Wyland commentary

[statefan]

I happened to be in the car around 11:45 this morning and heard part of Rodger Wyland's radio commentary. He read an e mail which made the points that local minor league teams and college teams in this market could not draw good crowds because of a combination of bad parking alternatives and competition from professional sports on TV. I'm guessing it was in response to a discussion of why Jim Coyne's group wants to buy the Armory and the possible success of a minor league basketball team.

 

Wyland made the point that the Valley Cats have broken the stereotype and drawn well. He continued by saying the reason for the Valley Cats success was the quality of the facility and that people will come out if the facility is classy. He predicted that when UAlbany builds its football stadium, average attendance will increase to 8000 immediately if the stadium is appealing to the public.

[DaneFan2k3]

At the risk of drawing the ire of everyone on the board, if we build the stadium they'd better increase parking around the facility by about five or six times. If it goes in on the current RACC parking lot, you'd need to significantly increase the signage to the satellite lots at Indian, Dutch, etc. Because there will be a decided lack of athletic-department parking.

[statefan]

I can't imagine they would build a stadium without also building a multi-level parking garage.

[reeder]

8,000? Would like to see 1,500 consistently at basketball games - the arena is pretty nice and the team should be a lot better than previous years.

[Ruler]

Attendance has been pretty good for football as of the last few home games. Lets hope it does not fade. BTW are we being paid to play Lehigh? Any thoughts.

[DaneFan2k3]

I can't imagine they would build a stadium without also building a multi-level parking garage

 

Parking decks are needed on other parts of campus too due to the crunch. However, they cost three to four times per space what normal parking lots cost. That's a multi-million dollar project in itself.

 

Also, the land to build it. Where would it go?

 

If you build the stadium on the existing parking lot, as someone mentioned, then you're going to have to give up practice field space to build a parking lot or parking deck, which also makes the entrance to campus aesthetically ugly.

[Dane Pound]

If I remember correctly the plans I've seen don't include a parking garage. The stadium would be where the RACC parking is now. There would be a new parking lot created just off to the side of the new stadium where the practice fields are now. Some of those fields would be moved in front of the PE building where the exsisting football field is.

With the football games on the weekends or maybe at night during the week I don't see parking as that much of a problem. Most of the commuter students who would be taking those spots wouldn't be on campus then so there should be plenty of parking.

[DaneFan2k3]

But most people are spoiled - the parking lots are closer to the football field than to the new stadium spot, and many people just park in the RACC for basketball games since our crowds aren't large enough yet.

 

Once people have to start walking from the satellite lots down to the current RACC lot (new stadium), I think there will be some complaining.