Dome Renovation

[BVille44]

OLB commit Walton was told during his visit "they are redoing the dome."

 

[tipphill]

OLB commit Walton was told during his visit "they are redoing the dome."

the only rebuild would be a new stadium/welcoming center---retractable roof.

 

[Toga]

OLB commit Walton was told during his visit "they are redoing the dome."

It's gonna be fly.

 

[elimunelson]

I know a way the university can save $500k a year

is that buzz's bar tab that the university picks up or is he being paid 500k for some no show gig?

 

[Toga]

is that buzz's bar tab that the university picks up or is he being paid 500k for some no show gig?

I thought this golden parachute deal ended a couple of years ago.

 

[DoubleDee]

Board of trustees is set to meet the 29th to approve the renovation.

Any news yet today?

 

[IthacaMatt]

Spent Sunday & Monday in Durham...the Dome floor being sunk 10 feet, according to a high ranking person in the know, is distinctly on the table.

Some of the big soccer stadiums in Europe have done this. Great way to get more seating into a limited footprint.

 

[IthacaMatt]

It would not be wise to renovate the Dome at a time when the global economy is diving into a deflationary recession or worse. As it sits now , it's paid for and ticket prices can be kept low .

They don't have a choice. In a few years, it needs a new roof.

 

[PhatOrange]

Some of the big soccer stadiums in Europe have done this. Great way to get more seating into a limited footprint.

not sure what good sinking the floor would do. The footprint is right now what it is.

 

[IthacaMatt]

not sure what good sinking the floor would do. The footprint is right now what it is.

You can add more seats in the same footprint. I suppose you could try to make the Dome taller, but excavating is a lot more practical. They did that at a couple of the larger stadiums in Spain, and Chelsea FC in London are boxed into a small footprint and are planning to add 20,000 seats by doing precisely this- digging it deeper to add another section of seating.

So if you are concerned about losing overall seating by installing seats with seat backs, this is the answer to that.

 

[xc84]

You can add more seats in the same footprint. I suppose you could try to make the Dome taller, but excavating is a lot more practical. They did that at a couple of the larger stadiums in Spain, and Chelsea FC in London are boxed into a small footprint and are planning to add 20,000 seats by doing precisely this- digging it deeper to add another section of seating.

So if you are concerned about losing overall seating by installing seats with seat backs, this is the answer to that.

Not so sure. If you dig down, you still need some seats an an angle. This will encroach on the current playing field area. Given the current field area is relatively tight already, I don't know it will work for football.

 

[PhatOrange]

You can add more seats in the same footprint. I suppose you could try to make the Dome taller, but excavating is a lot more practical. They did that at a couple of the larger stadiums in Spain, and Chelsea FC in London are boxed into a small footprint and are planning to add 20,000 seats by doing precisely this- digging it deeper to add another section of seating.

So if you are concerned about losing overall seating by installing seats with seat backs, this is the answer to that.

it doesnt give you more useable square footage. It's like having a deeper basement without expanding out then your stairs would be as steep as a ladder. same thing in the dome. you'd have to redo the seating up to probably the boxes and it would be steeper.

But adding more seating isn't what they want. It's more luxury boxes. they're either going to ring the stadium on the current level or ring the top. i believe they end up on top with a new hard roof. expansion will be up and out.

 

[FrancoPizza]

it doesnt give you more useable square footage. It's like having a deeper basement without expanding out then your stairs would be as steep as a ladder. same thing in the dome. you'd have to redo the seating up to probably the boxes and it would be steeper.

But adding more seating isn't what they want. It's more luxury boxes. they're either going to ring the stadium on the current level or ring the top. i believe they end up on top with a new hard roof. expansion will be up and out.

I'm not an engineer but I believe excavation would allow for a mini concourse to separate the current 100-level seating from the new seating that would be added below the current grade. The new seating could then be built right up to courtside. I think the idea should at least be explored on those merits alone.

Re: box seats, I'm not sure the demand would be what they hope for if they build above the 300-level. Folks paying a premium may not want to see the court a mile away. The 200-level mezzanine, on the other hand, is prime real estate for a box-makeover. I'd be nervous if I'm a season holder in that level. At least with football they can always move the press boxes above the 300s and convert the current press area to prime luxury seating.

 

[IthacaMatt]

it doesnt give you more useable square footage. It's like having a deeper basement without expanding out then your stairs would be as steep as a ladder. same thing in the dome. you'd have to redo the seating up to probably the boxes and it would be steeper.

But adding more seating isn't what they want. It's more luxury boxes. they're either going to ring the stadium on the current level or ring the top. i believe they end up on top with a new hard roof. expansion will be up and out.

But the point is, they are redoing the seating anyway. If you are planning to make larger, more comfortable seats, then this is a way to recapture some of them, by going deeper.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not so sure. If you dig down, you still need some seats an an angle. This will encroach on the current playing field area. Given the current field area is relatively tight already, I don't know it will work for football.

Yes, you do still need the angle. But the seating is going to be redone. That, and larger concourses are a minimum for any Dome renovation, IMO.

 

[upperdeck]

Some of the big soccer stadiums in Europe have done this. Great way to get more seating into a limited footprint.

how does sinking the dome get more seats in it for us? there isnt more room to add rows in the end or the sidelines. now if we shrink the field by 10% like the MLB teams are doing we are talking more seats.

 

[orangenauburn]

I'm not an engineer but I believe excavation would allow for a mini concourse to separate the current 100-level seating from the new seating that would be added below the current grade. The new seating could then be built right up to courtside. I think the idea should at least be explored on those merits alone.

Re: box seats, I'm not sure the demand would be what they hope for if they build above the 300-level. Folks paying a premium may not want to see the court a mile away. The 200-level mezzanine, on the other hand, is prime real estate for a box-makeover. I'd be nervous if I'm a season holder in that level. At least with football they can always move the press boxes above the 300s and convert the current press area to prime luxury seating.

agree 200 for me is my spot and I love it -- was 100 level for a while but decided to move back a bit

 

[upperdeck]

you can change the angle all you want you arent getting more than a row or so of seating. now if you remove all the concrete and go down at the same angle you can create room for another level of box seating. they will be lucky to not knock the place down removing that much stuff with those types of walls being held up by no bracing. . you might well be better off leaving all the seating where it is and only deal one side of new box seats for bball end the endzone. much less work and if demand goes up attack another side another time.

 

[sutomcat]

you can change the angle all you want you arent getting more than a row or so of seating. now if you remove all the concrete and go down at the same angle you can create room for another level of box seating. they will be lucky to not knock the place down removing that much stuff with those types of walls being held up by no bracing. . you might well be better off leaving all the seating where it is and only deal one side of new box seats for bball end the endzone. much less work and if demand goes up attack another side another time.

To clarify, lowering the playing field will not help for football. It will help greatly for basketball however.

Right now, the angle for seats for basketball is too shallow to optimally fill the space from the permanent seats used for football to the perimeter of the basketball court.

If the playing field is lowered, it will allow for many more seats to be fit into this precious space, where seats can be sold at premium prices. There is a potential to increase revenue greatly...

 

[chakka3421]

To clarify, lowering the playing field will not help for football. It will help greatly for basketball however.

Right now, the angle for seats for basketball is too shallow to optimally fill the space from the permanent seats used for football to the perimeter of the basketball court.

If the playing field is lowered, it will allow for many more seats to be fit into this precious space, where seats can be sold at premium prices. There is a potential to increase revenue greatly...

Not entirely true for footbal if they also tear down the lower bowl and angle it like the upper bowl. We could add another 10,000 seats that way.

Regardless - I don't think that made it into the final options. There are 3 - just replace the roof as is and kick the can down the road. The second is a hard covered roof that may be raised to add more box & concorese room and the 3rd is more part of a campus wide plan that integrates the Dome more so into the adjacent surrounding buildings and more of a larger renovation project.

I think the board may go for the 2nd less costly plan unless we get outside funding I'm unaware of. I don't think Sevyrud wants his legacy to be one of kicking the can down the road.

 

[Ish88888]

You can add more seats in the same footprint. I suppose you could try to make the Dome taller, but excavating is a lot more practical. They did that at a couple of the larger stadiums in Spain, and Chelsea FC in London are boxed into a small footprint and are planning to add 20,000 seats by doing precisely this- digging it deeper to add another section of seating.

So if you are concerned about losing overall seating by installing seats with seat backs, this is the answer to that.

We shouldn't be worried about losing seating capacity with seat backs. If we go from 50k capacity to 47 or 48k with the renovation then so be it. If Cuse football makes it back and is a hot ticket then great! Pro fb and baseball stadiums are being designed smaller and smaller. The best and most beautiful baseballb yards are <40k and the newer NFL stadiums are 60-70k. Enhances ticket value while maintaining great sight lines.

 

[FrancoPizza]

So..... crickets. What's the soonest we might hear something again?

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[retro44]

What I had was they were exploring to have the option to move the Basketball court to the center and decrease seating to 44,000. Might want to try and get a final 4 bid,but the current electrical system will need to be upgraded a lot for that to happen.

No one knows for sure what is going to happen,but things are in a multiple design phase. There no way will they be able to do what they want and not miss a basketball game. Realities have not hit home up there yet.

2017/2018 before anything gets started. Well over a $ billion will be spent up on the hill over those years and a little beyond. I see some heavy public money being spent.

 

[Cusefan0307]

What I had was they were exploring to have the option to move the Basketball court to the center and decrease seating to 44,000. Might want to try and get a final 4 bid,but the current electrical system will need to be upgraded a lot for that to happen.

No one knows for sure what is going to happen,but things are in a multiple design phase. There no way will they be able to do what they want and not miss a basketball game. Realities have not hit home up there yet.

2017/2018 before anything gets started. Well over a $ billion will be spent up on the hill over those years and a little beyond. I see some heavy public money being spent.

It's too bad they took the bleachers out of Manley, I think it would be cool if we played there one year.