East Hartford’s Rentschler Field needs $63 million upgrade, new study says. ‘like walking into a time capsule’

[CTBasketball]

Played golf with a UConn grad who basically said going to football games was a pain. He didn’t like going to Hartford for basketball either… he and his friends didn’t go to either.

Just not enough support to do things right.

How big is the new hockey facility on campus going to be? Oh yeah, play important games in stinking Hartford.

Hartford’s got more heart than your buddy.

 

[Hoophound]

Played golf with a UConn grad who basically said going to football games was a pain. He didn’t like going to Hartford for basketball either… he and his friends didn’t go to either.

Just not enough support to do things right.

How big is the new hockey facility on campus going to be? Oh yeah, play important games in stinking Hartford.

It really depends when it was. Younger alums never experienced the good years at the Rent or HCC. They don’t get it. Winning will fix that.

My big issue with the Hartford/E Hartford suck crowd is that they aren’t being honest. Fans in the Northeast do not support losers. Build an on campus stadium and continue being futile, you’ll see an empty stadium. We saw it in Gampel as Ollie floundered. The fans cleared out.

 

[NHRich]

I grew up in East Hartford, a mile from where the stadium is. Never in my dreams did I expect Uconn to be playing Michigan in football at the end of the runway at P&W. What a strange dream that would have been.

Also, let me reword that to “the stinking drive and parking in Hartford”. Nothing against Hartford in general.

 

[CL82]

Played golf with a UConn grad who basically said going to football games was a pain. He didn’t like going to Hartford for basketball either… he and his friends didn’t go to either.

Just not enough support to do things right.

How big is the new hockey facility on campus going to be? Oh yeah, play important games in stinking Hartford.

I had similar thoughts, but, I think the contract re-negotiation with the CDRA might change that.

 

[Alum86]

Folks here want a 12K stadium Storrs. Just say it, already. N to the no. We have a stadium, packed when we are winning. A move to Storrs is a move back to FCS

 

[CL82]

Folks here want a 12K stadium Storrs. Just say it, already. N to the no. We have a stadium, packed when we are winning. A move to Storrs is a move back to FCS

Who wants the 12 K stadium in Storrs? that’s a step down from the old Memorial Stadium which sat 16,200 not counting the hill.

 

[Kolumbo]

OK, long time viewer, 1st post.
BS 1983, MBA 1986, so getting to be an Old Timer.
Loved my Saturdays at Memorial Stadium, both during Undergrad & Grad school (Still have one of those White Plastic Beer Cups from the "Huskies Spirit Tent LOL)
I was there "When The Lights Went On" vs. New Hampshire , 1st Night Home Husky Football Game Ever.
Charter Season Ticket Holder at The Rent, held them until my children were born, and I couldn't dedicate all week any longer for the big east deciding what game of the week our game was going to be.
Loved The Rent, Big Upgrade over Memorial, Amazing experiences, Beating Syracuse in a monsoon, and Louisville (Where that Kick Return really looked like the Husky signaled for a fair catch)
Well... Great Memories, and now we are where we are.
Despite what happens to UConn Football in the future, (Independence, Little 3, 1AA), it is time to abandon The Rent and bring Uconn Football Back to Storrs.
We have a Governor that is behind the program, now is the time.
Build a 50,000 potential expandable stadium on Campus, let's not stumble bum it like we did for Gampel for years, Let's just Get er DONE.

Excellent!

My tenure at UCONN started as a naive freshman studying in the Library and hearing the band play at the home UCONN Football game on a Saturday afternoon. College campus. Soon enough I was partying on The Hill having a glorious time. Urban Colleges in cities like Miami, LA, and Pittsburgh have many advantages outside of athletics. Rural campuses like those in Storrs where many of us didn't step foot off campus for months at a time deserve those common on-campus amenities, like a stadium. Football, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, etc. Now that the Pig 2 have broken away with their need for greed I don't think it makes a difference what other level a program is at because whether it's G5 or G8 or whatever, UCONN is in it. Wake has a 32k stadium. Build it. On Campus. And if people can't sit in 30-60 minutes of traffic on gameday, too bad. I'd wager just about all those complaining about the drive will be the first to show up on game day. UCONN is not winning national championships in Football. So at least do college football right and bring alumni to the Storrs campus and not some deserted air strip/Cabella's for pete's sake. They couldn't even leave tailgating alone, they had to take up the space with a large retail box store.

 

[buddy]

Excellent!

My tenure at UCONN started as a naive freshman studying in the Library and hearing the band play at the home UCONN Football game on a Saturday afternoon. College campus. Soon enough I was partying on The Hill having a glorious time. Urban Colleges in cities like Miami, LA, and Pittsburgh have many advantages outside of athletics. Rural campuses like those in Storrs where many of us didn't step foot off campus for months at a time deserve those common on-campus amenities, like a stadium. Football, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, etc. Now that the Pig 2 have broken away with their need for greed I don't think it makes a difference what other level a program is at because whether it's G5 or G8 or whatever, UCONN is in it. Wake has a 32k stadium. Build it. On Campus. And if people can't sit in 30-60 minutes of traffic on gameday, too bad. I'd wager just about all those complaining about the drive will be the first to show up on game day. UCONN is not winning national championships in Football. So at least do college football right and bring alumni to the Storrs campus and not some deserted air strip/Cabella's for pete's sake. They couldn't even leave tailgating alone, they had to take up the space with a large retail box store.

The State of CT announced today their budget surplus is a record high levels. Funding a new stadium should be no problem. They could also easily float a bond. People will buy. Interest rates are going up. A fixed rate bond at this time would be great for retirees to purchase.

 

[ChampHusky]

Excellent!

My tenure at UCONN started as a naive freshman studying in the Library and hearing the band play at the home UCONN Football game on a Saturday afternoon. College campus. Soon enough I was partying on The Hill having a glorious time. Urban Colleges in cities like Miami, LA, and Pittsburgh have many advantages outside of athletics. Rural campuses like those in Storrs where many of us didn't step foot off campus for months at a time deserve those common on-campus amenities, like a stadium. Football, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, etc. Now that the Pig 2 have broken away with their need for greed I don't think it makes a difference what other level a program is at because whether it's G5 or G8 or whatever, UCONN is in it. Wake has a 32k stadium. Build it. On Campus. And if people can't sit in 30-60 minutes of traffic on gameday, too bad. I'd wager just about all those complaining about the drive will be the first to show up on game day. UCONN is not winning national championships in Football. So at least do college football right and bring alumni to the Storrs campus and not some deserted air strip/Cabella's for pete's sake. They couldn't even leave tailgating alone, they had to take up the space with a large retail box store.

Agreed 100% about drawing back more alumni. As an alum, who lives in the mid-atlantic, I would make it an annual ritual to spend a weekend in Storrs during football season. I don’t feel the same way about E. Hartford. I have gone to 2 games in the last 15 years.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Agreed 100% about drawing back more alumni. As an alum, who lives in the mid-atlantic, I would make it an annual ritual to spend a weekend in Storrs during football season. I don’t feel the same way about E. Hartford. I have gone to 2 games in the last 15 years.

This is the argument that people don't realize for an on-campus stadium. If someone goes on campus for the game, they will probably spend money at the bookstore, visit the shops around the school and maybe feel more engaged with the University which will lead them to donate. It is better for the students, alumnae and most fans.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

At the time it opened, the Rent was in the best possible location for the program, primarily due to highway access from every corner of the state. If the program had been maintained properly (which would have made the neglect to the stadium's upkeep impossible), the conversation today would be "do we expand beyond 60k here or do we build a stadium on campus and improve the infrastructure to make it possible for the fans to get to the new stadium".

It makes my blood boil when I think of the opportunities we led slip away and the time that has been wasted. Sadly, we need the stadium where it is at least until we reach the point where we were a dozen years ago. Two decades ago we needed to start cultivating a fan base. The only effort made towards that was the success we saw during RE1 where the fans showed in spite of the (basically non-existent) effort from the school's leadership, not because of it. We are pretty much stuck today where we were in 2001 (football stadium excepted) with people wondering if it makes sense to attempt to play football at this level. This would never have been a question if we had better leadership when RE left the first time.

 

[CTBasketball]

Should probably rebuild/renovate Gampel before we touch the Rent or build a new on-campus stadium.

 

[John]

Should probably rebuild/renovate Gampel before we touch the Rent or build a new on-campus stadium.

Gampel is the least of the facilities problems faced by UConn.

 

[huskymedic]

More spitballing… (and I think the “cost is not an issue”/cost projection is very understated IMO) but a good recap here:




-> … Additionally, finding a site on or near campus to build the stadium will be hard. The campus is pretty crowded as it is and would likely require either conservation land, which is tricky to re-zone, or creative use of certain spaces. Here are some options:

Depot Campus

While not perfect, Depot Campus is two miles from the rest of the main campus, most of the buildings are uninhabited and with nearly 250 acres in space, building a large facility with ample parking makes this the most realistic on-campus option. UConn shuttle buses already run there regularly, which would make student travel much easier than the 35-minute bus drive and rental that they currently undertake. However, part of the campus is on the National Register of Historic Places, which limits and complicates the development of the site.

Industrial Tract

Using a portion of Industrial Tract on the west side of Discovery Drive between the Industrial Partnership Building and US 44 is probably the most geographically ideal location, but it also comes with issues. As conservation land, it would likely require approval from the town of Mansfield, a legislative jurisdiction that is famously unwilling to make anything regarding UConn expansion easy. It comes with lots of parking nearby, including C, J, and K lots, and easy access to US 44, but the size of the space and distance from homes on Grandview Cr. could also pose an issue.

Other sites where a stadium could possibly work include the former Mansfield Apartments and Moss Sanctuary on S. Eagleville Rd. <-

This article is a really nice summary. I think they are being a little optimistic on the cost but otherwise it’s pretty good.

It still think the Separatist Tract is the best site. It is right in the Athletic Quarter. There is room. Parking lots could be used to support baseball, hockey, soccer, etc. Weekdays, it could support student parking.

View attachment 79169

Here is the Environmental Impact Evaluation for the selection of the site for the Toscano Family Ice Forum. It discusses some of the challenges they had w/ the Industrial Tract, Separatist Tract and Mansfield Apartment/Moss Sanctuary sites for development. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/UConn/Ice-Hockey-Arena-Development/FINAL_UC_HOCKEY_EIE_021320.pdf (first couple of dozen pages are high enough level to get a sense of the depth of the required review for an on campus/near campus football stadium and the potential issues/hurdles to overcome).

Here is the University of Connecticut Master Plan from 2015 that is referenced.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Should probably rebuild/renovate Gampel before we touch the Rent or build a new on-campus stadium.

Gampel is the least of the facilities problems faced by UConn.

No reason not to build a 55,000 seat football stadium with a retractable roof that can convert to 18k seats for basketball games.

Heck split it in half and make 2 separate 18k basketball arenas so guys and gals can play games in the same building simultaneously.

Go B1G or go home.

Get it done.

 

[Kolumbo]

No reason not to build a 55,000 sest football stadium with a retractable roof that can convert to 18k seats for basketball games.

Heck split it in half and make 2 separate 18k basketball arenas so guys and gals can play games in the same building simultaneously.

Go B1G or go home.

Get it done.

Not the worst idea. If they didn't just build the Werth Family Center they could have replaced Gampel and the old field house with a stadium. And if not retractable, perhaps whatever this is! a roof coaster?!

 

[Waquoit]

LOL, and how big a sample size was that? And did you directly ask these non-fans whether they would support a stadium or is it just everyone in Connecticut you’ve ever met who has never talked about it? Because if it’s the latter, then your comments seemed to be in bad faith.

I answered your question, you ignored mine and asked another. That's true bad faith.

 

[huskymedic]

No reason not to build a 55,000 seat football stadium with a retractable roof that can convert to 18k seats for basketball games.

Heck split it in half and make 2 separate 18k basketball arenas so guys and gals can play games in the same building simultaneously.

Go B1G or go home.

Get it done.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not the worst idea. If they didn't just build the Werth Family Center they could have replaced Gampel and the old field house with a stadium. And if not retractable, perhaps whatever this is! a roof coaster?!

View attachment 79220

Sure, why not? Put a roller coaster and some flying swings on the roof for extra fun. Screw it. Roof top bar with a glass ceiling looking down on the action.

You can even mix and match. Have a game in half the arena and a concert on the other half where fans can go back and forth between the game and the concert. Or maybe a car show going on half the arena and a game on the other half. The possibilities are nearly limitless.

 

[huskymedic]

Alternate access link here <<

Comments on CRDA Study from within:

-> UConn’s lease with the Office of Policy and Management — which owns the facility through the state — expires in June 2023, which is one reason why the Capital Region Development Authority commissioned the assessment of the stadium.

“I think doing a report like that is great,” Benedict said. “What you don’t want to do is find yourself in a position where your facility is falling apart. Because it will wind up costing you a lot more.

“When you have a big facility like that, it’s going to need maintenance. The facility is what it is. But I don’t think if feels like an old run-down facility at all. I’ve been in a lot of stadiums during my career and the facility is in relatively good shape as you look at it. Are there things that we can do? Are there repairs and deferred maintenance things that are just part of managing a big facility like that? Absolutely.”<-

-> “It is a really, really nice facility and we’re certainly glad to be there and look forward to hearing what the plans are and how we move forward,” Benedict said. <-

 

[CL82]

Here is the Environmental Impact Evaluation for the selection of the site for the Toscano Family Ice Forum. It discusses some of the challenges they had w/ the Industrial Tract, Separatist Tract and Mansfield Apartment/Moss Sanctuary sites for development. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/UConn/Ice-Hockey-Arena-Development/FINAL_UC_HOCKEY_EIE_021320.pdf (first couple of dozen pages are high enough level to get a sense of the depth of the required review for an on campus/near campus football stadium and the potential issues/hurdles to overcome).

Here the University of Connecticut Master Plan from 2015 that is referenced.

Thanks! I can’t read this now, but I’ll try to take a look at it tonight.

 

[CL82]

Roof top bar with a glass ceiling looking down on the action.

Yeah, I realize this was sarcasm but I couldn’t help but think to myself I would be so in for those seats!

 

[CL82]

I answered your question, you ignored mine and asked another. That's true bad faith.

Did you though? Because, not to put to blunt to point on it, it kind of seems like you were lying. And then it kind of seems like you lied more to support your lie. And never seemed to answer any of the questions in the post you quoted. Not that that is particularly surprising, you are who you are. The lack of self-awareness though is impressive, and to be completely honest, more than just a little bit amusing.

 

[BigTenFan]

At the time it opened, the Rent was in the best possible location for the program, primarily due to highway access from every corner of the state. If the program had been maintained properly (which would have made the neglect to the stadium's upkeep impossible), the conversation today would be "do we expand beyond 60k here or do we build a stadium on campus and improve the infrastructure to make it possible for the fans to get to the new stadium".

It makes my blood boil when I think of the opportunities we led slip away and the time that has been wasted. Sadly, we need the stadium where it is at least until we reach the point where we were a dozen years ago. Two decades ago we needed to start cultivating a fan base. The only effort made towards that was the success we saw during RE1 where the fans showed in spite of the (basically non-existent) effort from the school's leadership, not because of it. We are pretty much stuck today where we were in 2001 (football stadium excepted) with people wondering if it makes sense to attempt to play football at this level. This would never have been a question if we had better leadership when RE left the first time.

Leadership at UConn is 4 Presidents in 4 years.....

 

[Chin Diesel]

Yeah, I realize this was sarcasm but I couldn’t help but think to myself I would be so in for those seats!

You think it's sarcasm. Me? I'm putting glass floors and clear toilets in the bathrooms on the roof top bar over the opponent's locker rooms.