Indoor Practice Facility or Upgraded Bubble

[Dane96]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/at_albany_hopes_indoor_field_will_x2hXDXPQTxSLDAERQtXzdM

 

Discuss. I mentioned this a few months ago...that I heard this is a possibility. Maybe if the Giants bucked up some cash we could match.

[danefan]

Either one would be great for UA football, soccer and Lax.

 

The bubble is a complete waste as it stands. Upgrade it or replace it. We do not need an indoor tennis facility.

[danefan]

Maybe they can just put one of these fabric buildings over one of the new Giant's practice fields.

 

http://www.ufsinc.com/default.aspx?pageid=582

 

[danefan]

A full-blown complex is a relatively small capital spend.

 

Youngstown State just built a beautiful complex with indoor track for $12.5m

 

http://www.ysusports.com/information/facilities/watts

 

 

[Dane96]

The irony is that we could use it for our world class track team b/c the current setup at the SEFCU is awful. It would also allow a reconfigure of the Arena for hoops.

 

But...where would we come up with that cash? If we had 12.5 lying around I'd rather see 10,000 permanent seats at the stadium.

 

I just checked out some nice bubbles at college campuses. EMU just did one from scratch and cost 3.9.

 

With Albany, they would simply have to put up a scoreboard and lay down the turf. Maybe A/C the joint. Prob do all that for a 1.5-2mm. It would be lax, soccer, football, and of course used as rentals for local teams of all ilks (H.S, JRHS, club teams).

[Dane96]

Maybe they can just put one of these fabric buildings over one of the new Giant's practice fields.

 

http://www.ufsinc.com/default.aspx?pageid=582

 

 

that could be what they meant by an area on the practice field.

[Dane96]

BTW...my guestimate is that our bubble is 150 feet long. A tennis court's width is 36 feet. Add 10 feet in b/w each court and that is 128...plus I think it is at least 10 more feet on either side of the outer courts to the bubble edge.

 

That would be about a 40 yard field. Not huge...but serviceable. Any math guys out there (I hate math unless it is green); The Bubble is 36,750 sq ft.

 

BTW...where would our Indoor Tennis team practice and play; rentals?!

[danefan]

BTW...my guestimate is that our bubble is 150 feet long. A tennis court's width is 36 feet. Add 10 feet in b/w each court and that is 128...plus I think it is at least 10 more feet on either side of the outer courts to the bubble edge.

 

That would be about a 40 yard field. Not huge...but serviceable. Any math guys out there (I hate math unless it is green); The Bubble is 36,750 sq ft.

 

BTW...where would our Indoor Tennis team practice and play; rentals?!

 

Buy them some sweaters and a shovel.

[Dane96]

LOL.

 

BTW...more comments from McElroy. He is walking the walk.... As for Jennings...maybe he is going to buck up some cash?!?!

 

“We would definitely have to get with our construction and design people and whatever [Philip] says to encourage it, we want to be able to do it,’’ McElroy said. “The regulations in the bubble now are not appropriate, they need to be adjusted. We want to make sure they’re back so we can maintain the momentum we’ve had the past 16 years.’’

 

Which is what Albany mayor Jerry Jennings wants to hear.

 

“I can obviously state the obvious — I want them here,’’ Jennings said. “I can work with them and do whatever we have to do to make sure that their stay here is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for everyone.”

[danefan]

The TU article says the Giants will make a decision in the fall on whether they return next year.

 

I would think they would want a concrete answer on this by then as well.

[dslyank]

If we had any "extra" money, I would rather spend it on the new stadium, new score board for Sefcu (and other Sefcu improvements), upgrades for baseball and softball, improvements to the old gym for our outstanding volleyball program (often under appreciated). The list of needs is long and I for one would not spend one nickel on the Giants (and I am a life long Giants fan). From what I've seen over the years and I have been to at least one practice every year since they've been here {have not made it this year and today is the last day}; their value to UA has always been psychological and philosophical but not financial. Where an indoor practice facility would be nice and like many of you say would benefit UA in many ways, there is just too many other needs which should be addressed first. So unless Jerry and the Giants want to fork over some (a lot) of money, I just as soon spend my 2¢ somewhere else.

[danefan]

If we had any "extra" money, I would rather spend it on the new stadium, new score board for Sefcu (and other Sefcu improvements), upgrades for baseball and softball, improvements to the old gym for our outstanding volleyball program (often under appreciated). The list of needs is long and I for one would not spend one nickel on the Giants (and I am a life long Giants fan). From what I've seen over the years and I have been to at least one practice every year since they've been here {have not made it this year and today is the last day}; their value to UA has always been psychological and philosophical but not financial. Where an indoor practice facility would be nice and like many of you say would benefit UA in many ways, there is just too many other needs which should be addressed first. So unless Jerry and the Giants want to fork over some (a lot) of money, I just as soon spend my 2¢ somewhere else.

 

Can't disagree with you there.

 

But if someone else wants to pay for it, we should do everything possible to make it easy on them.

[madDOG]

If we had any "extra" money, I would rather spend it on the new stadium, new score board for Sefcu (and other Sefcu improvements), upgrades for baseball and softball, improvements to the old gym for our outstanding volleyball program (often under appreciated). The list of needs is long and I for one would not spend one nickel on the Giants (and I am a life long Giants fan). From what I've seen over the years and I have been to at least one practice every year since they've been here {have not made it this year and today is the last day}; their value to UA has always been psychological and philosophical but not financial. Where an indoor practice facility would be nice and like many of you say would benefit UA in many ways, there is just too many other needs which should be addressed first. So unless Jerry and the Giants want to fork over some (a lot) of money, I just as soon spend my 2¢ somewhere else.

 

Can't disagree with you there.

 

But if someone else wants to pay for it, we should do everything possible to make it easy on them.

 

2nd that. The Giants mean more to Albany and the surrounding businesses than the university, and I'm sure they can cough up a few million to fund an indoor facility.

[UAalum72]

BTW...my guestimate is that our bubble is 150 feet long. A tennis court's width is 36 feet. Add 10 feet in b/w each court and that is 128...plus I think it is at least 10 more feet on either side of the outer courts to the bubble edge.

 

That would be about a 40 yard field. Not huge...but serviceable. Any math guys out there (I hate math unless it is green); The Bubble is 36,750 sq ft.

The Distance Calculator app on Bing maps shows the OUTSIDE footprint of the Bubble as about 150x240; agrees with 36750 (150x245). Usable indoor space would be a little smaller.

 

 

IIRC the lifespan of the bubble fabric is 8-12 years, and this second-generation covering has got to be getting near the end, so replacement cost could be factored in, but there isn't a lot of room to expand the bubble in place.

Edited August 14, 2012 by UAalum72

[Michigan_Dane]

How much did the state provide for SEFCU air conditioning? I see this as great situation for UA. If everyone wants to keep the Giants then a politician needs to come through with some tax payer money. The politician looks like a hero. UAlbany gets a great facility. Win-win. Cuomo, please stand up.

 

If the state doesn't come through then maybe the relationship should end. I'm really hoping the state comes through with a Youngstown facility but I'm sure if we do something it will be on the cheap.