The $92 million Field of Nightmares

[Guapo]

Not a numbers guy, but here’s my Bill Walton analysis:

This is karma for playing college sports off campus. The universe is telling us that this is wrong and unnatural.

Peace out.

 

[CL82]

Yes.

But the glory days are not coming back is kind of the point. UConn is a state entity, so i don't know what would be involved in the stadium becoming UConn's property. I tend to believe UConn probably wouldn't want to own it to avoid being responsible for its up keep, but admittedly i don't have a clue on any of pros and cons of UConn owning Rentscheler Field.

I don’t think it makes sense to own Rentschler. But I can see UConn and the CDRA agreeing to split the profits made there, if any. If you are pessimistic about the future of UConn football, that’s a great deal for us. If you are optimistic about the future of UConn football, then it’s less attractive.

On the other hand UConn owning an on-campus stadium makes perfect sense. But that’s not gonna happen in the foreseeable future.

 

[ktuck911]

Let’s try to keep it out of the Cesspool...

Your Money, Your State: The $92 million Field of Nightmares

>>The reality is the field was primarily built to house UConn’s football program.

But that relationship with UConn, which helps keep the stadium afloat, has hindered efforts to fill it, Freimuth said.

The reason is the lease with UConn. Aside from paying a $172,000 per game fee and the $250,000 subsidy to offset losses, the lease stipulates that the stadium cannot book events that don’t break even.

“In some ways, it restricts what you can do out there,” Freimuth said. “You really can’t experiment because you can run the risk of losing money. You have to have guarantees in place.”

He said without that restriction, it’s likely higher profile events and more revenue could be brought to the venue.

“We could make more risk assessments and produce more revenue,” Freimuth said. “But fundamentally, UConn is the primary tenant. And its responsible for up to a $250,000 loss.”

Stephanie Reitz, a UConn spokeswoman, said the school since 2014 paid the stadium about $8.1 million, including game rent and the $250,000 subsidy.<<

Shoulda worked out something with the locals to build it on campus.

Today, It's probably easier to make this happen. Only problem is finding the $$$/support to make it happen

 

[whaler11]

It’s clean, well maintained, has good flow, seats are accessible and has good views pretty much everywhere. I like it. The only thing is the skybox side is biting cold by mid-season.

So again? Since you seem slow. Beautiful?

 

[BlueDogs]

So again? Since you seem slow. Beautiful?

Go play in traffic.

 

[huskymedic]

Go play in traffic.

Laz will just direct the vehicles around him...

 

[whaler11]

Laz will just direct the vehicles around him...

that’s why laz is so bad at parking. the attendants are struck by the beauty of rentschler field

distracting

 

[Devland]

I don't know, so I may be off base here, but paying rent to the state may very well be a lot cheaper for UConn than owning the stadium. I know it cost $1.67 million to install the new video board (how long before that's obsolete and needs replacing again?). Plus the cost of grounds keeping, mortgage. management.. It just seems like for 6 or 7 games a year it would be real hard to raise the revenue to own and maintain a stadium. Let the state do what they're good at. Losing money.

 

[Chief00]

There's *always* an excuse for everything with Freimuth. Its always someone else's fault but NEVER the CRDA's. Time for fresh leadership there. New ideas. Long, long overdue.

Michael Friemuth has been a total disaster. Every single CRDA project under him has become some sort of disaster. Every last one.

I agree Friemuth’s greatest talent is getting the media to turn CDRA disasters into someone else’s fault. His gross mishandling of the NCAA tournament where fans missed a half of a game due to his management incompetence somehow became the NCAA/CBS’s fault.
Bottom-line in that case you start with the time you are given and work a process plan that accommodates it. Instead, the geniuses at CDRA took the process that they were comfortable with and tried to fit it over a timeframe in which it was a total disaster.
Friemuth does ok with converting offices to apartments/condos in downtown Hartford because the state gives him a $60k subsidy a unit.
If he could work a 6k a seat annual state subsidy at The Rent - he could be a success.

 

[Ha Who]

I agree Friemuth’s greatest talent is getting the media to turn CDRA disasters into someone else’s fault. His gross mishandling of the NCAA tournament where fans missed a half of a game due to his management incompetence somehow became the NCAA/CBS’s fault.
Bottom-line in that case you start with the time you are given and work a process plan that accommodates it. Instead, the geniuses at CDRA took the process that they were comfortable with and tried to fit it over a timeframe in which it was a total disaster.
Friemuth does ok with converting offices to apartments/condos in downtown Hartford because the state gives him a $60k subsidy a unit.
If he could work a 6k a seat annual state subsidy at The Rent - he could be a success.

NCAA debacle?

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

I don't know, so I may be off base here, but paying rent to the state may very well be a lot cheaper for UConn than owning the stadium. I know it cost $1.67 million to install the new video board (how long before that's obsolete and needs replacing again?). Plus the cost of grounds keeping, mortgage. management.. It just seems like for 6 or 7 games a year it would be real hard to raise the revenue to own and maintain a stadium. Let the state do what they're good at. Losing money.

If there was a big FBS level football stadium built on campus in Storrs they’d be able to use it for big concerts, events, graduation, maybe even big soccer games? There would be many more uses. And if they had to do it all over again, 195 would be expanded to 4 lanes (2 in, 2 out) from 84 to campus, and a 30-35K seat stadium would be over on Horse Barn Hill.

 

[whaler11]

I agree Friemuth’s greatest talent is getting the media to turn CDRA disasters into someone else’s fault. His gross mishandling of the NCAA tournament where fans missed a half of a game due to his management incompetence somehow became the NCAA/CBS’s fault.
Bottom-line in that case you start with the time you are given and work a process plan that accommodates it. Instead, the geniuses at CDRA took the process that they were comfortable with and tried to fit it over a timeframe in which it was a total disaster.
Friemuth does ok with converting offices to apartments/condos in downtown Hartford because the state gives him a $60k subsidy a unit.
If he could work a 6k a seat annual state subsidy at The Rent - he could be a success.

the debacle at xl was obvious when the times were published. anyone who knows how long a basketball game takes knew the math didnt work.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Ridiculous. It loses $200K a year. Really that huge a deal to the budget?

I mean, journalism in this state...smh.

 

[Chief00]

the debacle at xl was obvious when the times were published. anyone who knows how long a basketball game takes knew the math didnt work.

But you work within those parameters - expedite the security check. Precheck the second crowd into an area - then let walk in - there was no imagination or creativity used. It wasn’t that big a hurdle to overcome if competent.

 

[whaler11]

But you work within those parameters - expedite the security check. Precheck the second crowd into an area - then let walk in - there was no imagination or creativity used. It wasn’t that big a hurdle to overcome if competent.

oh yeah the xl center gagged - but 2 games take 4.5 hours minimum and they didnt even give them that

 

[ktuck911]

a 30-35K seat stadium would be over on Horse Barn Hill.

Perfect spot

 

[Ha Who]

oh yeah the xl center gagged - but 2 games take 4.5 hours minimum and they didnt even give them that

Anyone who has attended tournaments with double sessions was shocked by this schedule. Maybe Emert called in a favor at CBS to screw us over

 

[zls44]

Anyone who has attended tournaments with double sessions was shocked by this schedule. Maybe Emert called in a favor at CBS to screw us over

Let me put this differently: do you honestly think at any point leading up to the day of the games Freimuth or the CRDA voiced this concern? During the bid process? With what was known to be an old building? In the run-up to this year‘s selection when it was going to be difficult for them to turn it over quick?

I think we both know the answer. And that’s the problem.

 

[Ha Who]

Let me put this differently: do you honestly think at any point leading up to the day of the games Freimuth or the CRDA voiced this concern? During the bid process? With what was known to be an old building? In the run-up to this year‘s selection when it was going to be difficult for them to turn it over quick?

I think we both know the answer. And that’s the problem.

I am not an apologist for CDRA but your way off base. I have never heard of the same site having back to back sessions. The age of the building may have contributed some, but I don’t believe modern buildings could have pulled a Houdini. This was strictly a CBS call

 

[businesslawyer]

(Edited this to space my points out, sorry @whaler11 and @CL82)

I really think 75% of the financial issues with the program come down to what's in there. They pay rent for a stadium they don't own. Do you know how many public schools do that? UTSA, SDSU, maybe UCLA since the Rose Bowl is its own thing? Its ridiculous.

Take all the regular financial needs a G5 program has. Oh, now throw in renting their stadium. Its pouring gasoline onto a money fire.

But the good news is- they ALSO get to pay rent across THREE DIFFERENT SPORTS (MBB, WBB, Men's Hockey) in ANOTHER state-owned facility (XL). And for the next 2 years, they get to pay MORE rent to temporarily house THREE MORE TEAMS (MSoc, WSoc, Baseball) in TWO OTHER publicly-owned facilities (DDP, Dillon)!

But paying rent to an entity owned by the state is just bookkeeping at the end of the day. What does a CT taxpayer care if the State pays for a stadium out of pocket, through it's university, or finances it through an entity and then charges the university a rent. You only care if you take stupid media articles that don't know what they are talking about seriously. You shouldn't.

Bookeeping among affiliates, and for non-profits, shows you very little of importance.

 

[uconnbill]

They really need to rework the terms of the lease. The stadium is almost 20 years old.

If you want to talk about millions spent by the state on buildings that are "fields of nightmares", where is the story on the Connecticut Juvenile Training School? How old is it, how much did cost to build, and is it even in use anymore?

They are going to regional centers which is something we asked for when they were talking about building in Middletown by CVH. Now they are doing just that and will end up making the Juvenile Training Center into a low security prison which no one in Middletown wants.

 

[noeynox]

They are going to regional centers which is something we asked for when they were talking about building in Middletown by CVH. Now they are doing just that and will end up making the Juvenile Training Center into a low security prison which no one in Middletown wants.

The Training School is not in use. 57 Million spent as part of a bid rigging scam to build a facility that was outdated before it opened. The regional centers or trax are a pipe dream. They have just inundated the juvenile detention facilities.

 

[Waquoit]

The Rent is a bargain. It's been open for almost 20 years and hosted tons of events for only $92M. That gets you what, 5 miles of highway? And it has the best sight lines of any sporting facility I've ever been in.

 

[Redding Husky]

At over 4,000 acres, UConn’s campus is one of the largest in the nation. Hopefully they’ll find the money and space to build a football stadium someday. It’s too bad most of us will be gone by the time it happens.

 

[JohnFSilver]

At over 4,000 acres, UConn’s campus is one of the largest in the nation. Hopefully they’ll find the money and space to build a football stadium someday. It’s too bad most of us will be gone by the time it happens.

I used to be against it, but they need to make UConn more accessible and bring more people to campus. I think long term it should move back to campus. We are talking end of life for the rent, but that’s ok.

And as the state builds its infrastructure out, such as the direct busway from Hartford to Storrs, and better highways, I like that thought. Maybe when I am retired I can get to a game up in storrs.