Decision on Dome in 2 Years

[FAL]

Building something on the Kennedy Square lot is the future and the best choice long term in my opinion. To me any other option is putting a band-aid on the problem. We all love the Dome but we have to be realistic about things.

1) Getting off campus provides much more land and the ability to build a state of the art venue that will last a very long time
2) Doing some sort of joint venture/partnership with Onondaga County and SU spreads out the cost of the construction and operation of the building.
3) Getting out of the Dome allows for new naming rights on this building and bring in revenue
4) Improved parking. Parking for the current Dome isn't ideal (yet not as bad as some say it is either) and doing something from scratch would be an upgrade long-term. I mean why fix up the Dome if you don't fix things like parking?
5) SU would now have a prime piece of real estate on campus where the Dome currently stands to do what they please with

It just makes too much sense to move off campus. The new chancellor and the powers can say "its about the students first and foremost"...not buying that for a second. This will come down to money. Where they get the most bang for their buck and I think moving off campus provides that. Plus, lets be honest these students don't show up in force for football, lax, or any woman's sports at the Dome. Your gonna bend over for backwards for them? Does he have to say it publicly...yes. But I think he is saying it with a wink and a nod. This will come down to money and how SU can maximize the biggest profit at the end of the day. And to me its being part of a group to have a new building off campus in that Kennedy Square area. It's not like they would build the thing in Cicero...its like 5-10 min from where the Dome is now.

Good points but the Kennedy Square proposed site will not approach any kind of resolution until city/state/Feds decide What they are going to do in regards to I-81.

 

[Stern]

Two quick reactions: I live in a city that had the football venue off campus for a long time, and it was a mistake that resulted in poor student attendance. It was one of the strategic drives in the move to build an on-campus football stadium.

You can't let "student attendance" to a handful of football games and basketball games dictate an issue that is this large. This is going to be a building that serves the greater Syracuse area and Onondaga County in many ways beyond SU sports for many years to come. You cannot let the "warm and fuzzy feeling" of having an on campus facility over ride logic and what is best for the City, the University, and the customers of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

 

[Stern]

Good points but the Kennedy Square proposed site will not approach any kind of resolution until city/state/Feds decide What they are going to do in regards to I-81.

Hey, this isn't going to be decided in a week or two. We have a couple year window to figure all of this out. With 81, Kennedy Square, and the Dome. To me its the only option that makes sense long-term.

 

[RF2044]

You can't let "student attendance" to a handful of football games and basketball games dictate an issue that is this large. This is going to be a building that serves the greater Syracuse area and Onondaga County in many ways beyond SU sports for many years to come. You cannot let the "warm and fuzzy feeling" of having an on campus facility over ride logic and what is best for the City, the University, and the customers of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

I understand your perspective, I just happen to disagree with it.

It goes beyond student attendance, and into broader game day atmosphere and what that means for ticket sales, recruiting, national program perception, etc. Looking across the entire college football landscape, there is not one example of an off-campus venue that doesn't have generally poor attendance and a sterility that comes from making it inconvenient for students to attend.

As for the community--some of those things you list aren't very high on my list of priorities for this project, sorry to say. My primary orientation is to further the needs of Syracuse University, the football team, and the athletic program in general. If those needs are fulfilled, then great. But if Syracuse University has to compromise best interests for other parties, I'm not in favor of that. I literally couldn't care less about whether the Crunch or the County derive utility from the facility. How's that for "warm and fuzzy feeling?" ; )

And I know that sounds harsh, but full disclosure--I'm not a CNY resident. This is a huge decision / expenditure with long term / large scale implications for our football program, and I want to make sure that the best interests of Syracuse University are accounted for first and foremost. If there is a cascade benefit to the facility for the broader community--great.

I qualify the above by acknowledging how locals might feel differently. Don't know if Kennedy Square is the "right" venue [whatever that means], but I would prefer for it not to be Fairgrounds / Inner Harbor.

 

[Stern]

I understand your perspective, I just happen to disagree with it.
As for the community--some of those things you list aren't very high on my list of priorities for this project, sorry to say. My primary orientation is to further the needs of Syracuse University, the football team, and the athletic program in general. If those needs are fulfilled, then great. But if Syracuse University has to compromise best interests for other parties, I'm not in favor of that. I literally couldn't care less about whether the Crunch or the County derive utility from the facility. How's that for "warm and fuzzy feeling?" ; )

Well the locals (like myself) do care! And this building goes beyond just the football team. Building the a new venue with only football in mind is beyond silly. That's what 5 or 6 Saturday's a year for football. While yes you must build it with football in mind its small picture and naive to only have football in mind. This Kennedy Square spot is 3-5 minute drive from where the Dome is now, not like they are moving far away. So moving "technically off campus" but being 5 min from where the Dome sits now is not a big deal.

And I say this with all due respect and peace and love...this is one of those issues where if it doesn't effect you and your taxes, not that your opinion isn't valid but it means less. Those who's taxes will be effected by this issue get a larger voice in this issue and a bigger say!

 

[Stern]

Couldn't you accomplish the same goals by building at Skytop?

There has to be tons more available space for parking than you would find at Kennedy Square.

Skytop is another good location to consider. Not saying it isn't.

 

[CuseOnly]

It's pretty simple actually. Regardless of what any public figure says, including the chancellor, who I think is great BTW. This is going to boil down to 2 things, just like in any other situation.

#1-How much will any plan cost and what can the university afford to spend.
#2-Unlike household or normal business finance, how much public money will be involved.

I hate to be captain obvious but it really is this simple.

 

[Stern]

It's pretty simple actually. Regardless of what any public figure says, including the chancellor, who I think is great BTW. This is going to boil down to 2 things, just like in any other situation.

#1-How much will any plan cost and what can the university afford to spend.
#2-Unlike household or normal business finance, how much public money will be involved.

I hate to be captain obvious but it really is this simple.

You are 100% correct though...always comes down to money and public funding! Everything else is secondary!

 

[CuseOnly]

You are 100% correct though...always comes down to money and public funding! Everything else is secondary!

Everything else is pretty insignificant unless of course you are on a chat board and need something to talk about and kill time.

The University, City, County and state know that this needs to happen in the next few years. All of them will make sure that it does, regardless of the foot stomping and posturing.

 

[Full_Rebar]

A new downtown arena would solve the issues facing the Crunch, and non-summer concerts,as well as provide a home for indoor soccer/lax and Disney on Ice. The new amphitheater is taking care of the summer concert issue, so this should be about Syracuse University with scheduled time for Section 3/NY State events, and other special events (Monster trucks, WWE, whatever) that fit within the schedule.

You'd have more event availability in a new/updated Dome with the IPF, but the last thing SU needs is to get into a true shared facility relationship.

 

[Chris02M]

 

[Chris02M]

how about a roof like this? Its soccer stadium used in world cup

 

[RF2044]

Well the locals (like myself) do care! And this building goes beyond just the football team. Building the a new venue with only football in mind is beyond silly. That's what 5 or 6 Saturday's a year for football. While yes you must build it with football in mind its small picture and naive to only have football in mind. This Kennedy Square spot is 3-5 minute drive from where the Dome is now, not like they are moving far away. So moving "technically off campus" but being 5 min from where the Dome sits now is not a big deal.

And I say this with all due respect and peace and love...this is one of those issues where if it doesn't effect you and your taxes, not that your opinion isn't valid but it means less. Those who's taxes will be effected by this issue get a larger voice in this issue and a bigger say!

Peace and love in return [love the reference, BTW], but that's a pretty myopic [and naive ] interpretation of my earlier post. C'mon. I never said "only" football. I used that as my main example because we're discussing it on a football board, but you can throw SU basketball / lax into the discussion, as well. I agree with full_rebar--I do NOT want to see SU get entangled in a stadium multi-tenancy situation with a bunch of irrelevant players.

Again, no disrespect. I do agree that the local taxpayers are the ones who ultimately have skin in the game on this.

 

[Whitey23]

And I say this with all due respect and peace and love...this is one of those issues where if it doesn't effect you and your taxes, not that your opinion isn't valid but it means less. Those who's taxes will be effected by this issue get a larger voice in this issue and a bigger say!