The Arena

[akzipper]

Almost every NBA team plays in an arena that houses a hockey rink. It makes no freaking difference! as long as it means we're getting a new, bigger, and nicer arena I don't care what else they use it for. Just that the Zips get to call it home.

[Blue & Gold]

Almost every NBA team plays in an arena that houses a hockey rink. It makes no freaking difference! as long as it means we're getting a new, bigger, and nicer arena I don't care what else they use it for. Just that the Zips get to call it home.

It can make a difference. A big difference. Personally, I'm open to either option as long as it means leaving the crappy JAR behind. However, KD really wants a basketball arena as opposed to a hockey arena. Even a crowd of 6,000 in a 10,000-seat hockey arena would look awfully small & you'd be able to hear a pin drop in there.

[Dave in Green]

It makes a big freaking difference how a multipurpose basketball arena/ice rink is configured. Done poorly, it degrades the basketball fan experience. There's a reason why there's a basketball forum on ZN.o and not at ice rink forum.

I did a little research and found a multipurpose arena done right, with modular moving seating that can be brought in tight for a basketball court or pulled back for the larger ice rink. Check out the following video for a basketball arena/ice rink done in a way that does not compromise basketball seating.

I could live with this:

[akzipper]

Like I said most NBA arena's are fine for both. Reasoning is most were built recently and have been configured to house both. The only arena's that you have issues are those that were built decades ago with one sport in mind and later decided to add another configuration. I've been to the Q many times and have sat all over the place. Never once had a problem seeing the game.

[ziptrumpet87]

It makes a big freaking difference how a multipurpose basketball arena/ice rink is configured. Done poorly, it degrades the basketball fan experience. There's a reason why there's a basketball forum on ZN.o and not at ice rink forum.

I did a little research and found a multipurpose arena done right, with modular moving seating that can be brought in tight for a basketball court or pulled back for the larger ice rink. Check out the following video for a basketball arena/ice rink done in a way that does not compromise basketball seating.

I could live with this:

Interesting that the playing areas in the two configurations go perpendicular to each other in this case. Looks like the ice config is less fan-friendle than the hoops.

[Blue & Gold]

It makes a big freaking difference how a multipurpose basketball arena/ice rink is configured. Done poorly, it degrades the basketball fan experience. There's a reason why there's a basketball forum on ZN.o and not at ice rink forum.

I did a little research and found a multipurpose arena done right, with modular moving seating that can be brought in tight for a basketball court or pulled back for the larger ice rink. Check out the following video for a basketball arena/ice rink done in a way that does not compromise basketball seating.

I could live with this:

Interesting that the playing areas in the two configurations go perpendicular to each other in this case. Looks like the ice config is less fan-friendle than the hoops.

+1.With this configuration it appears the side seating for hockey is pushed back further than what is typical. Like I've said, anything is better than the JAR. But I'm hoping for a top-shelf basketball arena (which can still hold concerts). Check out Pitt's Peterson Events Center or either Miami Florida's or Rhode Island's basketball arenas.

[lance99]

This was talked about on another thread I think that if they are going to build one, it should be around 7,500-9000 max seating. Hockey, Arena Football, basketball, concerts?

Maybe they should take this route, just on a way smaller scale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_Coliseum

[Zip_ME87]

As previously discussed, an ice rink requires more floor space than a basketball court, leading to basketball seating being pushed further away from the court.

The optimum configuration for basketball viewing is to have seating that comes right down to the edge of the court, and at a steep angle so that you can see over the heads of fans seated in front of you.

In order for me to support a multipurpose arena with both a basketball court and an ice rink, I would need to see photos of a current basketball arena which includes an ice rink that is not compromised in a way to diminish the basketball experience by virtue of fans being further away from the court than they are at the JAR.

Configure the arena to include seating that is removable for the ice rink and comes down to the edge of the basketball court when in place. It can be done with the proper sight lines. I think it's short-sighted to build an arena that cannot support hockey and have more flexibility than permanent seating up to the edge of a basketball court.

[Dr Z]

This was talked about on another thread

Maybe this one. Like a said two months ago, Consol Energy Center is supposed to be awesome, heard good things again over the holidays. I'm not scared of an ice rink if it gets the Zips a nice new place.

[Blue & Gold]

Here are three facilities I really covet. They are basketball/multi-purpose not hockey/multi-purpose. The hockey-style arena (or NBA arena) is definitely more flexible in being able to host hockey, indoor soccer, ice capades & motorcross as well as concerts. However, the seats for basketball are pretty far removed from the action. The basketball arena gets you right on top of the action on a basketball court, and can also host concerts. No hockey or motorcross though. So, you know, pick your poison.

Pitt's Peterson Events Center

Peterson Events Center #2

University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center

URI's Ryan Center #2

University of Miami-FL's BankUnited Center

Miami's BankUnited Center #2

[ziptrumpet87]

NEOtropolis TV just uploaded their

that includes an interview with UPA's Eric Anthony Johnson. In the video there are more shots of the Akron redevelopment vision plans than is on the web page. There is a nice shot of the 3D rendering of the downtown arena concept with night illumination... looks very cool.

I personally don't have any problem with this location or one near the football staduim; just do it. An advantage to the downtown concept is it might be slightly better for before/after event entertainment in that one may not need to move a vehicle between location.

[ZachTheZip]

The whole downtown/on-campus debate is becoming moot. The southern half of Downtown Akron as it exists now is almost an extension of campus. The Polsky Building, the 22 Exchange apartments, the new student apartments being built between Cedar and Selle, and all the college bars along Main Street have transformed that area. An arena would complete the transformation of that area into something of a "west campus" and possibly serve to encourage further development towards that goal. The area surrounding Exchange and Main would no longer be a part of "downtown", but a transition zone between the university and the city. Downtown would shift to the north, in the mind of the average Akronite, to be centered around the area of the main library, the convention center, and the art museum, which would affect the overall perception of what downtown Akron is to the people of the city by giving it a more positive connotation as a place of culture.

[ZippyRulz]

It makes a big freaking difference how a multipurpose basketball arena/ice rink is configured. Done poorly, it degrades the basketball fan experience. There's a reason why there's a basketball forum on ZN.o and not at ice rink forum.

I did a little research and found a multipurpose arena done right, with modular moving seating that can be brought in tight for a basketball court or pulled back for the larger ice rink. Check out the following video for a basketball arena/ice rink done in a way that does not compromise basketball seating.

I could live with this:

Looks nice but appears to take a crew of 15-20 several hours to change over...rather expensive to operate.

[Dave in Green]

Looks nice but appears to take a crew of 15-20 several hours to change over...rather expensive to operate.

It takes a fair-sized crew a number of hours to convert any multipurpose arena from an ice rink to a basketball court or the other way around. It's still less costly than having two separate facilities. Some people think that Akron can be a good market for ice rink events and some don't. Someone will have to make the call as to whether an ice rink would generate enough additional income in the Akron market to justify including it in a multipurpose arena.

[skip-zip]

Dave and ZippyRulz bring up important points above. And the video of the changeover is a real eye opener.

My first thought is that it's a MAJOR expense to maintain an arena for what will amount to minor league hockey and mid-major level basketball. I can't imagine the additional expenditure involved to change it back and forth continually. But, on the other hand, this might be Akron's only opportunity to have something that is all-inclusive for the future, and it would obviously be less expensive in total if the city builds an ice arena, and the U builds a basketball arena.

I noticed something else when looking at the footage that is basketball/ice rink combo:

When they add those extenders to the bottom sections to squeeze tight to the basketball floor, it makes the upper sections of the arena a long way from the court. It also turns the lower sections into very long, gradually-sloping seating sections. This not only makes the people at the backs of those sections a long way from the court, but it also can obstruct viewing because the person in front of you would be just slightly below your level. This would all seem to be a drawback for creating a good atmosphere for basketball.

[Dave in Green]

Great observation, @skip-zip. If you freeze the previous video near the end you can see that all of the lower section seats are at a shallower angle than all of the upper section seats. The same situation currently exists at the JAR. I've sat in both the lower and upper section seats at the JAR, and do not like the shallower angle of the lower section seats as it makes it harder to see over the heads of those seated in front of you.

I think the practice of having a shallower slope on lower section seats is fairly common in all arenas, and I don't much care for it. I prefer a steeper angle from the first row of the lower section all the way to the last row of the upper section. That results in the last row being closer to the court in the horizontal plane but further away in the vertical plane. The important thing is that it makes it easier to see over those seated in front of you and have an unobstructed view of the whole court.

I'd prefer an arena with a continuous, steeper slope in all the seating. This would be harder to accomplish in an arena designed for both a smaller basketball court and larger ice rink.

There are some pretty interesting multipurpose arena conversion videos on YouTube, but they all appear to have a common characteristic of shallower seating angles on the lower sections:

[GP1]

Gwinnett Arena

Take 3,000 seats out of it and it would be perfect for Akron. Multi purpose arena for basketball, hockey, wedding receptions and corporate events in the arena alone. All the other stuff at the complex isn't needed. Google it and you can see images. Take out the seats above the suites and it would be enough for Akron. Saw a concert there once and was extremely impressed. Hotels, restaurants and the Braves AAA baseball stadium all within walking distance.

[Dave in Green]

Gwinnett makes a quick change from arena football to hockey rink. But it doesn't appear to be set up to have great seating for basketball, i.e. modular seating that pulls in closer to the smaller basketball court.

[GP1]

Gwinnett makes a quick change from arena football to hockey rink. But it doesn't appear to be set up to have great seating for basketball, i.e. modular seating that pulls in closer to the smaller basketball court.

It's especially lacking behind the basket. The sides are about as good as a multi-purpose arena can be. Not sure how to fix that other than not having a multi-purpose arena, which I'm not for. If the Zips are looking for a new place to call home, I want it to be their own and not a rental, or even worse, a time share.

[ZachTheZip]

Miami's Millett hall is a basketball-only facility, and it has to be a worse place to watch a game than any basketball/hockey hybrid I've ever seen.

[GP1]

Miami's Millett hall is a basketball-only facility, and it has to be a worse place to watch a game than any basketball/hockey hybrid I've ever seen.

Millett was built as a multipurpose arena for basketball and other events.

[Zip Watcher]

Isn't it actually a theatre?

[Dave in Green]

A multipurpose arena does not have to be designed to accomodate every type of event.

If you eliminate trying to accomodate hockey or arena football, you can design the seating to come right down to the edge of the basketball court.

You can optimize the arena seating for basketball and still have concerts and any other type of event where the open floor space required is no larger than a basketball court.

[Blue & Gold]

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.

[skip-zip]

I think that's the real issue here. Hockey and basketball combo arenas make it tough to have close, steep-angled seating for basketball. That really ruins the atmosphere. I think all of us would really be disappointed.