My U-Field upgrade idea

[danefan]

What I do know is this:

 

The track program should have their state of the art facility.

We are close to being top 25 in the nation. They've earned the

right to have a brand new, regulation facility. With seating to handle BIG crowds when we hold BIG events.

 

As for the football facility, whatever we WILL have in the LONG TERM, should be

a facility without a track, with seating close to the sidelines.

 

Agreed. Just so you know, I pulled the track from the University of Arkansas. Its one of the nicest in the country.

 

 

While I think T&F should have stands like UF or Arkansas (about 8k) for their accomplisments, I dont think you will ever get a meet with that many people up here.

 

I think what we have at JFF (2,000 Seats) with room for upwards or opposite side expansion to 8k total would suffice.

 

Oh yeah definitely. I meant just the track itself. As for seating, there definitely doesn't need to be any more than 2,000 seats.

[Dane96]

No worries-- we were on the same page; I was answering ualbany's stands question/comment.

 

DF-- how much does a track like that cost, with the grass included.

 

Anyone remember how much the stands at JFF cost?

[uofalbany]

4.5 million for 15k seats.

I don't think its that easy. My understanding is that the $5 million per year is for "critical maintenance" not for new capital expenditures. I believe the President has final authority over the critical maintenance funds, but the legislature has to allocate any capital expenditure funding. If true, that means we can maintain U-Field with $5 mil a year, but not build a new one.

 

That seems to be critical information there.

It would be nice to be IN THE KNOW about the AD's ideas and plans.

 

If that's the case, the NEW stadium might be a decade away. We might want

to stick with a BIG upgrade then.

 

If we can access 5m annually for UField upgrade, how many seats should we

be targeting. If we aren't getting a new, state of the art stadium with 10-14k seats, then

maybe plain renovation should be targeting 20-30k seats.

 

Like we've said, alot of the excavating is NOT needed, which should save big bucks.

 

Like 96 mentioned, 4.5 million for 15k seats. 9 million for 30k seats.

Slap down 15k seats on each side, and we are rocking and rolling.

 

Betcha with 20-30k seats, the Giants would be satisfied. Slap in field turf, down right happy.

Betcha any CAA team would be happy to come to UAlbany to play.

[Clickclack]

I'm hopeful that a decision is reached one way or the other....if a brand new facility is still in the plans then I'd hate for the school to invest critical maintenance funds, taking them away from other areas on campus that really need it for something that will be temporary. On the other hand if there are no prospects of getting a new facility then by all means invest the 15-25 mil over the course of 3 - 5 years. I'd have to invest that kind of money and then 5 years later build a new stadium (5 years for the renovations + 5 more years to get a new stadium).

[danefan]

We don't need 20,000 seats for the Giants or the CAA right now.

 

Richmond (the national champions and #1 team in the nation) is currently building a new stadium on campus. It seats 7,500.

 

I think we need to build something that seats ~7,500 now. Sell that out for a few years while adding amenities each year (press box, suits, etc.) and add on if need be later. If its designed smartly, it can be easily expanded into something wonderful.

 

Take a look at Appalachian State's or Montana's stadiums. They were all build in stages and both are really really nice.

 

Build it, sell it out, build more. That's what I think the philosophy should be.

 

I actually hope the pipedream stadium project is dead. Sorry guys, but that stadium dream has done nothing but hold us back. What is wrong with building in modest stages? If the economy picks up then you dump a bunch of money into the UField upgrade.

[Clickclack]

We don't need 20,000 seats for the Giants or the CAA right now.

 

Richmond (the national champions and #1 team in the nation) is currently building a new stadium on campus. It seats 7,500.

 

I think we need to build something that seats ~7,500 now. Sell that out for a few years while adding amenities each year (press box, suits, etc.) and add on if need be later. If its designed smartly, it can be easily expanded into something wonderful.

 

Take a look at Appalachian State's or Montana's stadiums. They were all build in stages and both are really really nice.

 

Build it, sell it out, build more. That's what I think the philosophy should be.

 

I actually hope the pipedream stadium project is dead. Sorry guys, but that stadium dream has done nothing but hold us back. What is wrong with building in modest stages? If the economy picks up then you dump a bunch of money into the UField upgrade.

 

 

I would OK building in stages like that....what I'm afraid of is getting neither.....you know that classic spot where you are unsure of what to do so you do NOTHING. I would just like for someone to make a freaking call one way or the other and just roll with it. If modest expansions for the next 5 years is the way to go then let's go already. Let's build in stages, get some half decent sight lines, some half decent seating, put a press box up....do something. Make a decision to renovate UField and do it in stages with a big picture in mind....for instance, don't put up the bleachers and stuff and then scratch you head thinking you should have turned the field 90degrees. Know what you want to do and go out and do it even if it's in stages.

[uofalbany]

They better have ALREADY made a decision at this point.

There's no time to be wasting anymore.

 

I guess if we were building a brand new stadium down the road, then

we wouldn't need 20k seats at university field.

 

If we trash the entire NEW STADIUM idea, then the renovation to UField should

be done with the highest of quality. And I guess that would cost money, and would take time, and would need to be done in phases.

 

Darn, I'd like to know what they are thinking.

It would make our lives much easier.

[Clickclack]

If we do decide to go renovate UField....I would beg and plead to move the track somewhere else. Give the track team a regulation size track and move it.....I'd be willing to wait a year to start any work on UField other then the site work of moving the track.

[danefan]

If we do decide to go renovate UField....I would beg and plead to move the track somewhere else. Give the track team a regulation size track and move it.....I'd be willing to wait a year to start any work on UField other then the site work of moving the track.

 

 

No need to wait just to move the track.

 

This entire facility was build in 176 days.

[Clickclack]

If we do decide to go renovate UField....I would beg and plead to move the track somewhere else. Give the track team a regulation size track and move it.....I'd be willing to wait a year to start any work on UField other then the site work of moving the track.

 

 

No need to wait just to move the track.

 

This entire facility was build in 176 days.

 

At what cost?

[danefan]

If we do decide to go renovate UField....I would beg and plead to move the track somewhere else. Give the track team a regulation size track and move it.....I'd be willing to wait a year to start any work on UField other then the site work of moving the track.

 

 

No need to wait just to move the track.

 

This entire facility was build in 176 days.

 

At what cost?

 

 

Way more than we have to spend I'm sure.

 

I haven't been able to find the cost yet, but there are a lot of amenitites at the U of Ark that we probably wouldn't have in a track. For example. their track is a rolled Mondo track which is more like a carpet. I think we'll probably end up with a much cheaper yet just as functional "sprayed" rubber track. I don't think the Mondo carpet type tracks are conducive to Northeast winter weather.

[Clickclack]

My remark about waiting was under the assumption that we'd have to spend some coin to move the track. If we spend 1.5 mil to move it....perhaps then we can spend some money to do some work on UField. I have no idea what it would cost to move the track....if it's 4 mil...I'd still do it and wait if we must a year. Take out the access road (if possible) and plant some nice grass. Right now we are like a mile from the field with that road and the track between the spectators and the action.

[danefan]

My remark about waiting was under the assumption that we'd have to spend some coin to move the track. If we spend 1.5 mil to move it....perhaps then we can spend some money to do some work on UField. I have no idea what it would cost to move the track....if it's 4 mil...I'd still do it and wait if we must a year. Take out the access road (if possible) and plant some nice grass. Right now we are like a mile from the field with that road and the track between the spectators and the action.

 

 

Whatever we see I too hope the focus is on moving the spectators closer to the field.

 

As for moving the track, I don't think it will cost that much more to move it than it would to replace the track that is there. The track, as it currently sits, isn't regulation length. Which I think mean that the same type of construction will need to be done regardless of whether its done around UField or somewhere else.

[uofalbany]

http://www.campbell.edu/advancement/construction/track/index.html

 

States that a new 8 lane, regulation track with natural grass interior is costing them 1.2m

[uofalbany]

From endzone to endzone, how many seats does this sideline have, from the looks of it?