Public Funding for Stadium

[ATL_DANE]

The university is kicking off the public funding for the stadium! Great turn off events. It's time this university has a facility comparible to other state schools... well at least New England state schools. This is a very modest request, I hope the nay sayers realize that. Just look at Central Florida for a comparison.

 

Time to dig down and give what you can.

 

The article isn't all good. It sounds like some folks may try to derail UAlbany. Specifically, this Bronx representitive who wants to hold UAlbany hostage for a SUNY diversity program. I have faith in Spitzer.... I hope he comes through for us.

 

 

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=9/16/2007

[GreatDanes06]

something I wonder. If local sporting events are to be played, why not go out into those local communities and ask for some donations? If you have strong connections with the City of Albany and Mayor Jennings, why not go ask for some money from them (of course not $30 million or something, but something generous).

[danefan]

something I wonder. If local sporting events are to be played, why not go out into those local communities and ask for some donations? If you have strong connections with the City of Albany and Mayor Jennings, why not go ask for some money from them (of course not $30 million or something, but something generous).

 

Its my understanding that the City of Albany will chip in if the State does. The only problem is that Jennings has his heart set on the stupid Convention Center.

 

I think state funding will be a precurser to many larger corporate donations. The naming rights and advertising contracts, etc....

[danes05]

I'd like to see Dr. Kaloyeros get invovled with all these huge companies working out of Nano and have them contribute some cash. I hate the idea that our stadium depends on the go ahead from the worst run state government in the country.

[Clickclack]

I'm encouraged that at least this is getting out and being talked about in the community, the legislature and the city levels. It's a big step IMO that it's on the radar of Jenning, and state representative. I thought the environmental impact study was already underway if not completed. Now apparently it hasn't even started yet, what's up with that?

 

Went to last nights game, and was once again reminded of how absolutely awful our current "stadium" is. The sight lines are atrocious, you can't see whats going on on the field at all. It's cramped, it's uncomfortable no wonder we can't get serious attendance at our games. If we can get a few thousand to our current dump, I have faith that we will have no problem filling a new, much nicer facility. The public support is there as evident by the amount of people who come to the game at the current dump. I think it would explode if we had a beautiful new place. We need to get this stadium built.

[Dane96]

Rivera is the same jerk who ruined the West Side Stadium, nearly got the Yanks to move to NJ because he held George Steinbrenner hostage, submarined improvements to Brooklyn's waterfront...etc.

 

The guy...is a complete A-HOLE. Part of me respects him because he DOES look out for the Hispanic community. However, as an elected official, he also has a duty to more than just HISPANIC consitituents. He has a duty to the people at large. He is very narrow-minded.

 

The funny thing is, the State's EOP program is one of the finest of its kind in the Country, and his HISPANIC residents are often recipients of more lenient admission and economic standards (e.g., free education).

 

For him to say the SUNY system lacks diversity...is plain silly. While I agree, more strides must be made in the area of educating students, you do not need $5mm to fund a diversity office. More importantly, most of the students he feels are "afflicted", happen to go to CUNY schools, probably the FINEST city university system in the Country. IN FACT, I can't think of a system that even approaches CUNY.

 

Rivera...is a thorn in everyone's side...but for "his" people.

[scrabbleship]

Rivera is the same jerk who ruined the West Side Stadium

 

He had more of a role than Silver did? Personally, there is so much vacant ex-factory space in Queens that the Jets could have saved money and agita with a place in former industrial space in, say, Long Island City rather than the West Side but their loss.

 

For him to say the SUNY system lacks diversity...is plain silly. While I agree, more strides must be made in the area of educating students, you do not need $5mm to fund a diversity office. More importantly, most of the students he feels are "afflicted", happen to go to CUNY schools, probably the FINEST city university system in the Country. IN FACT, I can't think of a system that even approaches CUNY.

 

And look at how specialized the colleges in the CUNY system are, ranging from a HBSC (Medgar Evers) to a community college that was founded primarily for the Hispanic community (Hostos). Besides being an asshat that is full of bull$iena to the brim, I think that he also embodies what I see as a disconnect between NYC and the SUNY system, not in enrollment but in how those in positions of power have trouble relating outside of the 5 Boroughs and rarely know what it's like upstate outside of their cocoons downtown. To close the politics thing, Rivera seems deluded but he can't be as bad as Felix Ortiz, he of inane law removal.

 

Back to the original topic, MAJOR props to Singelais for this article since it is something UA has needed to mobilize public sentiment for the stadium. Now we wait to see what the public things in the pages of the editorial section, hopefully it'll be good and we're 100% sure we'll have no Roberts this time around playing spoiler. Next stop: Someone does a TV report on the stadium project (though with 13 it might be conflict of interest...).

[Dane96]

Rivera is the same jerk who ruined the West Side Stadium

 

He had more of a role than Silver did? Personally, there is so much vacant ex-factory space in Queens that the Jets could have saved money and agita with a place in former industrial space in, say, Long Island City rather than the West Side but their loss.

 

For him to say the SUNY system lacks diversity...is plain silly. While I agree, more strides must be made in the area of educating students, you do not need $5mm to fund a diversity office. More importantly, most of the students he feels are "afflicted", happen to go to CUNY schools, probably the FINEST city university system in the Country. IN FACT, I can't think of a system that even approaches CUNY.

And look at how specialized the colleges in the CUNY system are, ranging from a HBSC (Medgar Evers) to a community college that was founded primarily for the Hispanic community (Hostos). Besides being an asshat that is full of bull$iena to the brim, I think that he also embodies what I see as a disconnect between NYC and the SUNY system, not in enrollment but in how those in positions of power have trouble relating outside of the 5 Boroughs and rarely know what it's like upstate outside of their cocoons downtown. To close the politics thing, Rivera seems deluded but he can't be as bad as Felix Ortiz, he of inane law removal.

 

Back to the original topic, MAJOR props to Singelais for this article since it is something UA has needed to mobilize public sentiment for the stadium. Now we wait to see what the public things in the pages of the editorial section, hopefully it'll be good and we're 100% sure we'll have no Roberts this time around playing spoiler. Next stop: Someone does a TV report on the stadium project (though with 13 it might be conflict of interest...).

 

 

Scrabble...while I dont see eye to eye with you on many things...I can now say YOU DO know your NYS politics. I completely agree with this post. As for Silver, nope...he kept his ass out of the West Side Project as much as possible. Why? His brother had ties to the Jets for awhile; He was an ortho with those guys...as well as my own ortho.

 

I think you are right: THIS THING IS OUT IN THE PUBLIC...and I do think we will get some funding within the year.

 

Rich Becker and the Fox 25 crew...get on this story...NOW!

[Dane96]

One last thing. The Jets, Mets, and Islanders did look at the Queens border with LI, in Elmont. It was supposed to be a mega-mall/stadium complex. Yep...Rivera didnt like that either!

[scrabbleship]

One last thing. The Jets, Mets, and Islanders did look at the Queens border with LI, in Elmont. It was supposed to be a mega-mall/stadium complex. Yep...Rivera didnt like that either!

 

That might have been a disaster and a half given the lack of mass transit access to that point alone. Now I don't know if the site was near one of the LIRR lines, but if it wasn't the cost of building a link to the site from the LIRR might have gone well into the tens of millions if not hundreds of millions and have been bogged down in political wrangling. Expanding one of the subway lines out there would have been a greater headache and might have cost more than the facilities themselves (see the Second Avenue Subway saga).

 

160 miles away on the same tangent, a road from Western and/or Washington to the stadium parking lot (or something via what the Harriman Campus will be converted to) is a must. Imagine the further congestion campus might see if we have full houses and the only ways to access it are via the main entrances to campus. With the redevelopment next door, there's more wiggle room to do something then there would have been before.

[UAalum72]

UC Davis's Aggie Stadium was approved by the California Regents in January 2005, and despite construction delays hosted a lacrosse game in February 2007. Construction time 20 months. Cost was just under $31 million for a stadium very similar to what's proposed for us - dug out bowl, 9,000 seats plus about 3,000 grass seating, expandable to about 30,000. Construction steel and concrete costs have been rising.

 

Aggie Stadium

 

Stadium facts

[madDOG]

The article mentions that the new stadium would stand on the curent site of University Field. Has the plan changed or is it just another case of poor TU fact checking?

[ATL_DANE]

The article mentions that the new stadium would stand on the curent site of University Field. Has the plan changed or is it just another case of poor TU fact checking?

 

I noticed that "fact" also. There were a number of questionable statements in the article. My guess is that they are inaccuracies. Every piece of information I've seen said it's suppose to sit where the current RACC parking lot is currently positioned. I've been to the RACC many times and I don't see how that is possible unless this stadium is real small... but that's a tangent thought.

 

I do have to say the article did seem to piant the stadium in a positive light. I was quite pleased. They pointed out the terrible conditions. More importantly, they introduced equity into the arguement. If the other three university centers got recent improvements it's hard to argue against us. My New York friends down here always start out saying it will never happen until I mention Stony Brook and Buffalo... then they say 'maybe'.

 

For the 100th time... this is the problem with us being "UAlbany". It always comes down to geography. Anytime we want to do anything, politicans and voters will argue it doesn't help my district (e.g. Rep. Riveria's complaint). If we're "New York" you don't have that arguement. What New York politican will short change "New York's" state university?

 

Sorry for the random thoughts...

[alum73]

As it also mentions funds for connecting it to SEFCU arena, it seems like an error.

[madDOG]

For the 100th time... this is the problem with us being "UAlbany". It always comes down to geography. Anytime we want to do anything, politicans and voters will argue it doesn't help my district (e.g. Rep. Riveria's complaint). If we're "New York" you don't have that arguement. What New York politican will short change "New York's" state university?

 

Sorry for the random thoughts...

 

In the end, it doesn't matter much what Rivera thinks anyway. NYS government is controlled by three people...the Governor, the Assembly speaker and Senate leader (Spitzer, Silver and Bruno). If two of those people approve of it, it will get done. Some people here have argued that Bruno is a major stumbling block but I disagree. Bruno is from the Capital Region and I think if we have any proponent, it's him. He has done a lot for UA, including Nanotech and Gen*NYS (whatever it's called). His strained relationship with Spitzer isnt helping, but I still believe he is our biggest advocate.