Spin

Nope, we're still waiting on one of the naysayers to prove their claims. I'll help you out. The structure wouldn't change much, if at all. The design of the permanent seats would change. So what you're basically looking at cost-wise is temporary seating (that you need anyhow for ALL of the concerts that will come to a new gym), dasherboards, turf, and (if you want minor league and club hockey, Disney on Ice, and student skates) ice equipment. What's this outrageous cost difference that has everyone crapping their pants over? We're not exactly comparing the cost of the JAR to Cowboys Stadium. How many case studies do you need?

dammmm

Agreed, the Wolstein is "old school" when it comes to adapting basketball to a hockey or (indoor soccer in its case) arena.

I was the instigator in thinking outside the basketball-only gym, knowing full well that modern arenas can and are designed so there is very little difference in the seating. WHat is compromised is the end seating for full-floor events (hockey, soccer, football, lacrosse). There are few (if any) seats "on the glass". Since I a want a top notch basketball facility first, I'll take that compromise. Here's another thought, think of a "top level" "intramural" indoor soccer league, or a semi-pro team that the soccer players can stay in competition, with the team. I would pay to see semi-pro indoor soccer if Zips players and prospects were involved. Just thinking out loud.

Have you been to Polsky? That's like claiming that the cornfielf outside Orrville is part of main campus, and the woods south of Medina is part of main campus. And downtown Lakewood is part of main campus.They don't pay the same tuition, the same facility fees, and no access to the facilities.

That kind of goes back to the fitness thing. Fans will have a 100 yard dash getting from the parking lot to arena and back to the parking lot.

Like a lot of cities, Akron's hotel space is in the suburbs anyhow. Montrose, Stow, Wadsworth, Green, Copley, Can't.

Unless you really looked, could you tell this was a full floor arena?

That was one of several reasons, you must have missed a lot in this thread.

Nahh, Kelly Avenue.

I was due for a new jersey anyway.

I'm glad to hear that the athletic department has plenty of cash on hand to build a new gym. They don't have to justify it to the university, or try to find donors or state money. Or justify it to lenders in a bad economy and worry about being able to pay it all back with a couple dozen dates a year. The cash is sitting right there in Wistrcill's safe!!! I feel much better now. You seem to think the university has only one choice. That their decision MUST fit into this preconceived notion that they only need this building for one purpose. And that we must find some way to finance it. or else not build anything at all. That falls in line with the notion that the same size building with the same number of seats is going to cost 50 times as much if it has more floor space. SO, the lights and heat are turned off at the JAR 325 days a year. Interesting. I'm tired of talking about it. Nobody wants to talk about the possibilities, Or come up with real reasons why not. In the end, either way I would have a nice new modern place to watch my Akron Zips to play basketball. No more bleacher seats and clogged stairs and inaccessible restrooms and concessions. And wherever the Oilers and the Zips hockey teams play, I'll go. Either way, I win. I just thought it would be fun to talk about different ideas. Not allowed. Back to the bigger better gym chatter.

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Hmmm, which one of you is Jake? He's against building a real arena too.

Utilization. It isn't sitting empty 325 nights a year. It helps sell U of A campus life to touring students. It make the whole building an easier sell to the university, contributors, and the state. Using it for rec and fitness puts part of the cost on the students through facility fees.

Then how do these other arenas in cities the same size or smaller get built and stay open? Without D1 college basketball? Since nobody else apparently has the skills to use Google, here are some arenas in similar size markets with similar seating capacities. Explain to me why this type of calendar wouldn't help us pay for a great, modern place to watch the Zips and make other schools jealous. http://www.erieevents.com/about/tullio_arena.htm http://www.covellicentre.com/ http://www.huntingtoncentertoledo.com/ http://wesbancoarena.com/ http://www.haracomplex.com/ http://www.bluecrossarena.com/ http://www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com/

A student sitting in a section with folding seats has something to bang open to make huge amounts of noise at opportune times during a game.

Including open skate nights, intramural and pickup soccer and lacrosse, year round football. Some students don't want to play basketball and bowl all winter long.

The additional events you could host (not just the one example you pinpoint on) would help pay for the building. Would you loan money to an organization building a new building that will sell tickets to 20-30 events a year? Or to an organization building a new building that will sell tickets to 80-100 events a year? Which one is easier to be pay off?

You can't get Akron Zips basketball anywhere else. Why would a multipurpose building change the basketball atmosphere in any way? It would have the same signs and the same banners as the JAR, the same floor, better seating and amenities, it is the same experience you would get in a basketball-only gym.

So 20 games a year is going to pay off then building. Interesting. And the U isn't looking for ways to bring potential patrons onto campus. Or new ways to sell student life to potential students. Yeah. If you actually read my posts, you would have your answer to this. Have you gone to websites of arenas in the other small cities I listed? Again, if you want to have a conversation, at least try to see where I'm coming from. Never mentioned that. It's not a rink, it's a multipurpose arena. If it were a rink, it would be booked solid (the first couple years the hockey team played they had to take 10:45 pm start times and the famous 4am practices). But it's not a rink. It's an arena where hockey teams would play in front of paying fans. A couple thousand more seats drastically changes who you can bring in. Again, look at other arenas in similar or smaller cities. Waste of my time. You won't read what I write, or look at my examples, so there's no point in discussing it any further. I don't know what university program you graduated from, but mine was heavy on keeping an open mind and investigating new innovative concepts. Thinking outside the box.

The basketball program isn't paying for a new arena. A big chunk of the money comes from contributions. Then there are the loans. And minor league teams are only one angle to look at. Under my concept, the students would be able to use the building for fitness/pickup/intramural games, skates, etc. So, the university would be paying for part of it out of fees like the health and fitness building and other faciltities. Being a Wayne College student that transferred (kicking and screaming) to main campus for the final 3 years of my degree, that is a substantial addition to your costs. I don't know the additional cost of a bigger floor, dasher boards, turf, and possibly ice making equipment. But I do know cities much smaller than Akron have them, they're sustainable, they have big events, and they have sustainable minor league sports teams. These events and games pay for arenas in Wheeling and Youngstown and Erie and Toledo and Dayton and other cities in smaller metropolitan areas than metro Akron. I'd kick in on a more functional facility.

Usually... All Pro Freight is a beautiful park, and has the new turf. It's where the MAC Tournament is played, and where Cleveland State played until they pulled the plug. Seats about half of what Canal Park does. Other than being 60 miles away, it's a nice alternative.

I have a leaked photo of the new ballpark design. Check out these sight lines...