Spin Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Hockey/basketball arenas built in the last 30 years are much better about that. What's wrong with the Wolstein that couldn't be fixed with better treatments? It's 20 years old, was great for indoor soccer and even better for basketball. Better than the JAR IMO. Chair back seats top to bottom. Put in a student section where the alumni band bleachers are, lose the stupid curtain, the capacity would be smaller so you wouldn't have to curtain off the empty seats. Without all the dead space, it would make for a great basketball atmosphere. Why go to all the expense and trouble to build a one-trick pony that is useless for anything else spectators want to see? Didn't we learn anything from the JAR? It would be much easier to get the thing approved and built if it would be used more than 16 times a year (everything else is fine in the JAR). It's not 1974 and they're not building the Richfield Coliseum anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yeah, personally, I dislike hockey arenas for basketball. I'm hoping for a national-class basketball arena. Here is another beautiful basketball arena - Southern Cal's Galen Center. The floor area is not much smaller than needed for other arena sports. If at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 I'd like to see a new venue for basketball as much as anyone. In my opinion, we've got the coach and I believe the quality of not only UA but a few other MAC teams is on the rise, that's the good news. The bad news is why would anyone invest in a new venue when the current one if typically half full for games except for Can't State, OU and CSU? The product has been pretty good for a few years and shows signs of getting better now and in the immediate future....but where's the fans? I don't subscribe to the "build it and they will come" as far as fans go. A new venue, done right, would definitely assist in recruiting as the competition, with the exception of Miami and Can't State) have better facilities. I'm not sold on the theory that a better team brings in more fans. Let's hope this year will be different and attendance and especially students attendance will increase dramatically. Should UA ultimately greenlight such a project, I'd recommend a smaller venue that those discussed above. From looking at some past attendance figures I believe 6 or 7000 should be the maximum occupancy. Build it so the fans and students are on top of the players (homecourt advantage) and it would be a gamble to wait until game day to purchase a ticket. I would defer to more knowledgable people as to the best use for the JAR should a new facility be built. I will say however, that there is a strong need for a practice facility as it stands today. My final comment is I'd rather see an on campus arena than one off campus but don't see anything but JAR improvements coming unless attendance spikes. A better marketing effort in a 30 radius wouldn't hurt either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-mann17 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Again, a new Arena is central part of the University Park master plan. University Park Association is a conglomerate of the three hospitals (Summa, General, Children's), the City, GOJO, Advanced Elastomer, Downtown Akron Partnership, and The University of Akron. The Arena is one of the 4 "anchor" projects to the Master Plan that has an international investment firm attached to it. The same firm that helped get funding for the Giants new baseball stadium, the Link, and several marina/aquarium projects. However, because the University is a state institution, it cannot just greenlight projects or sign on to anything that costs millions of dollars without due dillegence studies. Current RFP for the JAR rennovation is to show how costly it would be to improve the arena to the point of meeting fan needs. This means there is no financially reasonable alternative to add luxury suites, club seats etc. to the JAR. The JAR isn't going anyway, part of the RFP called for alternative uses to the site. Namely a volleyball arena and basketball practice facility. It is my opinion, that there will be a downtown Arena built using the same methods as the newest dormitory. A private partner will foot the bill and lease it back to the university/city/county. This prevents a debt burden on any government agency, and ultimately allows the builder to get less costly financing because lenders know who the tenants will be. Also you will all have to grow accustomed to an arena that can house hockey/arena football, because they will have to build something that can be used for everything to get the biggest bang for their bucks. You can't effectively move 3000 people around in the JAR, let alone a sell out. Whoever engineered the JAR needs to be beaten and ridiculed. The reason people don't go to games there is because most people have experience with it and realize that even 2000 fans moving in and out of that gym (gym not arena) is a complete cluster F. I forgot how awful that joint was until I went to the VCU game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Zip Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 The arena needs to be thought of as a city of Akron/ University partnership. I would love to see a minor league hockey team, the Canton Charge and an Arena Football team share the site with both men's and women's basketball programs. If you mix in some concerts you can really see the arena as an engine for bringing people Downtown. If you put the arena across from the Canal Park you can easily see a full entertainment district in that area complete with all the student housing....pretty sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 I love the private funding option. Hate the idea of practicing one place and playing games at another. I also doubt that metro Akron can consistently fill more than 6500 seats whether it's for mens basketball, minor league hockey or the level of concerts that would come to Akron since it's population base is small. The idea of locating near existing parking and some night life wouldn't hurt as long as the design results in a great facility for basketball; we already have a subpar facility. I will be interested in the immediate future as far as the JAR is concerned. The track has to go and the concessions are laughable as is the marketing to get the community in the building. I like the outreaches to schools and such but improve the concessions and run some cheap ticket promo's to get people in the building. Speaking of people, what ideas/promotions would get more students to attend...give them some good seats, like across from the players benches and move the current floor seats (few that there are) and the radio people upstairs. I rather have bleachers with students at both ends and along the side. Move a few VIPS and media people up with the track inhabitants. Until the JAR becomes a tough ticket how can we expect the University, City or private investors to belly up with the money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xu9697 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 G-mann hit it right on the head. This isn't going to be like InfoCision. If this was strictly going to be a UA project, it might take 10+ years or require consistent sell-outs. It is more about what the city, investors, developers, etc. see going on in Akron with downtown and university development and how it could potentially support such a project. If UA was doing it..bball only. But I think we have to accept that this will be about a lot more than UA. Maybe not the most ideal situation, but I believe it can work and work well for UA and Zips basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 KFC Yum! Center....take away 5,000 or so seats and it's the perfect example of what Akron (both UA and city) needs. If Louisville, Memphis, and other big schools can share arenas, there's no reason we can't!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 KFC Yum! Center....take away 5,000 or so seats and it's the perfect example of what Akron (both UA and city) needs. If Louisville, Memphis, and other big schools can share arenas, there's no reason we can't!! Gorgeous facility! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 The floor area is not much smaller than needed for other arena sports. If at all... I'll just copy what I posted in the last new arena discussion thread: Why don't we look at the dimensions of hockey rinks and basketball courts to get a better idea of exactly what it would take for an arena to accomodate both: A hockey rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. A basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. Taking width first, because most fans are seated on the sides, there's only a 35 foot difference. Assuming the permanent seats run right up to the edge of the hockey rink, for basketball the seats would be 17.5 feet (about 2.5 Zekes) from the edge of the court on each side. Isn't that about the amount of space left between the court and seats of a dedicated basketball arena where teams and the media sit? If so, then there would be no big difference. Length is where there's a more significant difference -- 106 feet to be exact. Again, assuming the permanent seats run right up to the edge of the hockey rink, that means 53 feet at each end between the court and the seats. So there would need to be maybe about 35 feet (8-10 rows) of moveable seating at the ends to fill in that gap between the court and the permanent seats. I'm guessing the best multi-use arenas have pretty seemless modular seating arrangements at the ends where a section can be easily removed for hockey, and when in place for basketball would be virtually indistiguishable from the permanent, unmoveable seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAsoccerchamps11 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I havent read all of the comments so sorry if someone already posted this... But for the people that say they dont believe in the "if you build theyll come" normally id agree, but when GA seats at Akron arent the most comfortable seats. If we have seats like the Wolstein Center (very comfortable chair-back seats from top to bottom as someone previously stated) then I do believe that is when theyll come. So if we build a complex that can seat up to 7,000 fans with the cushioned chair-back seats we would be doing MUCH better tha. We are right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyZip Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I havent read all of the comments so sorry if someone already posted this... But for the people that say they dont believe in the "if you build theyll come" normally id agree, but when GA seats at Akron arent the most comfortable seats. If we have seats like the Wolstein Center (very comfortable chair-back seats from top to bottom as someone previously stated) then I do believe that is when theyll come. So if we build a complex that can seat up to 7,000 fans with the cushioned chair-back seats we would be doing MUCH better tha. We are right now. I agree with this. I'd love about 8k capacity, all chairbacks. I bought my wife a GA season ticket to match my free seat since I'm enrolled in a couple classes this semester. You actually have to stand during the time outs for your arse not to fall asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottditzen Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 The arena needs to be thought of as a city of Akron/ University partnership. I would love to see a minor league hockey team, the Canton Charge and an Arena Football team share the site with both men's and women's basketball programs. If you mix in some concerts you can really see the arena as an engine for bringing people Downtown. If you put the arena across from the Canal Park you can easily see a full entertainment district in that area complete with all the student housing....pretty sweet. I'd prefer have an intimate, b-ball only place. But there is a tremendous upside to a more visible, more vibrant location. Think Arena District in Columbus. Still, I'd like to imagine there's some kind of design available that could somehow satisfy all interests. I would not be happy at all to end up with the Akron version of CSU Convo Center- much too sterile. We need something special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 You actually have to stand during the time outs for your arse not to fall asleep. Normally, fans have to sit down to rest their legs. The opposite happens in the JAR. I can respect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xu9697 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I live on the West side of Cleveland and go to 3-4 CSU games a year and about 1 Akron game at the JAR every 1-2 years. If a more comfortable venue is built for UA basketball, I can see myself going to 2-3 games PER YEAR, replacing 1-2 CSU games. It never is one or the other. Football has a great venue but a terrible team= poor attendance. Basketball has a good team consistently but a terrible venue= lackluster attendance. Soccer has a championship team and a great venue= great attendance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I live on the West side of Cleveland and go to 3-4 CSU games a year and about 1 Akron game at the JAR every 1-2 years. If a more comfortable venue is built for UA basketball, I can see myself going to 2-3 games PER YEAR, replacing 1-2 CSU games. It never is one or the other. Football has a great venue but a terrible team= poor attendance. Basketball has a good team consistently but a terrible venue= lackluster attendance. Soccer has a championship team and a great venue= great attendance. Comfort means a LOT. Look at the new ball parks, comfortable seats, leg room, good food, clean comfortable restrooms. Compare that to Thurman Munson, or Cleveland Municiple... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xu9697 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Comfort means a LOT. Look at the new ball parks, comfortable seats, leg room, good food, clean comfortable restrooms. Compare that to Thurman Munson, or Cleveland Municiple... Exactly. Especially in this day of 60 inch HD TVs, the question often becomes, "why go to the game when it looks exactly the same on my TV as it does in person?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I rarely go to the basketball games because the venue is so poor. I can't stand spending the money on tickets and then having your view blocked by a rail or people walking the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyzip84 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I rarely go to the basketball games because the venue is so poor. I can't stand spending the money on tickets and then having your view blocked by a rail or people walking the track. That's my single biggest beef with the JAR. It absolutely drives me insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xu9697 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I rarely go to the basketball games because the venue is so poor. I can't stand spending the money on tickets and then having your view blocked by a rail or people walking the track. It has to be the worst design I have EVER seen. It can be tough choice= do I want my back to kill sitting on seats without a back or do I want my view blocked the whole game. Seriously, this is not a matter of "I don't believe in the 'build it and they will come'" scenario. The fact of the matter is the JAR has to be one of the worst designs for a Division 1 program out there, which leads to "no way am I going to a game there." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Lets not make the mistake, again, of presuming that the facility will bring the people. I think many people here did that a few years ago. For us diehards, we wish for greater comfort in the place where we spend 15-20 evenings each year. To the outsiders, the fascination with new facilities is short lived. It will take much more to get those people to help us fill a larger arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Lets not make the mistake, again, of presuming that the facility will bring the people. I think many people here did that a few years ago. Can we make the presumption that dilapidated and ill-designed facilities will repel people? The myth that InfoCision was a mistake is simply that...a fabrication of the short-sighted. Had we hired a good football coach, InfoCision would be drawing a real 20,000 paying fans per season. But we hired a horrific coach, and drew flies. A horrific coach hire doesn't mean the new stadium is at fault any more than punching yourself in the face is your face's fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Can we make the presumption that dilapidated and ill-designed facilities will repel people? The myth that InfoCision was a mistake is simply that...a fabrication of the short-sighted. Had we hired a good football coach, InfoCision would be drawing a real 20,000 paying fans per season. But we hired a horrific coach, and drew flies. A horrific coach hire doesn't mean the new stadium is at fault any more than punching yourself in the face is your face's fault. You misunderstood what I posted. Infocision wasn't a mistake, in my opinion (although, I know some people who would disagree). The mistake was made by the people who presumed that a new facility alone was going to have such a great impact. The JAR: Ill Designed? Yes. Dilapidated? No. Like I've said previously, there are some things in the works that could make the JAR more desirable. But, lets not assume that new seating is the big answer to having new fans lined up at the door to get in the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 But, lets not assume that new seating is the big answer to having new fans lined up at the door to get in the place. A venue worthy of the Program is what we need. One that creates a good home-court advantage, and one where your wife doesn't have to spend her Saturday night sitting on a wooden bench. If beer was served, that would also help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jupitertoo Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Can we make the presumption that dilapidated and ill-designed facilities will repel people? The myth that InfoCision was a mistake is simply that...a fabrication of the short-sighted. Had we hired a good football coach, InfoCision would be drawing a real 20,000 paying fans per season. But we hired a horrific coach, and drew flies. A horrific coach hire doesn't mean the new stadium is at fault any more than punching yourself in the face is your face's fault. Wow, the program has dropped farther than I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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