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

[FfldCntyFan]

82,

I'll let you in on a little secret: you not know about or not remembering something doesn't mean it didn't happen. There's a very big world out there and quite a few things occur beyond the scope of your purview.

I remember the Horsebarn Hill proposal but IIRC, it never moved beyond proposal stage as there was too much opposition. If P&W hadn't come up with the k]land donation, our football upgrade was at risk of ending up on the cutting room floor.

I also remember the opposition to Gampel, prior to groundbreaking and the facility having a name. They had to lie about what the capacity would be (it was listed at 5,600, not the 8,200 it opened with) and they intentionally did not disclose that the capacity could be increased (capacity now is slightly above 10,000).

Out of curiosity, what would the economics be to put a stadium on campus (for sake of this argument we can assume no opposition)? What do you estimate the cost being? We can use 40k as capacity or, if you prefer we can open with a different number. I would love to hear your thoughts on the cost of a construction project this size.

 

[CL82]

I'll let you in on a little secret: you not know about or not remembering something doesn't mean it didn't happen. There's a very big world out there and quite a few things occur beyond the scope of your purview.

I remember the Horsebarn Hill proposal but IIRC, it never moved beyond proposal stage as there was too much opposition. If P&W hadn't come up with the k]land donation, our football upgrade was at risk of ending up on the cutting room floor.

No doubt about it. Do you have a link regarding the proposal? I remember the University who is going to put a Pfizer research facility on Horsebarn Hill. Could that be what you’re thinking of?

I also remember the opposition to Gampel, prior to groundbreaking and the facility having a name. They had to lie about what the capacity would be (it was listed at 5,600, not the 8,200 it opened with) and they intentionally did not disclose that the capacity could be increased (capacity now is slightly above 10,000).

There was opposition to Gampel, yet it got built, right? I’m pretty sure the Peoples Republic of Mansfield has opposed every building since the Storrs brothers first donated the land and yet buildings keep going up. .

Out of curiosity, what would the economics be to put a stadium on campus (for sake of this argument we can assume no opposition)? What do you estimate the cost being? We can use 40k as capacity or, if you prefer we can open with a different number. I would love to hear your thoughts on the cost of a construction project this size.

I have never looked into it so I don’t have an estimate. I’m confident it wouldn’t be an insurmountable number.

 

[Nostical]

Things change. People die. The opposition to it was 25 years ago.

The university offered to build Mansfield a new high school on the Mansfield training center property in exchange for their giving up the EO Smith property. Mansfield turned them down.

That's what I've been saying throughout this thread.
1.--What happened in the past should inform us--but not impede us--- because people and circumstances are always changing.
2.--Nothing will happen without smart leadership that can generate excitement, galvanize support, raise the money and (maybe most importantly) determine the price they have to pay to gain support from those who oppose it. The EO Smith example is instructive. What else might have made that happen? As the saying goes,'everyone has a price. The key is finding out what it is".

​

 

[LIUCHusky]

82,

I'll let you in on a little secret: you not know about or not remembering something doesn't mean it didn't happen. There's a very big world out there and quite a few things occur beyond the scope of your purview.

I remember the Horsebarn Hill proposal but IIRC, it never moved beyond proposal stage as there was too much opposition. If P&W hadn't come up with the k]land donation, our football upgrade was at risk of ending up on the cutting room floor.

I also remember the opposition to Gampel, prior to groundbreaking and the facility having a name. They had to lie about what the capacity would be (it was listed at 5,600, not the 8,200 it opened with) and they intentionally did not disclose that the capacity could be increased (capacity now is slightly above 10,000).

Out of curiosity, what would the economics be to put a stadium on campus (for sake of this argument we can assume no opposition)? What do you estimate the cost being? We can use 40k as capacity or, if you prefer we can open with a different number. I would love to hear your thoughts on the cost of a construction project this size.

There was never any proposal or thought of building a stadium in the horse barn hill area. The stadium proposed by Governor Rowland was planned to be built north of North Campus. It was to be built in the general area of the current tennis courts.

 

[CL82]

There was never any proposal or thought of building a stadium in the horse barn hill area. The stadium proposed by Governor Rowland was planned to be built north of North Campus. It was to be built in the general area of the current tennis courts.

Yep. It failed in the legislature due to cost because it included the stadium, the equivalent of the Burton facility and the equivalent of the Shenkman building at an enormous price tag. UConn ended up building Burton and Shankman largely from private funds.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Yep. It failed in the legislature due to cost because it included the stadium, the equivalent of the Burton facility and the equivalent of the Shenkman building at an enormous price tag. UConn ended up building Burton and Shankman largely from private funds.

It never came up for a vote in the legislature. I believe it was Barbara Kennelly (John Bailey's daughter) who nixed it in a public appearance when she was running for governor. It never gained traction after that.

 

[CL82]

It never came up for a vote in the legislature. I believe it was Barbara Kennelly (John Bailey's daughter) who nixed it in a public appearance when she was running for governor. It never gained traction after that.

Great memory! I have vague recollections of there being quotes about the cost by representatives in the Courant, but your recollection seems much more specific and is probably correct.

I took a quick look at Wikipedia and found the following quote

Maybe both are correct?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Yep. It failed in the legislature due to cost because it included the stadium, the equivalent of the Burton facility and the equivalent of the Shenkman building at an enormous price tag. UConn ended up building Burton and Shankman largely from private funds.

Interesting, they wanted to build the stadium on what is now Discovery Drive, the tennis courts are there. I back that location for our potential on-campus FB stadium. Close enough so students can walk there for football games and walk there if it is used for graduation ceremonies. It also leads to Route 44 so local cops can block access to 195 through Mansfield Center during game days. (Less reason for residents to be concerned about traffic impact) If someone tries to say that land is reserved for companies who want to build research facilities to link with UConn, there is still plenty of land near there for a stadium, parking and tailgating. If anything, if they build meeting rooms as part of the stadium project to house gatherings during games, they could be used by the companies for their meetings on research activities on other days. Given this location, the stadium will help promote UConn as a destination and brand for not only football but commercial research.

 

[Nostical]

As for a new on-campus stadium being “wasteful spending”, let me remind you what wasteful spending actually looks like in the State of CT.

Yes, there's the previously discussed debacle of I-384 to Providence, but who can forget the absurdity of the intricate I-84 Interstate Stack to nowhere near Farmington, a project from the 1960's that couldn't overcome the environmentalists and the monied residents. It was described in a hearing as "a four-level monstrosity soaring to the height of a five-story building spread over more than 200 acres of land about the size of Disneyland." It's still standing as a lasting tribute to governmental incompetence.


But they all fail to meet the absurdity standard of Rte 11.

Rte 11 was originally a $13M project to connect Colchester to New London and I-95. Started in 1963 with a completion date of 1969, it was halted after being only half finished in 1972 due to financing issues. Later attempts to finish it got delayed and obstructed by the usual suspects (homeowners, environmentalists, archeologists, etc) to the point where in 1984 project costs to finish the last half of the roadway rose to $350M, then with some efficiencies in the plan, there was a "modest increase" to $410M by 2002 but when the project was last revived in 2011 the cost had risen to (get ready for it) $1B. Finally, in 2016 the Fed Highway Admin closed the project down for good.

Now go pay your taxes.

 

[CL82]

Interesting, they wanted to build the stadium on what is now Discovery Drive, the tennis courts are there. I back that location for our potential on-campus FB stadium. Close enough so students can walk there for football games and walk there if it is used for graduation ceremonies. It also leads to Route 44 so local cops can block access to 195 through Mansfield Center during game days. (Less reason for residents to be concerned about traffic impact) If someone tries to say that land is reserved for companies who want to build research facilities to link with UConn, there is still plenty of land near there for a stadium, parking and tailgating. If anything, if they build meeting rooms as part of the stadium project to house gatherings during games, they could be used by the companies for their meetings on research activities on other days. Given this location, the stadium will help promote UConn as a destination and brand for not only football but commercial research.

Logistically, Discovery Drive is the location that is easiest to get people in and out of. I believe that it requires approvals from Mansfield that are not required on the Separatist Tract. I am fine with either location, but I lean towards the Separatist Tract because of that in the fact that I like the efficiency of a single athletic campus which lets us use the same parking a lot for different events.

 

[huskymedic]

Logistically, Discovery Drive is the location that is easiest to get people in and out of. I believe that it requires approvals from Mansfield that are not required on the Separatist Tract.

University of Connecticut property:

For reference - the notch off Rt195 on right side is the Mansfield Supply property (9.23.13 & 9.23.14)

 

[LBird33]

Interesting, they wanted to build the stadium on what is now Discovery Drive, the tennis courts are there. I back that location for our potential on-campus FB stadium. Close enough so students can walk there for football games and walk there if it is used for graduation ceremonies. It also leads to Route 44 so local cops can block access to 195 through Mansfield Center during game days. (Less reason for residents to be concerned about traffic impact) If someone tries to say that land is reserved for companies who want to build research facilities to link with UConn, there is still plenty of land near there for a stadium, parking and tailgating. If anything, if they build meeting rooms as part of the stadium project to house gatherings during games, they could be used by the companies for their meetings on research activities on other days. Given this location, the stadium will help promote UConn as a destination and brand for not only football but commercial research.

Claim it’s indigenous peoples land and add a casino with the stadium It gets done

 

[Nostical]

The small yet vocal opposition will do everything to stop it from happening - no politician wants to deal with that.

I get the difficulty but it's doable. A smart and savvy politician, who first galvanizes significant local support can get it done. For example, if the most vocal opponent is a former fire chief, perhaps Mansfield needs a new fire station and a few new trucks--lol.

Let's take a look at a place where it was done successfully. I believe the poster child for the process is the U of Minnesota.

The University pushed for a new on-campus stadium for football beginning in the fall of 2000, citing poor revenue and lack of a college football atmosphere at the off-campus Metrodome as their main reasons for wanting to move back on campus. (Sound familiar?)

The university concentrated on drafting a stadium proposal that would draw the support of state politicians.They went through the bumps and grinds of the legislative process and ultimately built this stadium (which seats 50,000).



Construction started in 2006 and it opened in 2009. The total cost was $288M. (Today, I don't know, $400M?)

As a product of negotiations in the legislature, 52% was borne by the University and 48% by the State of Minnesota The University then sold naming rights to a large bank, received parking and concession revenue, charged a modest $25 fee per student and engaged in smart PR, They built a Native American Plaza and received a $14.5M donation from the local Mdewakanton tribe. (Notice any similarities for us here in CT?) They also built a Marching band facility next to the stadium for easy access. (we lack any band facility, unlike UMass, which has a great one.) UMinn raised a lot of money from music alumni and the music industry.

They were also savvy to put plaques in the stadium walls honoring every county in the state, since all of them contributed. And on and on and on.

We don't need a stadium that large, but UM's is a great place to start. As Mora says "hard things are hard"--but not impossible. Don't tell me it can't be done in CT.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I have never looked into it so I don’t have an estimate. I’m confident it wouldn’t be an insurmountable number.

Try to ballpark it.

Better yet, as you are confident that it wouldn't be an insurmountable figure, please state a number that would be at the low end of an insurmountable figure (a starting point where anything there or above would be cost prohibitive). We can use that as a starting point. I imagine that it wouldn't take too long for you to determine a number where at that cost or higher, it would be senseless to build on campus.

After that I would like to know if you believe the non-insurmountable figure that you feel the on campus stadium would cost would fall at 20%, 45%, 70%, whatever of the insurmountable number. I'll give you a very large margin for error with the percentages on this.

 

[CL82]

Try to ballpark it.

Better yet, as you are confident that it wouldn't be an insurmountable figure, please state a number that would be at the low end of an insurmountable figure (a starting point where anything there or above would be cost prohibitive). We can use that as a starting point. I imagine that it wouldn't take too long for you to determine a number where at that cost or higher, it would be senseless to build on campus.

After that I would like to know if you believe the non-insurmountable figure that you feel the on campus stadium would cost would fall at 20%, 45%, 70%, whatever of the insurmountable number. I'll give you a very large margin for error with the percentages on this.

Sorry, I really don’t have a basis or any expertise to be able to do that. But you can look at the other posts in this thread that are based on other stadiums and get a sense of it. Or maybe Google it yourself?

Were you able to find anything about the time they tried to build a stadium on Horsebarn Hill? I didn’t remember it, but you seemed very confident that it happened and that there was considerable opposition to it that prevented it. That seems like some thing that there would be an article on memorializing it.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I get the difficulty but it's doable. A smart and savvy politician, who first galvanizes significant local support can get it done. For example, if the most vocal opponent is a former fire chief, perhaps Mansfield needs a new fire station and a few new trucks--lol.

Let's take a look at a place where it was done successfully. I believe the poster child for the process is the U of Minnesota.

The University pushed for a new on-campus stadium for football beginning in the fall of 2000, citing poor revenue and lack of a college football atmosphere at the off-campus Metrodome as their main reasons for wanting to move back on campus. (Sound familiar?)

The university concentrated on drafting a stadium proposal that would draw the support of state politicians.They went through the bumps and grinds of the legislative process and ultimately built this stadium (which seats 50,000).

View attachment 79774

Construction started in 2006 and it opened in 2009. The total cost was $288M. (Today, I don't know, $400M?)

As a product of negotiations in the legislature, 52% was borne by the University and 48% by the State of Minnesota The University then sold naming rights to a large bank, received parking and concession revenue, charged a modest $25 fee per student and engaged in smart PR, They built a Native American Plaza and received a $14.5M donation from the local Mdewakanton tribe. (Notice any similarities for us here in CT?) They also built a Marching band facility next to the stadium for easy access. (we lack any band facility, unlike UMass, which has a great one.) UMinn raised a lot of money from music alumni and the music industry.

They were also savvy to put plaques in the stadium walls honoring every county in the state, since all of them contributed. And on and on and on.

We don't need a stadium that large, but UM's is a great place to start. As Mora says "hard things are hard"--but not impossible. Don't tell me it can't be done in CT.

Larry,

It was be far more than that.

Cost of concrete for commercial construction is currently double what it was in 2019 (with the expectation that it will continue to rise drastically). In 2018 the cost was nearly double what it was in 2011 and then it was 60% higher than it was in 2004.

If we would be willing to attempt a UCF type tin can (not sure what has happened to the cost of metals over that time frame) it may be more affordable but...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Sorry, I really don’t have a basis or any expertise to be able to do that. But you can look at the other posts in this thread that are based on other stadiums and get a sense of it. Or maybe Google it yourself?

Were you able to find anything about the time they tried to build a stadium on Horsebarn Hill? I didn’t remember it, but you seemed very confident that it happened.

Haven't looked recently. When I get home tonight I'll look for it. I don't want to use a cell phone for that.

I do have a bit of background in commercial construction (financial end) and I can assure you that the cost will be prohibitive (for openers, look at my recent response to Nostical). If there is no land cost (as it was with the Rent two decades ago) and similar excavation costs (do not see how this would be possible considering the favorable landscape at PW in comparison to the campus in Storrs), an identical structure would be at a minimum five to six times the cost of building the Rent when we did. Viewing what we have ahead of us with inflation and fuel costs (quite a bit of heavy machinery is required for projects like this and gasoline consumption is astronomical), six times the cost may be very conservative.

 

[CL82]

Haven't looked recently. When I get home tonight I'll look for it. I don't want to use a cell phone for that.

I do have a bit of background in commercial construction (financial end) and I can assure you that the cost will be prohibitive (for openers, look at my recent response to Nostical). If there is no land cost (as it was with the Rent two decades ago) and similar excavation costs (do not see how this would be possible considering the favorable landscape at PW in comparison to the campus in Storrs), an identical structure would be at a minimum five to six times the cost of building the Rent when we did. Viewing what we have ahead of us with inflation and fuel costs (quite a bit of heavy machinery is required for projects like this and gasoline consumption is astronomical), six times the cost may be very conservative.

That seems high compared to what other universities are spending for comparable or larger stadiums.

Given your background in commercial real estate, I would be very interested in why you feel that the university of Connecticut would have to pay such a significant premium versus other institutions and why you feel that making this investment would be “prohibitive” for the state of Connecticut. One would think it is entirely feasible given the availability of 30 year bonding opportunities.

 

[Stinger92860]

Retractable dome on Horsebarn Hill! Go BIG or go home. Lol…

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That seems high compared to what other universities are spending for comparable or larger stadiums.

Given your background in commercial real estate, I would be very interested in why you feel that the university of Connecticut would have to pay such a significant premium versus other institutions and why you feel that making this investment would be “prohibitive” for the state of Connecticut. One would think it is entirely feasible given the availability of 30 year bonding opportunities.

You can begin with the part of the country where we are located and the comparative cost of labor. Add disparities in licensing requirements (Ct is extremely strict, many parts of the south and midwest are not) for skilled (non laborer) workers.

It will be far easier if you gave me an example of what you are comparing to. If it was built more than three years ago, the concrete costs alone would be basically half (this is a huge component in the type of structure we are discussing). If it was more than a decade ago, concrete would have been a fraction of the current cost.

 

[CL82]

You can begin with the part of the country where we are located and the comparative cost of labor. Add disparities in licensing requirements (Ct is extremely strict, many parts of the south and midwest are not) for skilled (non laborer) workers.

It will be far easier if you gave me an example of what you are comparing to. If it was built more than three years ago, the concrete costs alone would be basically half (this is a huge component in the type of structure we are discussing). If it was more than a decade ago, concrete would have been a fraction of the current cost.

Lol, this is your hypothetical, not mine. You keep on making these assertions and then asking me to help you defend them. You stated as a matter of fact that the cost would be prohibitive. What does that mean? Why do you think the state of Connecticut can’t afford it? What amount do you think is prohibitive? What amount do you think the new stadium will cost?

Really, I’m at a loss on where your head is at on this. You keep jumping around from one supposed reason why this can’t happen to the another without ever backing them up for having any basis. It’s fine if, for whatever reason, you’re opposed to building a stadium in Storrs. I’m not sure why you feel the need to fabricate reasons why it “cannot“ happen.

But, whatever.

 

[jdb50]

Sorry, I really don’t have a basis or any expertise to be able to do that. But you can look at the other posts in this thread that are based on other stadiums and get a sense of it. Or maybe Google it yourself?

Were you able to find anything about the time they tried to build a stadium on Horsebarn Hill? I didn’t remember it, but you seemed very confident that it happened and that there was considerable opposition to it that prevented it. That seems like some thing that there would be an article on memorializing it.

CL82 there was a proposal to build a Pfizer research building on the back side of Horsebarn Hill north of the paved road that goes over it and local Mansfield residents worked to shoot it down. It would have had lights etc and changed the look of the area but the actual hill that many people walk over and provides hay for the dairy cows would have been untouched. This area is still a forest and had a huge amount of ash tree dieoff due to emerald ash borer. I do not remember any stadium proposed for Horsebarn Hill. I do recall some talk of a stadium north of the water towers maybe when we were looking to move up under Lew Perkins. Remember how Georgia Tech laughed at our high school stadium when they came to Storrs. Then the whole Patriots thing happened and we wound up in East Hartford. If the new stadium would be on UConn property the locals can go pound sand IMHO.

 

[jdb50]

As to the construction cost issue in the above posts. The Rent was built so as to have the open walkway above the lower bowl as a selling point. The lastest thing. You all must have been to the Yale Bowl. Lower bowl below grade and soil fill under the upper structure with no open walk way. I always like walking through the portals. This would have to bring down some of the concrete cost. There are ways to get things done that would still result in a great stadium the size of the Rent in Storrs. Maybe the VIP indoor boxes are not needed in as great a number reducing the size of the Tower? It would be a good time to analyze the true needs of the program.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Lol, this is your hypothetical, not mine. You keep on making these assertions and then asking me to help you defend them. You stated as a matter of fact that the cost would be prohibitive. What does that mean? Why do you think the state of Connecticut can’t afford it? What amount do you think is prohibitive? What amount do you think the new stadium will cost?

Really, I’m at a loss on where your head is at on this. You keep jumping around from one supposed reason why this can’t happen to the another without ever backing them up for having any basis. It’s fine if, for whatever reason, you’re opposed to building a stadium in Storrs. I’m not sure why you feel the need to fabricate reasons why it “cannot“ happen.

But, whatever.

What is my hypothetical? You asked why it would cost so much more at UConn than other places. If I knew what other places you feel are so much more reasonable, I could provide a very good estimate of the costs to build some something similar in Storrs, excluding (as for this example it would be easier to assume no acquisition cost) land or anything beyond very minor excavation (this could also increase project costs by tens of millions of dollars). The only example I see in recent posts in this thread is a stadium built roughly the same time as Rentschler Field in Minnesota.

An educated guess, to build something that would be comparable to the Rent, on campus, with sitework beginning within the next ten months would approach $600 million, possibly a reasonable amount more depending on amenities. This estimate assumes nothing being done to address the increased parking requirements or the (substantial) traffic on campus for home football games.

As building that stadium would among pother things turn Rentschler Field into a white elephant, I would love to know how someone would present this proposal to the powers that be in the state government and in the school.

Oh, by the way,....

Connecticut News - Hartford Courant

www.courant.com

 

[CONN78SEJ]

What is my hypothetical? You asked why it would cost so much more at UConn than other places. If I knew what other places you feel are so much more reasonable, I could provide a very good estimate of the costs to build some something similar in Storrs, excluding (as for this example it would be easier to assume no acquisition cost) land or anything beyond very minor excavation (this could also increase project costs by tens of millions of dollars). The only example I see in recent posts in this thread is a stadium built roughly the same time as Rentschler Field in Minnesota.

An educated guess, to build something that would be comparable to the Rent, on campus, with sitework beginning within the next ten months would approach $600 million, possibly a reasonable amount more depending on amenities. This estimate assumes nothing being done to address the increased parking requirements or the (substantial) traffic on campus for home football games.

As building that stadium would among pother things turn Rentschler Field into a white elephant, I would love to know how someone would present this proposal to the powers that be in the state government and in the school.

Oh, by the way,....

Connecticut News - Hartford Courant

www.courant.com

Nice idea by trying to scare people into not supporting an on campus stadium by suggesting a $600 million price tag “and possibly a reasonable amount more”, plus amenities and parking. I don’t know, but either you’re crazy and stupid or you just don’t have the smarts to make a proper cost estimate.

Tell us how the Univerity of Hawaii can demolish their old 50,000 seat stadium built in 1975, AND in its place build a new one all for $420 million on the island of Oahu where construction costs for labor and materials is the highest anywhere. Consider the parallels between Connecticut and Hawaii on the costs to fix up and refurbish the old stadiums that are both in dire need of repairs vs building a new stadium.

 

[CL82]

What is my hypothetical? You asked why it would cost so much more at UConn than other places. If I knew what other places you feel are so much more reasonable, I could provide a very good estimate of the costs to build some something similar in Storrs, excluding (as for this example it would be easier to assume no acquisition cost) land or anything beyond very minor excavation (this could also increase project costs by tens of millions of dollars). The only example I see in recent posts in this thread is a stadium built roughly the same time as Rentschler Field in Minnesota.

An educated guess, to build something that would be comparable to the Rent, on campus, with sitework beginning within the next ten months would approach $600 million, possibly a reasonable amount more depending on amenities. This estimate assumes nothing being done to address the increased parking requirements or the (substantial) traffic on campus for home football games.

As building that stadium would among pother things turn Rentschler Field into a white elephant, I would love to know how someone would present this proposal to the powers that be in the state government and in the school.

Oh, by the way,....

Connecticut News - Hartford Courant

www.courant.com

Lol! It’s your hypothetical, because you are the one supposing that it would be prohibitive. If you believe it, support it, or not, it really doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. But don’t ask me to fill in the blanks in your hypothetical.

Since you’ve been reading exactly the same thread I have, you do know what the other buildings cost. I’m not going to go up and look at each post for you, but you can.

$600 million seems high given that it was higher than every other comparable facility listed in this thread. You say that is your educated guess, why do you think it is so much more expensive to build in Storrs, Connecticut?

Regarding Rentschler field, there we can find some agreement. As I have said throughout this thread as long as we have A viable building to play at in East Hartford, we are not going to build another one on campus. that said, 20 years is the useful life of a stadium according to the links above. We can extend that, but as we do so it will cease to be a quality facility. Eventually, we will end up repeating the mistakes made with the XL Center. Continually adding ill-conceived patching to facility eventually is what makes it into “a white elephant“ that is neither cost-effective nor desirable to play in. extending it an additional 10 years would seem to be as far as it could reasonably be pushed. So a decision is going to have to be made do we continue to reinvest in a facility that won’t meet her needs in a location that was foolish to begin with, or do we reinvest on campus. As a commercial real estate professional, I would think that you would know what the answer to that question is.

Not sure what you were linking to, but the link doesn’t work.

 

[Rdkid]

The Rent will probably die a slow, painful death the same way XL has. Especially if we remain in indy limbo. As the university continues to consolidate power as an institution that has grown massively in the 20 years since Rent was built, it will not lose battles to the town of Mansfield. Repair and outfit the Rent to get another 10 years out of it & see where the program has gone. If we are a viable program with a paying audience, a stadium will be built on campus. Hell, it could be smaller and nicer to accommodate a second-tier (non-professional) program when we ultimately end up without a chair in the professional college football conference wars. $63 million that buys 10 years for leadership to see what happens is nothing. UConn athletics is living via a subsidized model (as most universities are). Unless as a poster to this board and a taxpayer you are expecting free entertainment from UConn athletics, what is your quarrel with settling for renovations? No move to build anything is happening until the question is settled on what our football program is. If you build it they will come with regard to an on-campus stadium is not happening without alumni seed money of at least $100 million. We’ve never had that scratch, which is why the CDA/legislature will continue to be our slumlords.

 

[UConnJim]

San Diego St. just built a stadium in San Diego for $310 million that seats 35k and can be expanded to 55k.

If you do build an on-campus stadium, it should be part of a larger development project to upgrade the university. Either add housing, locate a university school, ...

 

[LoyalFanCT]

San Diego St. just built a stadium in San Diego for $310 million that seats 35k and can be expanded to 55k.

If you do build an on-campus stadium, it should be part of a larger development project to upgrade the university. Either add housing, locate a university school, ...

If you build it on Discovery Drive, it can include meeting/gathering space for the companies who locate their research facilities there. Would work out well for football gatherings and research activities.

 

[huskymedic]

If you build it on Discovery Drive, it can include meeting/gathering space for the companies who locate their research facilities there. Would work out well for football gatherings and research activities.

You keep talking about including research meeting space in a football stadium design - I’m curious, have you ever visited/locked @ the UConn Innovation Partnership Building on Discovery Drive?