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

[ZooCougar]

Sort of. There’s a middle ground that involves the CDRA actually caulking the joints that are leaking. They used to do that but they stopped “in anticipation of a major renovation.” The flexseal I posted was only half a joke. The leaking at the columns can be entirely stopped via caulking, which is normal maintenance consistent with the original design.

So I think the middle ground is to do the normal maintenance but not invest the money to install fiber optics. For six games a year, the crew can come in and lay the extra cable. Obviously, that depends upon cost, but if we’re talking a half million for caulk and 63.5 million to install a world-class fiber optic system, I think I’d go just with the caulk.

Yeah, I know that’s an oversimplification and there are more than those two items on the list, but I think you do the routine maintenance to maintain the structure and do not upgrade it until there is an actual demand that warrants the investment.

The Fiber is a necessity. Without it you are driving away potential events.

Other than why they fell behind basic maintenance I’m wondering why it doesn’t have more events.

I’m all for doing a sanity check on the proposed line items but when you don’t invest in maintenance and necessary upgrades this is what happens.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

$200m-$250m for an on campus stadium??? Lol. I want some of what you are drinking.

UConn just spent $70m for a 2500 sest hockey arena.

A 40k seat stadium similar in size and amenities to the Rent would be at least $400m, probably closer to $500m.

And that wouldn't include other state funding for infrastructure needed for area roads.

Don't forget to add the after-the-fact $100-200m additional that would be needed when "unanticipated problems with the construction" and "unexpected cost overruns" develop (a la Dunkin Donuts Park, the current XL Center Sportsbook "let's put a hole in the wall before we have something to fill it with" fiasco", etc., etc.).

 

[huskymedic]

Sort of. There’s a middle ground that involves the CDRA actually caulking the joints that are leaking. They used to do that but they stopped “in anticipation of a major renovation.” The flexseal I posted was only half a joke. The leaking at the columns can be entirely stopped via caulking, which is normal maintenance consistent with the original design.

Ben sez otherwise

From a year ago:

-> Cracking silicone caulking along every row of seats, in restrooms and around concession stands is to blame. The sealant is supposed to funnel rain to drains, but two decades of freezing in the winter and baking in the summer has damaged it.

“This isn’t like caulking your bathroom tub,” Ben Weiss, general manager of the stadium and the XL Center in Hartford, said, during a stadium tour. “That’s what I would think, too. Why don’t they just caulk it? No, this is a massive amount. It’s more than an annual maintenance thing. This is a major capital investment.”

If it was laid end-to-end, the sealant would run for miles, making keeping up with patching a losing proposition, Weiss said. <-

 

[SubbaBub]

Its 0.5%. Taken depends on how thorough the study is and whether or not it misses anything that might be a surprise later. The cost is very much inline.

 

[SubbaBub]

Unfortunately, we don’t have the football mindset of many places where people drive 3 hours to attend games in places like State College.

People here don't have any idea what places like PSU spend on game day capital improvements and operations.

The people here would choke on what it would cost to actually build and operate an on campus stadium for 40k fans and 20k cars.

 

[BigTenFan]

Most on this board want UConn Football to play in a great environment - myself included.
The problem is - if you polled 1000 CT residents....999 would say 'Not one dime back'

 

[HCCForever]

I feel like most concerts are at the casinos now.

The Stones were there as well in 2005. I attended all three concerts over 4 nights and enjoyed the experience. Of course, I know where to park and was not stuck as many others in traffic trying to exit.

 

[Hogoff]

This nugget regarding South Carolina stadium was published this week in Sports Illustrated.

DUMP: Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina (35). It’s not on campus, instead occupying space adjacent to the state fairgrounds. They’ve improved the joint and its surroundings, but it still feels like you’re at a generic location in a metropolitan area.

That’s false! Been to dozens of South Carolina games. Williams Brice is far from a dump.

 

[ZooCougar]

Most on this board want UConn Football to play in a great environment - myself included.
The problem is - if you polled 1000 CT residents....999 would say 'Not one dime back'

My guess is they would say that about most things.

You can’t have a stadium sitting around and rotting like that.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I think the open concourse is one of the perks of The Rent. I like to walk around.

An idea which doesn't solve any of the issues per se, but a compromise. Build the stadium at the crossroads of I-84 and route 195 in Tolland so it can be seen from the highway. It would still be off campus by about 7 miles, but much easier to get to for students, no traffic on game day, and a very visible welcome sign for visitors going to UCONN. with some place called Electric Blue across the highway.

Electric Blue should pay for naming rights for a UConn Stadium.

 

[phillionaire]

That’s false! Been to dozens of South Carolina games. Williams Brice is far from a dump.

No, I'm pretty sure it's in Columbia still

 

[husky8273]

thanks for the list. Off the top, you can’t include any “off campus” stadium that is within 4 to 6 miles- at that range you are close enough. For instance Oregon is merely over the river from the campus, a situation that is pretty much akin to being on campus. I haven’t looked at your others- but Navy jumps out- the campus and school are very close.

Miami is a good one- 21 miles from campus to Hard Rock. We are about 22 miles between the Rent and Storrs

Northwestern's stadium is walking distance from the campus. Northwestern University Campus Maps

 

[buddy]

Most on this board want UConn Football to play in a great environment - myself included.
The problem is - if you polled 1000 CT residents....999 would say 'Not one dime back'

If one reads the Hartford Courant article comments, the responses are overwhelmingly negative. Some of the commenters who are opposed to UConn football are even alumni!

 

[Kolumbo]

Plenty o' room

 

[CL82]

“This isn’t like caulking your bathroom tub,” Ben Weiss, general manager of the stadium and the XL Center in Hartford, said, during a stadium tour. “That’s what I would think, too. Why don’t they just caulk it? No, this is a massive amount. It’s more than an annual maintenance thing. This is a major capital investment.”

I’m just spitballing here on the numbers, but I’m guessing that it’s probably less than $64 million to cailk the stadium. I’d be willing to caulk the stadium for, I don’t know, $30 million.

If it was laid end-to-end, the sealant would run for miles, making keeping up with patching a losing proposition, Weiss said

That’s why am I post above a link to the extra large tub of flexseal.

For what it’s worth, this was the article“ that I remembered:

“We’re waving the yellow flag on this”? How about you do that your job and maintain the stadium annually so it doesn’t fall behind and require a multi million dollar investment to catch up on the work you should’ve been doing every year.

The CDRA is the most inapt “quasipublic“ agency I’ve ever seen, and that is a pretty low standard. These guys consistently miss manage and lose money for every property they operate. Football stadiums, little soccer fields, the XL Center, all different types of agencies all losing money. What’s the common denominator? They’re all run by the CDRA.

 

[CL82]

The Fiber is a necessity. Without it you are driving away potential events.

Other than why they fell behind basic maintenance I’m wondering why it doesn’t have more events.

I’m all for doing a sanity check on the proposed line items but when you don’t invest in maintenance and necessary upgrades this is what happens.

And which potential events did we lose out on because of the lack of a $64 million investment in fiber optic cable? That’s kind of critical information to know, right? Otherwise it’s impossible to evaluate whether they would be any ROI in making the expenditure.

The upgrade to fiber optics isn’t maintenance. The caulking that they stopped doing, that’s maintenance and it should’ve been done annually. Their not doing annual maintenance, for years, hides their lack of profitability because after things get bad enough they talk about the need for to make a capital investment which is really the disguised catch-up cost for all the annual maintenance they’ve been blowing off.

 

[Kolumbo]

I’m just spitballing here on the numbers, but I’m guessing that it’s probably less than $64 million to cailk the stadium. I’d be willing to caulk the stadium for, I don’t know, $30 million.

That’s why am I post above a link to the extra large tub of flexseal.

For what it’s worth, this was the article“ that I remembered:
View attachment 79063
“We’re waving the yellow flag on this”? How about you do that your job and maintain the stadium annually so it doesn’t fall behind and require a multi million dollar investment to catch up on the work you should’ve been doing every year.

The CDRA is the most inapt “quasipublic“ agency I’ve ever seen, and that is a pretty low standard. These guys consistently miss manage and lose money for every property they operate. Football stadiums, little soccer fields, the XL Center, all different types of agencies all losing money. What’s the common denominator? They’re all run by the CDRA.

The Rent is turning out to be one big caulk sucker.

 

[BlueandOG]

The Rent is our current and future home for at least 20 more years. That may change If we get into a major conference with real money. I recommend we invest in the Rent and work to find other non-football uses for the space. I live 10 minutes from Patriot Place where the Pats play. They have bars, restaurants, stores, hotels all around the perimeter of the stadium. It is a destination for more than football.

 

[gampelcrazies]

63 million is a joke. It needs a lot more. Crazy how the Rent is becoming the new Civic Center. They can't do anything right when it comes to these buildings.

 

[Waquoit]

The Rent has been a bargain for the state. No reason to be "pound foolish" now. It's more expensive to put this off.

 

[uconnfan68]

We literally truck in chic Fil a from Glastonbury and run out of hot cocoa. They literally can’t make hot water and mix it with cocoa powder on site.

There are so many basic things that the place lacks that it’s embarrassing.

Maybe $63M is an upsell but it’s long overdue some fixing. It’s not like they are calling for a retractable roof.

I'd be in for that roof. Could play basketball there instead of the XL.

 

[huskymedic]

Have @ it Boneyard (nobody crowdsources like this group of multipurpose generational experts).

Pratt & Whitney Stadium Comprehensive Building Assessment Executive Summary

-> The four most critical capital investments include:

1) Roof replacement in the Tower Building and roof repairs in certain outbuildings.
2) Technology upgrades to make the building more compatible and user friendly for UConn,
event producers and broadcasters, as well as safer, more efficient and more welcoming to
patrons.
3) Investments to counter the wear and tear of twenty years to elevators, concourse areas,
walkways, stairwell and various mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems; and
4) Life cycle replacements related to irrigation and drainage systems on the playing field and to
the overall site

Populous estimates that over the next five years, investments are expected to cost $63.3 million and can be phased over several state capital budget cycles with an initial budget projection of $24 million for the upcoming 2023-25 biennial budget. <-

-> Major Deficiencies

1) Roofs - The Stadium facility includes ten separate buildings, including the central Tower. No major deficiencies were found on seven of the building roofs. The thermoplastic polyolefin single-ply membrane on the roof of the Tower, however, is original to the building and is in very poor condition. Moisture leaks into the building’s interior have occurred. The other two buildings cited are linked by an expansion joint and the membrane over that joint has detached and the area is no longer watertight.

Populous recommends replacing the Tower roofing membrane and installing a new membrane over the expansion joint linking the other two buildings cited. Populous did caution that the need to relocate cell tower antennas currently located on the Tower roof is expected to add to the complexity and cost of the roof replacement.

2) Technology / Security - Capital budgets have been insufficient for the Stadium to secure and maintain the technology required for a first-class Division I facility. The presence of outdated technology impedes not only game day operations (e.g., IT, sound, video production, broadcast capabilities), but also the State’s ability to operate the Stadium in a safe and responsible manner.

The most visible example is in the area of security. The Stadium’s video surveillance system has been updated over the years in an ad hoc manner. It is comprised of both analog and IP-based cameras of which 18 of the 35 cameras on site are not currently functioning properly. The parking lot cameras, which were installed in 2016, do not have reliable wireless connectivity to the building network for monitoring. There is no active video recording system for surveillance, which poses an issue in operational functionality. Deficiencies in the building’s access control system, intercom system and motion detectors were also noted.

Populous recommends replacing the video surveillance system management and adding new Network Video Recording (NVR). Replacement of existing cameras and cabling and the addition of new pole-mounted cameras in the parking lots were also suggested. Additional recommendations included the replacement of the existing access system and installation of new access controls to certain back of house spaces.

3) Architecture - Cosmetic damage caused by daily wear and maintenance operations, as well as more substantial damage caused by environmental exposure and end of life cycles, has occurred in the building. These deficiencies include rust and water damage on outside stairs, railings, ticket windows, signage and ceiling tiles, cracked asphalt and deteriorating concrete sealant. Entry lobbies and related graphics are outdated.

Recommendations include the sanding and repainting of rusted metal stairs and railings along with the replacement of old signage and concourse asphalt. Ticket window layout should be assessed and windows replaced, while entry lobbies should be updated.

3) Playing Field and Site - Irrigation piping under and around the playing field is original to the building and is at the end of its useful life. Perimeter trench drains are damaged and need to be replaced. The asphalt track around the field is too narrow for maintenance and game day operations and it displays significant cracking and gaps left from the installation of underground conduits. Asphalt parking lots also display significant cracking.

Populous recommends that the replacement of underground piping should be undertaken at such time when the playing field is next replaced. Asphalt should be repaired along the field perimeter and in the parking lots. <-

Much more detail in link above and within…

Pratt & Whitney Stadium Report – Volume 1
Pratt & Whitney Stadium Report – Volume 2

 

[KembaKek]

So I'm guessing you don't think the basketball teams should play outside of Gampell then too at a significantly smaller venue?

UConn athletics belong in Storrs.