For Sale. College Football Stadium on Old Airstrip

[hexlub]

I don't even know why I'm responding to this nonsense, but here goes. Have you ever had to drive to Storrs for a sold out game at Gampel? Now imagine that with 4x as many people...

Exactly. And put that game on a Thursday night.

Remember, they investigated this in the 90's and it was not feasible then? It's less feasible now.

 

[MidTown Husky]

Ugh. Not everything can, nor should, have a direct connection to UConn sports. Here's an anecdote. At my firm in lower Fairfield County with approx 120 onsite employees, I dont think we have 5 UConn alumni. UConn might be influential in Hartford, Manchester, Waterbury, Groton, West Haven, etc but not down here. Not all is lost however. Everyone I speak to around here recognizes that UConn is an improving school academically and a smart choice if you child is unable to ascertain entry to a truly worthy private school. UConn, for its future academically, for the state's ROI in these subsidized educations (ie our tax base) and yes - even for UConn sports, much stronger ties to NYC and Stamford are important. The integration between this end of the state and the UConn Storrs must be greater.

Btw, kids staying in UConn Stamford dorms could easier taken on Manhattan internships given its a 35 min train ride in on the MetroNorth and the dorms, if built where I think they will go, will be just a 10 min walk from the station.

Tread lightly, there's only room for one lawyer that's smarter than everybody else from Fairfield County on this message board.

 

[Excalibur]

Exactly. And put that game on a Thursday night.

Remember, they investigated this in the 90's and it was not feasible then? It's less feasible now.

They didn't decide that it wasn't feasible. It was done before state party politics got involved.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Exactly. And put that game on a Thursday night.

Remember, they investigated this in the 90's and it was not feasible then? It's less feasible now.

I'd spend significantly more time trying to get to campus and park from the highway than I would to get from ffld county to the actual exit. No one would come.

 

[Excalibur]

People from FC are experts on taking an hour to drive 2 miles.

 

[Husky25]

key in this "for the state" not for uconn, for the state...

Rentschler is owned by the State, not UConn and the residents of Storrs/Mansfield will NEVER, in any iteration, allow a major stadium project to be built on campus, especially if it affects their front yards.

The state will not get behind any major campus stadium project because they have Rentschler. Is it state of the art? No. But it can be expanded and improved. TheState is not going to sell it either. They can get an MLS team to play at Rentschler, if available. NASCAR would sooner buy one of the speedbowls in Waterford or Stafford Springs. Even then, you're desire is to replace a stadium that is used about 10 days out of the year with a race track that is used twice?

Think before you type...and use a copy/paste function from a word processing program that fixes for proper capitalization and punctuation.

 

[Exit 4]

People from FC are experts on taking an hour to drive 2 miles.

Eventually you of develop a sixth sense for the Westchester/Fairfield County traffic patterns. You learn to factor in the season, day of the week, hr of the day, whether school is in session or not, construction situation and weather before you decide to point your car down the highway onramp for the Merritt or I-95.

 

[huskyjawz]

Rentschler is owned by the State, not UConn and the residents of Storrs/Mansfield will NEVER, in any iteration, allow a major stadium project to be built on campus, especially if it affects their front yards.

The state will not get behind any major campus stadium project because they have Rentschler. Is it state of the art? No. But it can be expanded and improved. TheState is not going to sell it either. They can get an MLS team to play at Rentschler, if available. NASCAR would sooner buy one of the speedbowls in Waterford or Stafford Springs. Even then, you're desire is to replace a stadium that is used about 10 days out of the year with a race track that is used twice?

Think before you type...and use a copy/paste function from a word processing program that fixes for proper capitalization and punctuation.

Aren't there any alumni living in Mansfield. Can't we get some on the boards and city council, and turn that around?

 

[Adios]

Eminent domain. But I think that would lead to complete lawsuit chaos in this case. Too many involved. I like the stadium being in East Hartford, personally. UCLA and USC have off-campus stadiums. Sure doesn't affect USC's recruiting. As others say, would be much better if they allowed us to tailgate for more time.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The Rent is massively underutilized, but field conditions should not be jeopardized just before or during the season. As much as some soccer supporters would like CT to have an MLS team and generating more revenue is appropriate, (East) Hartford is nowhere on the MLS wish list.

 

[Husky25]

Aren't there any alumni living in Mansfield. Can't we get some on the boards and city council, and turn that around?

As I said yesterday. They are a very NIMBY population.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Quinnipiac has the number 1 ranked team in the country for hockey. UConn needs to fire their hockey coaches damn it. Just sayin'

Someone's not paying too much attention to UConn's current hockey coaching search. Maybe some also believe UConn should replicate Quinnipiac's recruitment of older Canadian players. Just sayin'

 

[Husky25]

Eminent domain. But I think that would lead to complete lawsuit chaos in this case. Too many involved. I like the stadium being in East Hartford, personally. UCLA and USC have off-campus stadiums. Sure doesn't affect USC's recruiting. As others say, would be much better if they allowed us to tailgate for more time.

The Government will not support eminent domain when it comes to a stadium project on campus, because they own Rentschler Field. AND they are not going to sell Rentschler just because HFD deems it not big time enough.

Regarding the MLS: Field turf would take care of the deterioration issue. Gillette (a $68,000 seat stadium) hosts the Revolution and they installed field Turf about 5 years ago. Trays of natural grass can be installed (Thinkthe Meadow ands) for FIFA friendlies.

 

[upstater]

I'd spend significantly more time trying to get to campus and park from the highway than I would to get from ffld county to the actual exit. No one would come.

You assume everyone just wants to come for the game. People make a day of it.

 

[upstater]

The Government will not support eminent domain when it comes to a stadium project on campus, because they own Rentschler Field. AND they are not going to sell Rentschler just because HFD deems it not big time enough.

Regarding the MLS: Field turf would take care of the deterioration issue. Gillette (a $68,000 seat stadium) hosts the Revolution and they installed field Turf about 5 years ago. Trays of natural grass can be installed (Thinkthe Meadow ands) for FIFA friendlies.

The Revolution though are looking at tracts in Somerville for a new stadium.

 

[Husky25]

The Revolution though are looking at tracts in Somerville for a new stadium.

That's not happening anytime soon. In fact, the last time it was mentioned was 2010 and there are still other sites in the running for a soccer only stadium.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

You assume everyone just wants to come for the game. People make a day of it.

Really doesn't matter if some people make a day of it and some people come from the game. Getting from the highway to UConn when there are 8-9k people coming for a men's game is terrible. Even if football games spread the travel time out over a slightly larger timeframe, it's still 30k+ coming down one lane. It would be terrible getting to the game, much less getting out of there afterwards when almost everyone is leaving at the same time. The amount of money the state would have to spend in infrastructure upgrades to make a project like this feasible is completely and totally prohibitive.

 

[hexlub]

Really doesn't matter if some people make a day of it and some people come from the game. Getting from the highway to UConn when there are 8-9k people coming for a men's game is terrible. Even if football games spread the travel time out over a slightly larger timeframe, it's still 30k+ coming down one lane. It would be terrible getting to the game, much less getting out of there afterwards when almost everyone is leaving at the same time. The amount of money the state would have to spend in infrastructure upgrades to make a project like this feasible is completely and totally prohibitive.

If you need to get a feel for what this is like, leave Pocono Speedway after a Nascar race.

 

[huskymedic]

Someone's not paying too much attention to UConn's current hockey coaching search. Maybe some also believe UConn should replicate Quinnipiac's recruitment of older Canadian players. Just sayin'

Not sure how this discussion fit into this thread but...

Recruiting "older Canadian players" is not intrinsic to Quinnipiac. Take a peak @ most top hockey programs. You want to compete - necessary component. Almost - but not quite like bringing JUCO kids in for football.

 

[upstater]

Really doesn't matter if some people make a day of it and some people come from the game. Getting from the highway to UConn when there are 8-9k people coming for a men's game is terrible. Even if football games spread the travel time out over a slightly larger timeframe, it's still 30k+ coming down one lane. It would be terrible getting to the game, much less getting out of there afterwards when almost everyone is leaving at the same time. The amount of money the state would have to spend in infrastructure upgrades to make a project like this feasible is completely and totally prohibitive.

Penn State had a 30 mile single lane road for 110,000 fans.

 

[Husky25]

Really doesn't matter if some people make a day of it and some people come from the game. Getting from the highway to UConn when there are 8-9k people coming for a men's game is terrible. Even if football games spread the travel time out over a slightly larger timeframe, it's still 30k+ coming down one lane. It would be terrible getting to the game, much less getting out of there afterwards when almost everyone is leaving at the same time. The amount of money the state would have to spend in infrastructure upgrades to make a project like this feasible is completely and totally prohibitive.

IF this awas even a possibility, they would have to widen the road to accomodate wider breakdown lanes. Then, similar to Route 1 in Foxborough, three lanes would enter campus with one leaving. The opposite after the game.

Do you understand how much money that would cost the State for the 7-mile portion of SR-195 from Exit 68 to campus? How about the traffic comming in from Willimantic? How about from I-384? This state just jerryrigged a solution to a $415 million budget deficit with creative accounting. Eminent domain requires actual cash money.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Penn State had a 30 mile single lane road for 110,000 fans.

Since when are we Penn State?! This team can't see out the Rent, which is incredibly easy to get to. What makes anyone think that adding a huge hassle to the process would make things go any better?

 

[Rumrunner]

The over-arching point is that UConn should be planning for an on campus stadium, now, even if the stadium isn't built for 30 years.

The Rent won't be new forever. UConn has the land. Lots of land. It's the Land of Land up there. Infrastructure to accommodate 8-10 events a years is not insurmountable, to suggest otherwise is like saying that we have forgotten how to build roads and bridges.

I don't think people realize that a football game at major schools is, as has been mentioned, an all day event. Tailgating, pre game, post game. It's an entire day commitment. Now it's one thing to say that the appetite for that type of commitment is not supported by the populace and hence it's silly to plan UConn football around that premise, but it's another to just say, "sitting in traffic is a deal breaker." And there is no better game day experience than at stadium where soon to be 24,000 undergrads can walk to. Atmosphere is huge at these types of events.

Minnesota was forced to build an on-campus stadium by the Big Ten.

Colorado State is moving to an on-campus stadium.

UNLV is planning to build an on-campus stadium.

Having a stadium in East Hartford that is owned by the state is not in UConn's best interest. The State of Connecticut has now gotten 10 years of rent from UConn, and conservatively, will get at least 5 years more. At what point has UConn fulfilled its commitment to the state of Connecticut?

Look at a school like Arkansas. It ;plays some games in Little Rock. There is no reason that UConn can't do something similar.

 

[upstater]

Since when are we Penn State?! This team can't see out the Rent, which is incredibly easy to get to. What makes anyone think that adding a huge hassle to the process would make things go any better?

Storrs Center is being built out. They are adding a ton of new professors and new students which will increase the population base by 10k to 20k. Eventually, they'll have to build regardless. UConn has an even better situation than PSU since PSU is 3 1/2 hours away from ANY nearby city. Go up early, make a day of it. Like they do EVERYWHERE else, not just Penn State.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

IF this awas even a possibility, they would have to widen the road to accomodate wider breakdown lanes. Then, similar to Route 1 in Foxborough, three lanes would enter campus with one leaving. The opposite after the game.

Do you understand how much money that would cost the State for the 7-mile portion of SR-195 from Exit 68 to campus? How about the traffic comming in from Willimantic? How about from I-384? This state just jerryrigged a solution to a $415 million budget deficit with creative accounting. Eminent domain requires actual cash money.

I can't tell if you realize that it being completely cost prohibitive was the point I was making.