State plans $20 million for Carrier Dome renovations

[hoopsupstate]

I found a picture. You can see the problem with legroom here.

Looks like no cup holders.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Based on your assessment of the situation, you have either never sat in the 300 level, or are a midget. I am 6’0 and leg room today is extremely tight with nothing constraining things except the backs of people sitting in front of you. If there are people sitting in front of you.

Unless you happen to have someone with the rental seats in front of you.

I have both situations with my season tickets. For football, no rental seats in place directly in front of my tickets. For basketball, there are rentals in front of me.

As noted, leg room is always a problem in the 300 level for people my height. It is way worse for people like Mark that are 6’4.

With the rentals, when I am sitting down and there are people in the seats in front of me, my knees are regularly jammed into the flexible padded seat back of the rental seats. They have a really abbreviated seat back. Nothing like the ones I have shown used at Kenan Stadium. But the entire seat is loosely locked in place and people normally react when they feel a knee in their back and move their seat up, away from that person, to avoid that uncomfortable contact. And the rental seats are much less deep than normal full sized seats like Kenan has. The rentals are barely tolerably. The Kenan seats are an abomination.

Even if you were right and we were only losing 2 inches (you certainly are not), it would be a huge deal given things are already really tight. The Kenan seats are especially awful because they are deep and the seat back is high. Both aggregate the leg room problem and when combined, you a nightmare for people above 5’8 in height.

With the rental seats, you can push them an inch or two forward and get some extra room if no one is sitting in front of you. If you are walking down the row to your seat, it is relatively easy to move them a bit as you make your way to your seat because they can be moved, and their low profile greatly reduces the intrusion in your space. Permanently installed full size seats with high profile seat backs, which always slope backwards, will make a bad situation awful.

It is great to address the seat width issue. I think all the seats are 18 inches wide now and I think we can all agree that is too narrow for most 2022 CNY bodies. What I am saying it if by solving that problem, you introduce a worse problem with leg room, you have not improved things for the fans at all. You might well make things worse. I hope we are careful not to solve one problem and create a worse one here. Like UNC did.

I’m 5’9. Apparently 3 more inches makes all the difference.

 

[bballbeadle]

As we are talking about it, I can’t begin figure out how they get chairs with seat backs in the 300’s. There’s barely room for my knees with the bench seating.

Okay, it’s now Sunday afternoon and I haven’t read the posts after yours. But is it possible that they would redo the levels? This perhaps would eliminate the last row of the 300s. But they would mean starting over with the concrete and that would have to be awfully expensive. I can’t figure out how they are going to make more room both sideways and in front.

 

[bballbeadle]

Based on your assessment of the situation, you have either never sat in the 300 level, or are a midget. I am 6’0 and leg room today is extremely tight with nothing constraining things except the backs of people sitting in front of you. If there are people sitting in front of you.

Unless you happen to have someone with the rental seats in front of you.

I have both situations with my season tickets. For football, no rental seats in place directly in front of my tickets. For basketball, there are rentals in front of me.

As noted, leg room is always a problem in the 300 level for people my height. It is way worse for people like Mark that are 6’4.

With the rentals, when I am sitting down and there are people in the seats in front of me, my knees are regularly jammed into the flexible padded seat back of the rental seats. They have a really abbreviated seat back. Nothing like the ones I have shown used at Kenan Stadium. But the entire seat is loosely locked in place and people normally react when they feel a knee in their back and move their seat up, away from that person, to avoid that uncomfortable contact. And the rental seats are much less deep than normal full sized seats like Kenan has. The rentals are barely tolerably. The Kenan seats are an abomination.

Even if you were right and we were only losing 2 inches (you certainly are not), it would be a huge deal given things are already really tight. The Kenan seats are especially awful because they are deep and the seat back is high. Both aggregate the leg room problem and when combined, you a nightmare for people above 5’8 in height.

With the rental seats, you can push them an inch or two forward and get some extra room if no one is sitting in front of you. If you are walking down the row to your seat, it is relatively easy to move them a bit as you make your way to your seat because they can be moved, and their low profile greatly reduces the intrusion in your space. Permanently installed full size seats with high profile seat backs, which always slope backwards, will make a bad situation awful.

It is great to address the seat width issue. I think all the seats are 18 inches wide now and I think we can all agree that is too narrow for most 2022 CNY bodies. What I am saying it if by solving that problem, you introduce a worse problem with leg room, you have not improved things for the fans at all. You might well make things worse. I hope we are careful not to solve one problem and create a worse one here. Like UNC did.

So why don’t they just tell us what they are going to do?

My daughter and I sit two seats in from the aisle. Makes me wonder if we should try to buy the two seats directly on the aisle.

I love a good mystery! Unless it agitates me, which this does. I will be patient.

 

[Cheriehoop]

So why don’t they just tell us what they are going to do?

My daughter and I sit two seats in from the aisle. Makes me wonder if we should try to buy the two seats directly on the aisle.

I love a good mystery! Unless it agitates me, which this does. I will be patient.

We had aisle seats for football which had many positives but like anything in life, some negatives. Much quicker access to get to the concourse and exits without dislodging, encountering large crowds, quicker in and outs, are the biggest advantages. However it can be a real pain if you are sitting in a row of people constantly heading to and fro from the concession stands, bathrooms etc because the aisle seat really has to stand up to let people out. People dripping food, drinks down the main aisle or row to get their seats can set you up for some unintentional secondary damage - clogged up aisles getting to their seats or people standing in the aisle trying to find or talk to someone in a row, can block your view. If you like to stay till the end of a game while others in your row love to rush out to ‘beat the traffic’ can be annoying. We rented those SU seats to stake our property out so my husband‘s butt wasn’t half in the aisle. Nothing that’s a first world problem nor earth shattering advantage.

 

[upperdeck]

how does this differ with seating at any big park these days.. I have sat in a few newer MLB parks I wouldnt say seat space in a row is all that great. Its also much better than many other places like the Landmark.

 

[sutomcat]

how does this differ with seating at any big park these days.. I have sat in a few newer MLB parks I wouldnt say seat space in a row is all that great. Its also much better than many other places like the Landmark.

The dome has more narrow seats that every nearby facility I was able to find data on.

Citifield has seats with widths ranging from 19-24 inches. They say the average is 21.

Yankee Stadium seat widths are listed at 19 inches.

MetLife Stadium seat widths range from 19 to 22 inches.

Could not find info on NBT Bank Stadium but they just got new, larger seats. From what I have seen, 19 or 20 inches sounds right.

The Landmark had its original seats from 1928. These were famously small and uncomfortable. I know the balcony seats were only 17 inches wide. They were all replaced last year by larger seats but I can’t any any specific dimensions for the new seats. I am confident they are at least 19 inches.

Leg room is a lot harder to measure. Almost no facilities make that info available.

 

[PhatOrange]

There is barely any leg room in the albany times union center. You have to stand if someone wants to get in. I don’t see the dome being a problem.

Wonder if they could hack out a few inches of each concrete row, losing a row or two by the time they get to the top.

I’m sorta curious if they’re ever going to rehab the coaches boxes.

 

[Eric15]

Apparently 3 more inches makes all the difference.

 

[Maxsumm]

Can they just paint the damn football field the correct shade of orange so it doesn’t clash with all of the rest of the sidelines and their uniforms. That would make the place look a whole lot better and cost a lot less than 20mil

 

[Bayside44]

Just flip the cameras so people watching on TV see the home side and students.

 

[Cusefan69]

I said this in another thread but hopefully as part of the process they do a POC with seats they might be interested in. I agree with Mark, take 2 or 3 row, maybe 4 to 8 seats and install and have varying sized people in the POC seated. They will find out allot from doing so. Especially for the upper bowl. I mean for something like seating, wouldn’t they have to do something like that to properly “kick the tires” so to speak?

 

[upperdeck]

you dont even need to take seats out to figure this out.. buy a few sheets of plywood and some 2x8 and build a replica of whatever the concrete dimensions are and have at it.. a few hundred dollars and a couple hrs and you would have everything you need to put some seats on and see how it goes.. no messing with the current seats/risers at all.

 

[two3zone]

The dome has more narrow seats that every nearby facility I was able to find data on.

Citifield has seats with widths ranging from 19-24 inches. They say the average is 21.

Yankee Stadium seat widths are listed at 19 inches.

MetLife Stadium seat widths range from 19 to 22 inches.

Could not find info on NBT Bank Stadium but they just got new, larger seats. From what I have seen, 19 or 20 inches sounds right.

The Landmark had its original seats from 1928. These were famously small and uncomfortable. I know the balcony seats were only 17 inches wide. They were all replaced last year by larger seats but I can’t any any specific dimensions for the new seats. I am confident they are at least 19 inches.

Leg room is a lot harder to measure. Almost no facilities make that info available.

I went to a standup show at the Landmark I’m 2012, I’m very very tall and couldn’t sit at all in the seats without having my legs in front of the person next to me which still was uncomfortable as I was stuffed into the seat with no breathing room for my thighs. Jesus Christ could perform a miracle there and I wouldn’t accept a free ticket.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I went to a standup show at the Landmark I’m 2012, I’m very very tall and couldn’t sit at all in the seats without having my legs in front of the person next to me which still was uncomfortable as I was stuffed into the seat with no breathing room for my thighs. Jesus Christ could perform a miracle there and I wouldn’t accept a free ticket.

I haven't been to the Landmark since the remodel, but people who have gone say they did a great job with the seating.

 

[two3zone]

I haven't been to the Landmark since the remodel, but people who have gone say they did a great job with the seating.

Really? I didn’t even know the remodeled it. May give this another chance.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Really? I didn’t even know the remodeled it. May give this another chance.

All new seating

First look at Landmark Theatre renovations: New seats, more space, more luxury

After a year and a half of being closed, downtown Syracuse’s historic Landmark Theatre is finally reopening with a few new features inside the building. The Landmark debuted the changes at an open house Tuesday, about a month ahead of resuming performances on Tuesday, October 12 with a run of...

cnycentral.com

At last, Landmark Theatre replaces those historically uncomfortable seats (video)

More legroom, better wheelchair access among improvements

www.syracuse.com

 

[BKCuse]

Can they put some budget toward new player locker rooms in the Dome? The particle board lockers from yesteryear aren't impressing any recruits

 

[sufandu]

Can they put some budget toward new player locker rooms in the Dome? The particle board lockers from yesteryear aren't impressing any recruits

I wonder which they care about more, the practice facility lockers or the dome. I would guess the practice facility along with whatever other amenities are available there.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

All new seating

First look at Landmark Theatre renovations: New seats, more space, more luxury

After a year and a half of being closed, downtown Syracuse’s historic Landmark Theatre is finally reopening with a few new features inside the building. The Landmark debuted the changes at an open house Tuesday, about a month ahead of resuming performances on Tuesday, October 12 with a run of...

cnycentral.com

At last, Landmark Theatre replaces those historically uncomfortable seats (video)

More legroom, better wheelchair access among improvements

www.syracuse.com

Interesting photos. They don't appear to show the new seats, only the sides (supports) of the old ones with the seats and backs removed. Like the JMA Dome, you can see the rise and run of the floor beneath.

The idea of "chipping away" at the concrete is insane ... would be fantastically expensive and wholly unnecessary as there are many options with modern materials and technologies. Like the old (and new) in the landmark, most theatre seats (and many in sports stadia) are staggered. This improves visibility and, unlike with bench seating, will need to be considered in sourcing individual seats. I don't see why SU could not have Pete Sala, or putative seating vendors, run some leg-room/seat room experiments to decide on an optimal set of measurements so both leg and seat room, as well as comfort, can be maximized. No better way to improve the fan experience than to have comfortable, well-positioned seating with good visibility.

 

[jmcclure33]

I went to a standup show at the Landmark I’m 2012, I’m very very tall and couldn’t sit at all in the seats without having my legs in front of the person next to me which still was uncomfortable as I was stuffed into the seat with no breathing room for my thighs. Jesus Christ could perform a miracle there and I wouldn’t accept a free ticket.

Really? I didn’t even know the remodeled it. May give this another chance.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

 

[sutomcat]

Interesting photos. They don't appear to show the new seats, only the sides (supports) of the old ones with the seats and backs removed. Like the JMA Dome, you can see the rise and run of the floor beneath.

The idea of "chipping away" at the concrete is insane ... would be fantastically expensive and wholly unnecessary as there are many options with modern materials and technologies. Like the old (and new) in the landmark, most theatre seats (and many in sports stadia) are staggered. This improves visibility and, unlike with bench seating, will be a factor in selecting individual seats. I don't see why SU could not have Pete Sala, or putative seating vendors, run some leg-room/seat room experiments to decide on an optimal set of measurements so both leg and seat room, as well as comfort, can be maximized. No better way to improve the fan experience than to have comfortable, well-positions seating with good visibility.

I am sure SU is aware of the issues. They don’t need me to point them out.

I do want people on the board to be aware of this though. I think it will be helpful when we see what kind of solutions are proposed and eventually rolled out. I think it would be wise to set expectations fairly low, at least on the upper deck.

It I could get 20 inches to sit on instead of 18, with a relatively comfortable seat and a little support for the back, and relatively fast access to the Internet, I would be damned happy.

Don’t care if this is through Wi-Fi or 5G cell. Sounds like the JMA solution is going to use cellular traffic.

Hey, where are the JMA experts on the stadium 5G solution we are presumably getting as part of this deal? We are waiting patiently to have someone explain how it works and why it will be so wonderful.

JMA technology was featured prominently at the Super Bowl this year. Here is a technical paper on what was provided. One tidbit from this article: sounds like the antennas for the solution will be installed under the seats.

Super Bowl LVI Is The First 5G Super Bowl - JMA Wireless

Todd Landry, Corporate Vice President of Innovation Strategy, JMA Wireless Football's biggest event is just days away, and this year's match-up is sure to deliver plenty of highlights for the roughly 100,000 fans and media who are descending on So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles. But action on the...

jmawireless.com

Sounds like the solution was a huge success at the Super Bowl. I am sure we will not be seeing 2 gbps download speeds at JMA but I expect we are going to be very happy with Internet access at the facility in the future. This is great because there is a lot that can be done to improve the fan experience using smart phones but none of it is possible without good internet access.

Verizon, AT&T hit new highs for big-game cellular data use at Super Bowl LVI - Stadium Tech Report

Given the full-scale implementation of 5G network resources from all the major cellular carriers, it’s perhaps no surprise that data use totals at Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles saw records set for both Verizon and AT&T. According to Verizon, customers on its wireless...

stadiumtechreport.com

 

[DoubleDee]

I have convinced myself over the years, that the chairs downstairs vs upstairs will be different mounts. The lower chairs will mount from underneath as do the current benches.
Upstairs currently the bench mounts off the face of the concrete that the people behind you have their feet. The new chairs will have to be mounted to the foot surface so that when the “seat” folds down you are essentially putting your arse right where it was with the benches.

This makes sense in my head, not sure I typed it in a way that translates to you.

 

[bballbeadle]

Interesting photos. They don't appear to show the new seats, only the sides (supports) of the old ones with the seats and backs removed. Like the JMA Dome, you can see the rise and run of the floor beneath.

The idea of "chipping away" at the concrete is insane ... would be fantastically expensive and wholly unnecessary as there are many options with modern materials and technologies. Like the old (and new) in the landmark, most theatre seats (and many in sports stadia) are staggered. This improves visibility and, unlike with bench seating, will be a factor in selecting individual seats. I don't see why SU could not have Pete Sala, or putative seating vendors, run some leg-room/seat room experiments to decide on an optimal set of measurements so both leg and seat room, as well as comfort, can be maximized. No better way to improve the fan experience than to have comfortable, well-positioned seating with good visibility.

Write to Pete Sala. He will respond to you! And then let us know. Thanks!

 

[OrangeXtreme]