Upcoming Gampel Enchantments

[SteelCT]

If they build fixed seats in the lower bowl they would be able to add some additional seating/boxes. Since the volleyball team is no longer playing in there it may be possible.

Hockey rink was a fiasco, original plans were for it to be bigger but construction costs skyrocketed post covid and forced a redesign that would still meet Hockey East criteria. Timeframe forced their hands.

 

[Scrutineer]

My recollection was the size got capped, and again I think it was 8500, because of a desire to prevent the university from scheduling major concert events there, which was perceived as being potentially injurious to the Civic Center and the New Haven Coliseum. But, that's from memory, so I could be wrong.

I'm pretty certain the original proposal was for somewhere around12,500 seats at an estimated cost of about $25-30 M. That was deemed too costly so UConn was told to redesign it and reduce the cost. The next iteration was for 10,000 or so seats but again, due to the time lag and rising costs, the cost was about the same as for the earlier design with 12,500 seats so UConn was told to redesign it yet again. Once again the size was reduced to save on cost and the design included 8241 seats for (again) about $25-30 M.

The real goal was to reduce capacity so the arena wouldn't compete with downtown Hartford and once that goal was reached with a capacity of 8241 seats the project was approved. Construction started in 1987 and we were there on January 27, 1990, to see UConn defeat St. John's in Dan Cyrulik's career game. Wow, we thought, he's going to be the best center we've ever had. Not the way it worked out, but he and Toraino Walker outplayed Mutombo and Mourning in the Big East Tournament semi-final that same year on the way to our first BE Tournament Championship.

Demand was so great seats were added around the entrances at the end of the 1995-96 season, increasing capacity to 10,027 seats. Two other small expansions increased capacity in 2002 to 10,167 and in 2023 to 10,299.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

How deep is your wallet?

Mr. Wonderful- - - They're talking about giving UConn $100 million for renovation why not use that $ and get rich alumni $ and do it right instead of piecemeal like they've done to the XL Center over the years!
If you don't dream big why dream at all?

 

[HooperScooper]

Mr. Wonderful- - - They're talking about giving UConn $100 million for renovation why not use that $ and get rich alumni $ and do it right instead of piecemeal like they've done to the XL Center over the years!
If you don't dream big why dream at all?

"Dream" is the key word here.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Nothing less than above is a worthless waste of $!

^ Is this anything like, "I could care less"?

For those who dipped back into this thread when it reappeared near the top of the queue, take a closer look at the thread's true title:

Everything makes much more sense when you consider that the subject matter is ENCHANTMENTS.