Stadium Budget

[ATL_DANE]

Someone should mention it loudly in the stands. Lacrosse fans should also welcome a new MULTI-PURPOSE stadium.

 

Wouldn't it be great to host Syracuse in an NCAA playoff game in front of ~10,000 fans? I could see it happening.

 

 

Another note: According to the TU today there were about 14,500 attendees to the AEast Tourney this weekend which had revenue in the neighborhood of $160,000+. That doesn't include the local bump in restaurants, etc...

 

It is realistic that a new stadium could bring this type of revenue 6 times a year.

 

 

Great point Danefan.

 

I don't think business leaders and the general population in the Capital District have a clue of what a "normal" football Saturday looks like across this country. 30,000 is the NCAA minimum for FBS. The MINIMUM. Even top FCS programs pull 15,000 to 20,000. Montana and Delaware jump to mind... New York should be able to compete?

 

That's the equivilent to having an America East tournment roughly 6 Saturdays every fall. That's 6 times every year, as opposed to 1 time every few years. The fans coming from out of region have to sleep some where. The coaches and players have to sleep some where. Everyone has to eat some where. The Capital District business leaders need to take a road trip to a major college town on any given Saturday. I'm not talking about visiting Lansing or Athens. Try Boise! The crowds will blow you away. Try Highland Falls NY for god's sake. That little town seems to live only for Saturdays.

 

If any local business leader went to one of 140 college towns they would have to wonder why this 20,000 student state university center in Albany doesn't have a stadium. Its crazy that we don't.

[UA_MA_2000]

Just a reminder guys and gals that the scoping meeting/public hearing for UAlbany's Capital Projects is tonight in the Hall of Fame Room at 7pm!

[danefan]

Just a reminder guys and gals that the scoping meeting/public hearing for UAlbany's Capital Projects is tonight in the Hall of Fame Room at 7pm!

 

 

Its a good possiblity the stadium model will be there.

 

Could someone please take a picture.? Pretty please.

 

I still don't understand why Project 2010 hasn't be updated with pictures of the model, but that's a different story.

[danes05]

Had to work late tonight and missed the meeting. Did anyone make it over?

[UAalum72]

The stadium model wasn't there. Rick Coe said they weren't sure if it would help, or not. He did say the model is only a concept anyway, and Heery is almost finished with a DVD about the project, which I hope they'll post.

 

About the meeting:

No more than 35 people showed up. First they reviewed the 18 projects covered by the Environmental Impact Statement, including 500 Student apartments (near the sculpture studio) the Business building, power plant, data center, landscaping, campus entries, campus center extension, new building at Podium West, bike/pedestrian paths, more bus access. Parking area, possible parking structure in the Dutch Gold lot by 2014. The football stadium was a very small part, and I think their diagram of the campus made its footprint look even smaller. The Multipurpose Stadium (2011) seems to be now alongside SEFCU arena nearly to the Bubble. Also for 2011 is a rebuild of the running track at its current location.

 

There were NO old cranks complaining about the stadium. Only four people spoke: a business grad student talking about how development should be underground, like UOregon's nano center, and three neighbors from the Fuller Road/ Western Ave. area whose biggest concerns were traffic, bus stops, and runoff/groundwater in their basements. One said he could see the lights at the lacrosse field, but he seemed more worried about energy usage when nobody was using it, than light pollution or disturbing his sleep.

 

Written comments, which will carry as much weight as those spoken tonight, can be submitted until 5:00 pm on March 31. Comments may be sent to Errol Millington at Emillington@uamail.albany.edu . Minutes of the meeting will be online in 3-4 weeks. The scoping will be completed by July 1 and available for public review. There will be a public hearing on the EIS in late September.

[danefan]

The stadium model wasn't there. Rick Coe said they weren't sure if it would help, or not. He did say the model is only a concept anyway, and Heery is almost finished with a DVD about the project, which I hope they'll post.

 

About the meeting:

No more than 35 people showed up. First they reviewed the 18 projects covered by the Environmental Impact Statement, including 500 Student apartments (near the sculpture studio) the Business building, power plant, data center, landscaping, campus entries, campus center extension, new building at Podium West, bike/pedestrian paths, more bus access. Parking area, possible parking structure in the Dutch Gold lot by 2014. The football stadium was a very small part, and I think their diagram of the campus made its footprint look even smaller. The Multipurpose Stadium (2011) seems to be now alongside SEFCU arena nearly to the Bubble. Also for 2011 is a rebuild of the running track at its current location.

 

There were NO old cranks complaining about the stadium. Only four people spoke: a business grad student talking about how development should be underground, like UOregon's nano center, and three neighbors from the Fuller Road/ Western Ave. area whose biggest concerns were traffic, bus stops, and runoff/groundwater in their basements. One said he could see the lights at the lacrosse field, but he seemed more worried about energy usage when nobody was using it, than light pollution or disturbing his sleep.

 

Written comments, which will carry as much weight as those spoken tonight, can be submitted until 5:00 pm on March 31. Comments may be sent to Errol Millington at Emillington@uamail.albany.edu . Minutes of the meeting will be online in 3-4 weeks. The scoping will be completed by July 1 and available for public review. There will be a public hearing on the EIS in late September.

 

Thanks for posting UAalumn72.

 

No talk of the butterflies either?

[ATL_DANE]

The stadium model wasn't there. Rick Coe said they weren't sure if it would help, or not. He did say the model is only a concept anyway, and Heery is almost finished with a DVD about the project, which I hope they'll post.

 

About the meeting:

No more than 35 people showed up. First they reviewed the 18 projects covered by the Environmental Impact Statement, including 500 Student apartments (near the sculpture studio) the Business building, power plant, data center, landscaping, campus entries, campus center extension, new building at Podium West, bike/pedestrian paths, more bus access. Parking area, possible parking structure in the Dutch Gold lot by 2014. The football stadium was a very small part, and I think their diagram of the campus made its footprint look even smaller. The Multipurpose Stadium (2011) seems to be now alongside SEFCU arena nearly to the Bubble. Also for 2011 is a rebuild of the running track at its current location.

 

There were NO old cranks complaining about the stadium. Only four people spoke: a business grad student talking about how development should be underground, like UOregon's nano center, and three neighbors from the Fuller Road/ Western Ave. area whose biggest concerns were traffic, bus stops, and runoff/groundwater in their basements. One said he could see the lights at the lacrosse field, but he seemed more worried about energy usage when nobody was using it, than light pollution or disturbing his sleep.

 

Written comments, which will carry as much weight as those spoken tonight, can be submitted until 5:00 pm on March 31. Comments may be sent to Errol Millington at Emillington@uamail.albany.edu . Minutes of the meeting will be online in 3-4 weeks. The scoping will be completed by July 1 and available for public review. There will be a public hearing on the EIS in late September.

 

 

Great to see they'll have a DVD put together to help the push. I wish they were further along though.

 

I just sent off an email to EWrrol Millington to voice my support of all the projects but specifically for the stadium.

[UA_MA_2000]

The stadium model wasn't there. Rick Coe said they weren't sure if it would help, or not. He did say the model is only a concept anyway, and Heery is almost finished with a DVD about the project, which I hope they'll post.

 

About the meeting:

No more than 35 people showed up. First they reviewed the 18 projects covered by the Environmental Impact Statement, including 500 Student apartments (near the sculpture studio) the Business building, power plant, data center, landscaping, campus entries, campus center extension, new building at Podium West, bike/pedestrian paths, more bus access. Parking area, possible parking structure in the Dutch Gold lot by 2014. The football stadium was a very small part, and I think their diagram of the campus made its footprint look even smaller. The Multipurpose Stadium (2011) seems to be now alongside SEFCU arena nearly to the Bubble. Also for 2011 is a rebuild of the running track at its current location.

 

There were NO old cranks complaining about the stadium. Only four people spoke: a business grad student talking about how development should be underground, like UOregon's nano center, and three neighbors from the Fuller Road/ Western Ave. area whose biggest concerns were traffic, bus stops, and runoff/groundwater in their basements. One said he could see the lights at the lacrosse field, but he seemed more worried about energy usage when nobody was using it, than light pollution or disturbing his sleep.

 

Written comments, which will carry as much weight as those spoken tonight, can be submitted until 5:00 pm on March 31. Comments may be sent to Errol Millington at Emillington@uamail.albany.edu . Minutes of the meeting will be online in 3-4 weeks. The scoping will be completed by July 1 and available for public review. There will be a public hearing on the EIS in late September.

 

I was also there, and I think UAalum72 pretty much summed it up, so herein I only echo his points and provide details of what my memories and notes reveal.

 

I thought that there were 20 projects covered; it could be that I'm either mistaken (likely) or that 2 of the projects are not covered by the DGEIS (Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement). The speaker did mention that with regard to the track and field, it does not even meet "NCAA standards" and that the track gets "heavy recreational use."

 

I agree that there were no "old cranks" as UAalum72 stated and that those in attendance were very appreciative for a forum through which to express their concerns. I also felt that everyone there, such as the local residents, were very supportive of the university. One speaker even emphasized how she enjoys running on campus quite often.

 

In sum, I think fans of our athletic program on this Forum and supporters of athletic construction projects could not ask for a better meeting than the one last night. I had fears of all kinds of angry local residents showing up, but those who spoke were anything but that and very appreciative that the University would seek their imput regarding concerns.

 

*I think the most significant concern expressed for many there seemed to be storm water and run-off water that currently exists and that could increase as a result of the construction projects and new buildings.

 

Like UAalum72 stated in a manner more cogent than I in this post, there were four people who elected to speak on record, and my notes reflect the following, though it was hard to hear at times, so I make no promises regarding the accuracy of the following:

 

Speaker #1: President or Representative of an association pertaining to McKownville (perhaps a resident association, I couldn't quite hear). This individual's primary point went to the existence of bus shelters for employees (of the university, I assume). This speaker also questioned whether there would be any impact on the Nanotech buildings or Freedom Hall. This person also asked whether there would be any expansion of the traditional boundary of the campus (the answer given during the presentation was no). Expansion concerns were supported by the speaker's example of the campus Chapel, which apparently is technically beyond the original boundary of the campus, but he expressed no displeasure with the Chapel and its location; rather, it was only cited as an example of expansion technically beyond the traditional boundaries of the campus.

 

Speaker #2: An alumnus of Albany Law and current graduate student at UAlbany. This speaker raised no objections or concerns but simply spoke about possibilities of underground growth for facilities. Speaker #2 spoke of potential funding from the federal government for green construction projects and "green" initiatives. This speaker spoke of an "Oregon Model" of underground growth. Perhaps this is what he spoke of: http://internship.uoregon.edu/facilities.html

 

Speaker #3: A resident who lives just south of the campus, off Western, in a residential neighborhood. This speaker simply spoke of the water run-off issues as her primary concern; spoke of the general concern about preserving woods and green space; and inquired whether the university has considered utilizing construction along Washington Avenue, as there are fewer residential areas there.

 

Speaker #4: A Norwood resident. I could have swore this was my Constitutional Law Professor from law school, but it was not. When his first concern raised was the lighting from the LAX stadium, I thought to myself "here we go ... ." This speaker only mentioned that he can see the lights from his house often, yet he never seemed to state that it bothered him in terms of it being an eyesore. Rather, he pointed to whether the lights need to be on that long as an energy issue. He thought it was a "high waste of energy" to leave the lights on. Speaker #4 spoke of the need for a sidewalk running down Fuller Road to the 6-Mile Water Works Park. This speaker also raised the point of exploring construction of bus shelters with heat, etc., and comfort so as to promote an increase in bus usage. In connection with this concern, he suggested raising the current $20 annual parking fee to deter automobile usage and encourage bus transportation.

 

Finally, one of the speakers above (I think) inquired about the swimming pool being part of the athletic master plan. The response seemed to be that it was not and that it was possible that it would be cut out completely, as the current fiscal environment has absolutely "gored" the university.

 

I was not aware that minutes of the meeting will available in a few weeks as UAalum72 states, so I'm glad to hear that. For those who are interested or need access to a record transcript before then, there will be a transcript of the scoping meeting and public comments made, and it will be available for "a couple dollars per page." For those who are interested, contact "Martin Deposition Services, Inc." at Malta Commons, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866. The person of contact is Joan A. DeCaro: 518-587-6832.

[UA_MA_2000]

Also briefly mentioned at the meeting last night in connection with projects regarding an express bus line from and to campus was the use of technologies that many students have and use, such as iPods, Blackberries, etc., for purposes of quickly checking bus schedules and things like that. Interesting I thought ...

[UAalum72]

You take better notes than I do. By 'minutes' I meant the transcript of the scoping meeting, and I may have missed the cost per page of copies. The last two projects were the track and renovating the water tower and reflecting pool.

 

It was nice there were no 'whadda we needa stadium for?' rants, where I would have had to hold up the front pages of the T-U News and Sports sections with their half-page pictures of $iena celebrating.

[danefan]

Just a general question for those in attendance:

 

Was there any discussion on timeline/funding for any of the projects (not just the stadium)?

 

Some of the projects are already funded, but I was wondering if there was any further talk. The 500 apartments project is new to most of us I think and I am worried that may have taken priority as the #1 capital funding request. The position that was "promised" by Philip to be the stadium.

[UAalum72]

No mention of funding other than pointing out that some are already funded (the green projects on the Projects Map) and that the numbers of the projects has no relation to its priority - example the parking garage, #12, is one of the latest dates, 2014. Some of the simpler items, like landscaping, may be scheduled before more complex jobs which are already funded.