm, with professionals in Chicago, San Diego, and Minneapolis. The firm offers a full-range of development planning, market and financial feasibility, economic and impact analyses for specialty destination assets such as sports facilities, mixed-use and entertainment districts, convention and expo centers, hotels, entertainment venues, theme parks, recreation facilities, and other economic development projects.
In addition, HSP also provides the developer solicitation and selection experience to move projects from concept to funding. HSP's clients include cities, states, universities, CVB's, authorities and private developers. Mr. Hunden has worked on more than 500 studies and $3.5 billion in open and successful projects in North America, including several major sports venues.
SOURCE Hunden Strategic Partners
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