Time for Plan B (stadium)

[uofalbany]

I say don't abandon anything. Keep up whatever is happening on the stadium front.

Just add the immediate renovation to university field.

 

Great 5 minute work df.

If we just put the visitor's side and home side bleachers down, without corners or endzones, without bathrooms, without plumbing for bathrooms, without lockerrooms, without concessions....

 

how much are we looking at?

[Clickclack]

IMO, you have to make a commitment to one or the other....we don't have the necessary funds to upgrade University "Field" and plan a new stadium. It should be one or the other or neither will be done properly.

[Classof72/74]

IMO, you have to make a commitment to one or the other....we don't have the necessary funds to upgrade University "Field" and plan a new stadium. It should be one or the other or neither will be done properly.

 

 

If there's concern about making costly permanent changes to University Field, how about at least some new bleachers to make the north side "home" and strategic locations for these

 

 

http://www.alphamobilesolutions.com/

 

and

 

http://www.californiacartbuilder.com/

 

 

[uofalbany]

IMO, you have to make a commitment to one or the other....we don't have the necessary funds to upgrade University "Field" and plan a new stadium. It should be one or the other or neither will be done properly.

 

The university can remain committed to the stadium.

 

I believe a renovation would only be a small fraction of what building a new stadium will end of being. There would be a HUGE difference in cost, if a renovation included all of the amenities that the new stadium would include, such as locker rooms, bathrooms, etc. or if it just included the bleacher seating.

 

The new stadium is years away at this point. I don’t believe funding a renovation would put any kind of dent in the stadium fund, when considering how much we will eventually need to build a nice, new stadium.

 

Planning is planning. Having fund raisers and obtaining donations for a NEW stadium is acquiring money for the stadium fund. It is not an expense. It is not something that needs funding now. Therefore, the only thing that needs ‘funds’ right now, is a renovation.

 

It’s difficult to formulate a GREAT plan of action, without all of the details.

 

First, I’d like to know how much a renovation would cost.

[danefan]

I say don't abandon anything. Keep up whatever is happening on the stadium front.

Just add the immediate renovation to university field.

 

Great 5 minute work df.

If we just put the visitor's side and home side bleachers down, without corners or endzones, without bathrooms, without plumbing for bathrooms, without lockerrooms, without concessions....

 

how much are we looking at?

 

The only stadium project I have seen completed recently of similar size was Middletown High School that I posted earlier. They did an awful lot of work -

 

Stadium:

~4,000 seats (brick structure, not stand alone bleachers)

full press box with state-of-the-art internet and phone connections allowing live broadcasts.

separete coaching boxes that are sound proof.

concessions stand

bathrooms

lockerrooms

coaches offices

storage facilities

25x15 ft HD video scoreboard (full HD replay ability, live feeds for cable systems to tie into)

field turf field (FIFA certified size and surface to hold professional soccer matches)

IAAF certified track (8 lanes, 10 lane straightaway, 48" wide lanes (6 inches wider than most college and HS tracks, IAAF certified electronic timing system (runners put a chip in their shoe and timing goes up on the HD video board live - splits, etc.), two pole vault areas (depending on wind).

BOSE sound system that is mounted in the stands (speakers only really broadcast sound to the crowd and don't overwhelm the sidelines)

 

Outside the stadium:

New weightroom

renovated pool

new baseball and softball fields (no stands, just new surfaces and dugouts, etc.)

new throwing area for T&F.

new utility field (field turf) - for lax, soccer, etc. practice

 

 

All of that was reported to cost $7 million. Constructured through the state bid process as well.

[danefan]

Joe Walton Stadium - RMU

 

http://www.northeastconference.org/news/fb....asp?path=fball

 

$10 million but cost included a 35,000 sq. ft admin building.

 

 

[Clickclack]

I say don't abandon anything. Keep up whatever is happening on the stadium front.

Just add the immediate renovation to university field.

 

Great 5 minute work df.

If we just put the visitor's side and home side bleachers down, without corners or endzones, without bathrooms, without plumbing for bathrooms, without lockerrooms, without concessions....

 

how much are we looking at?

 

The only stadium project I have seen completed recently of similar size was Middletown High School that I posted earlier. They did an awful lot of work -

 

Stadium:

~4,000 seats (brick structure, not stand alone bleachers)

full press box with state-of-the-art internet and phone connections allowing live broadcasts.

separete coaching boxes that are sound proof.

concessions stand

bathrooms

lockerrooms

coaches offices

storage facilities

25x15 ft HD video scoreboard (full HD replay ability, live feeds for cable systems to tie into)

field turf field (FIFA certified size and surface to hold professional soccer matches)

IAAF certified track (8 lanes, 10 lane straightaway, 48" wide lanes (6 inches wider than most college and HS tracks, IAAF certified electronic timing system (runners put a chip in their shoe and timing goes up on the HD video board live - splits, etc.), two pole vault areas (depending on wind).

BOSE sound system that is mounted in the stands (speakers only really broadcast sound to the crowd and don't overwhelm the sidelines)

 

Outside the stadium:

New weightroom

renovated pool

new baseball and softball fields (no stands, just new surfaces and dugouts, etc.)

new throwing area for T&F.

new utility field (field turf) - for lax, soccer, etc. practice

 

 

All of that was reported to cost $7 million. Constructured through the state bid process as well.

 

What are we trying to build for $65 mill?

[danefan]

I say don't abandon anything. Keep up whatever is happening on the stadium front.

Just add the immediate renovation to university field.

 

Great 5 minute work df.

If we just put the visitor's side and home side bleachers down, without corners or endzones, without bathrooms, without plumbing for bathrooms, without lockerrooms, without concessions....

 

how much are we looking at?

 

The only stadium project I have seen completed recently of similar size was Middletown High School that I posted earlier. They did an awful lot of work -

 

Stadium:

~4,000 seats (brick structure, not stand alone bleachers)

full press box with state-of-the-art internet and phone connections allowing live broadcasts.

separete coaching boxes that are sound proof.

concessions stand

bathrooms

lockerrooms

coaches offices

storage facilities

25x15 ft HD video scoreboard (full HD replay ability, live feeds for cable systems to tie into)

field turf field (FIFA certified size and surface to hold professional soccer matches)

IAAF certified track (8 lanes, 10 lane straightaway, 48" wide lanes (6 inches wider than most college and HS tracks, IAAF certified electronic timing system (runners put a chip in their shoe and timing goes up on the HD video board live - splits, etc.), two pole vault areas (depending on wind).

BOSE sound system that is mounted in the stands (speakers only really broadcast sound to the crowd and don't overwhelm the sidelines)

 

Outside the stadium:

New weightroom

renovated pool

new baseball and softball fields (no stands, just new surfaces and dugouts, etc.)

new throwing area for T&F.

new utility field (field turf) - for lax, soccer, etc. practice

 

 

All of that was reported to cost $7 million. Constructured through the state bid process as well.

 

What are we trying to build for $65 mill?

 

 

Honestly - one of the nicest FCS stadiums in the country.

 

$55 million got UCF this:

[uofalbany]

I absolutely support BIG thinking and BIG goals, especially when it comes to this university.

I support an aggressive idea like having one of the best fcs stadiums in the country.

 

An even bigger idea is having THAT new stadium in 4-6 years, and also having a basic, mini stadium at the current university field site.

 

When the budget came out last year, with the months of anticipation and expectation beforehand, and our stadium funding got blown out of the water, I was SHOCKED. I do believe the entire AD was shocked as well. I know everyone on here was shocked. I don't think anyone imagined we would get NOTHING. With the massive success the athletics has had this decade in D1, it was amazing that this State would not step up and support their university. Especially considering the condition of our facility.

 

The question then was: now what?

 

I totally understand how difficult it must be, trying to squeeze anything out of the NY State and its budget, when the university has very little representation and support within the nys governement, and hasn't had its own leadership within the university. Can't be easy for the AD. But, we can't just postpone everything, especially upgrades that we can do, without jeopardizing our future new stadium.

 

Funding aint coming through the state government anytime soon.... certainly not amounts that we would be looking for in a one year package. It will need to be accumulated over 5 years or so. I don't believe we are going to get 1 or 2 donations of 20 million each either.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the seating at JFF cost 2 million. Along with the seating came clearing the site, preparing the site for eventual bathrooms, etc... work all the way down past the soccer field.... all of which is extra time and cost. Now we have a classy looking lacrosse facility. The actual bleachers probably didn't cost too much. But, what a huge difference it made.

 

But, alot can happen in 5 years. Not having a stadium-like setting at university field can hurt our football program and future. Say the CAA has an opening, but they want a program that has a reasonable facility. UAlbany won't be an option. Say they want a program with a larger fanbase. Well, the fanbase is relatively small now, because our facility makes viewing a game ridiculous.

 

Put up 5k on both sidelines, bleachers only, and at least have something respectable......

as it stands now, our facility is a laughing stock.

[MRSGDG]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

My assumption would be that General Campus Renovation Fund already has projects dedicated to the amount allocated by the legislature. It would most likely be very difficult to take projects that were on the list off, and “squeeze” a $5-10M project in. Again, just my assumption that the school had to already give a list of renovation projects to the legislature before the budget passed, to show them what they would spend their $ on so it wouldn’t be cut.

 

Speaking of high schools that have better facilities than us… my hometown area has two awesome new stadiums:

 

Union Endicott High School

 

Vestal High School – I believe it was a $8M

 

The company that did both: http://www.bckpc.com/projects.asp?maincatid=12

[danefan]

Vestal was estimated to cost about $3.2 million for the track, stands, press box, field, and ticket booths.

 

 

Hoover Stadium

 

New 8 Lane Tr $945,000

Artificial turf $900,000

Replace home $715,000

Replace visito $435,000

Replace press $90,000

New ticket boo $100,000

 

 

http://www.vestal.k12.ny.us/pdf_downloads/...jectdetails.pdf

[Clickclack]

[danefan]

 

 

This actually made me laugh. Man. Now I'm sad.

[Clickclack]

 

 

This actually made me laugh. Man. Now I'm sad.

 

That's what we have with an enrollment of 17K+ and an economic impact to the local area of 1B+....yeah, every time I look at that picture, different emotions surface.

[uofalbany]

At least that photo of university field doesn't show the real condition of the track!

 

 

Hoover Stadium - $3.2 million for the track, stands, press box, field, and ticket booths.. I can't imagine the costs of the same project would be any more today due to the economic crunch.

 

University field needs that type of setup - a quality renovation. It would be great as a mini-stadium when we get the big boy.

 

I'm sure that the AD could generate a sum of 3.2 million for this cause. They must have collected something in the stadium fund over the last 4 years.