Questions on the new stadium.

[teCh0010]

Congrats on your new stadium! The renderings look very impressive. The other current new D1 stadium at UCF is all aluminium and looks like is should be part of SETI from the outside. Yours looks very classy and traditional.I am a Memphis fan and we are currently going through the early stages of a grassroots effort to convince the university to leave the city owned football stadium and build on campus. The Akron AD was on the radio here last week answering questions about your new stadium. I remembered this board from our bowl game and thought I would come here for help.I have looked around the forum for information, but I have some stadium questions that may help us in our fight.1. How have the eminent domain issues been perceived in the community? Is the process complete or still in motion? Is anyone going to court over the issue?2. What increase in ticket revenue and donations is expected from premium seating?3. From the renderings it looks like there are residential houses separated from the stadium by the new dorms. Are the lights from night games concerns to these residents?In addition anyone that can point me to online articles from local media about the process and financing would be greatly appreciated.We are currently looking at the University of Louisville (the eVil or Vile as we call them) Papa Johns stadium as a model, but we also want to look at the problems encountered by a more current stadium build. Since we are both landlocked urban universities we should have similar problems vs. a land grant university that can just pop a 100K seat stadium into a field and call it a day.Thanks for any information you can provide.

[ziptrumpet87]

To answer some of your questions:1. All properties have not been acquired yet and eminant domain may be used. Two property owners are holding out and being somewhat vocal.2. We had no loges/box seats/etc., so any increase is a plus for us.3. Most if not all of the housing in the area is student rentals, so if they go to the games, the lights shouldn't be an issue.Thanks and good luck to you.

[BZip_08]

In addition to the comment about student rental housing next to the stadium... I live directly across Spicer St (eastern boundary of complex) and we will be so happy to fill our back parking lot on game days that the lights won't even be a nuisance. Money makes little annoyances disappear.There are articles all the time on www.ohio.com and www.cleveland.com. These are the websites for the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/zips/ Is a great blog written by a UA alumnus, and if there is any news he posts immediately.

[teCh0010]

In addition to the comment about student rental housing next to the stadium... I live directly across Spicer St (eastern boundary of complex) and we will be so happy to fill our back parking lot on game days that the lights won't even be a nuisance. Money makes little annoyances disappear.There are articles all the time on www.ohio.com and www.cleveland.com. These are the websites for the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/zips/ Is a great blog written by a UA alumnus, and if there is any news he posts immediately.

Our AD (Memphis) commented on the radio that we could not built a stadium on the most logical spot on the east side of the Memphis campus because the lights would bother the neighbors.I think that is crap but that edge of campus borders with a neighborhood of 1.5M dollar houses. The people who live there are probably more litigious than most people.He seems to have caved from the "no space and lights and drainage" excuses to the "not enough money" excuses.I really think that the increase in revenue from premium seating combined with naming rights and advertising would support the bonds / debt service required for the balance after a capital campaign.

[teCh0010]

Do you guys see parking as a problem?

[Dr Z]

teCh0010 take some time and use the "search" button, you will find a lot on this subject....and welcome.

[BZip_08]

Do you guys see parking as a problem?

The University doesn't, but everyone in their rightmind does see an issue. Within downtown Akron there will be enough parking for game days, but that might mean walking for 10 blocks, which isn't the end of the world. And the neighborhood surrounding the stadium is not anywhere close to the starting prices that you wrote about. Most of the houses are student rentals, and even those that are not don't exceed $200K, except for a couple exemptions like sorority and fraternity houses, but trust me we won't be bothered by lights.