Latest Hockey Arena Update (Approved) | The Boneyard

Latest Hockey Arena Update (Approved)

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UCONNJACK

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Per recent Building & Grounds Committee meeting minutes.

Final approval for the new arena and parking area by BOT is scheduled for April 28. Total budget is $77 million dollars with the arena costing $70 millions. Updated interior rendering shows chair back seating with no bleacher seating. Construction fencing scheduled to be installed the first week of May. Arena details are on pages 32-35 and pages 59-67. Looks like redevelopment of Guyer Gym and Greer Field House are on the horizon.

 
FDF39234-BF0B-4AF0-B853-C93AE6DB8D85.jpeg
 
UConn AD was probably able to convince the HE using Merrimack as a precedent, having the highest percentage of seats sold per game.

Incredible design. They forgot the netting needed around rinks these days.... And ads.
 
zls44 said:
It’s still only half chair backs if you read the presentation.
$70,000,000. For 2500 seats. Half of which are benches.

seventy million!
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but there's a nice concourse area.
 
Happy something is being built. I did wish they forgoed the 50 seat ice level lounge area for more bench seating but I guess they can retro that if more seating is warranted. It may tough if it becomes a door sponsored area?
 
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So what explains the difference in cost compared to seating - regarding SHU vs UConn rink?
 
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There’s a great thread on Twitter about this. Where is the media questioning the cost of this project compared to the minimal (cruddy) return? Absolute insanity they are even proposing to spend SEVENTY MILLION DOLLARS for a rinky dink rink with a ton of bench seats. Pathetic
 
The Viking said:
So what explains the difference in cost compared to seating - regarding SHU vs UConn rink?
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WAG, private financing, private budgeting, ease of decisions, etc vs public school with state obstacles?
 
Looks great, even better when colorful banners are added.

To what extent was future expansion potential incorporated in the design?
 
zls44 said:
It’s still only half chair backs if you read the presentation.
$70,000,000. For 2500 seats. Half of which are benches.

seventy million!
Expand ...

1) Why are you ticked about this? It's an asset for Snorrs?
2) Not a great answer, but rinks, more than probably any other university athletic property, are more self-fulfilling. UConn has more wiggle room here than SHU.

SHU has, within a short distance: 2 in Bridgeport, Harbor Yard, a 3rd Bridgeport facility on tap, Milford, 2 in Shelton. Go a couple of more towns away, and you get West Haven, Norwalk, Darien, 3 in Stamford. Lots of ice time and competitors.

I'm not as familiar with the NE CT rink scene, but it's more sparse, isn't it? Bolton. Anything else close-ish?
 
pepband99 said:
1) Why are you ticked about this? It's an asset for Snorrs?
2) Not a great answer, but rinks, more than probably any other university athletic property, are more self-fulfilling. UConn has more wiggle room here than SHU.

SHU has, within a short distance: 2 in Bridgeport, Harbor Yard, a 3rd Bridgeport facility on tap, Milford, 2 in Shelton. Go a couple of more towns away, and you get West Haven, Norwalk, Darien, 3 in Stamford. Lots of ice time and competitors.

I'm not as familiar with the NE CT rink scene, but it's more sparse, isn't it? Bolton. Anything else close-ish?
Expand ...
You mentioned Bolton, Enfield Twin Rinks which from Storrs is about 40 minutes, Norwich, 40-45 minutes and Trinity 35-40 minutes, Jahn Rink in Pomfret 35 minutes. I live just off campus and I can make Hartford in 30 minutes.
 
zls44 said:
It’s still only half chair backs if you read the presentation.
$70,000,000. For 2500 seats. Half of which are benches.

seventy million!
Expand ...
Think that includes about 400 standing in student deck, club and ice level lounge.
 
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pepband99 said:
1) Why are you ticked about this? It's an asset for Snorrs?
2) Not a great answer, but rinks, more than probably any other university athletic property, are more self-fulfilling. UConn has more wiggle room here than SHU.

SHU has, within a short distance: 2 in Bridgeport, Harbor Yard, a 3rd Bridgeport facility on tap, Milford, 2 in Shelton. Go a couple of more towns away, and you get West Haven, Norwalk, Darien, 3 in Stamford. Lots of ice time and competitors.

I'm not as familiar with the NE CT rink scene, but it's more sparse, isn't it? Bolton. Anything else close-ish?
Expand ...

I'm ticked because for $70m UConn should be getting a lot more than this promises. A lot more.
 
A rink is a rink but there are other components. Training area, locker rooms, who knows what else, tv production etc. It is really difficult to compare without knowing the scope of each project. That said I agree it’s seems pricey. But I thought the basketball practice gym was very pricey too. It’s a gym for gods sakes. But it included lots of extra stuff. Meeting rooms study areas training facilities and so forth. It was still pricey but not as bad given what it includes. I suspect this is the same. FWIW I agree with losing the ice level lounge. It’s a friggin hockey game not a night at the opera.
 
zls44 said:
I'm ticked because for $70m UConn should be getting a lot more than this promises. A lot more.
Expand ...

There is a minimum threshold cost that is based of the amenities of the facility other than seating capacity.

Penn State is your benchmark, and I have to believe UCONN also used it as one. They spent $88M for about 6,000 seats in 2013. By that measure, your are getting about 40% of the seats for a little less than 80% of the 2013 cost. Add 10 years of construction escalation and you can assume, PSU would spend at least $105M today. That would make the split 40% for 66%. That looks terrible too, but there can be many reasons for this. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison without going line by line on the expenses.
 
powerplay said:
You mentioned Bolton, Enfield Twin Rinks which from Storrs is about 40 minutes, Norwich, 40-45 minutes and Trinity 35-40 minutes, Jahn Rink in Pomfret 35 minutes. I live just off campus and I can make Hartford in 30 minutes.
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Don’t forget South Windsor arena.

8F6613B3-A9C4-4DE3-8C8C-38DAEA9B3814.jpeg
 
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Place is an absolute dump. It appears they have not dumped a single capital dollar into that place. Looks like the same hole it was when I was 8, 35 years ago
 
scotty0330 said:
Place is an absolute dump. It appears they have not dumped a single capital dollar into that place. Looks like the same hole it was when I was 8, 35 years ago
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Bad place to watch a game, but a great sheet of ice. It does have a great Hockey shop.
 
Construction material costs have doubled since covid, which I'm sure is one of the contributing factors.
 
powerplay said:
You mentioned Bolton, Enfield Twin Rinks which from Storrs is about 40 minutes, Norwich, 40-45 minutes and Trinity 35-40 minutes, Jahn Rink in Pomfret 35 minutes. I live just off campus and I can make Hartford in 30 minutes.
Expand ...

Right - i don't consider any of these "local" to Storrs, at least not by comparison to SHU and most of my list there. You can draw a 10-15 mile circle from SHU and hit more rinks than you can in your 30-45 min list for Storrs.
 
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