McGuirk Upgrade

[McKinney]

Personally, I am hoping for it to be built on the parking lots across from South West. A Patriot Place type area that brings new dorms, apartments, dining, shops, hotel, medical center. With all the athletic fields being in the area it could be the start of what eventually turns into an entire athletic complex. Gotta dream big.

I'm not sure it'd be wise to build MORE dorms by Southwest. There's already 5,500 students there and its density has long lead to the highest crime rate, arrests, police scrutiny, and negative press on campus. Don't get me wrong, Southwest is fun, I'm not saying tear it down, but it'd probably be better to build all of that infrastructure closer to the campus core.

[njumass08]

I keep checking the construction procurement website weekly hoping to see some plans for anything at this point.

[minutefanjsf]

Personally, I am hoping for it to be built on the parking lots across from South West. A Patriot Place type area that brings new dorms, apartments, dining, shops, hotel, medical center. With all the athletic fields being in the area it could be the start of what eventually turns into an entire athletic complex. Gotta dream big.

I'm not sure it'd be wise to build MORE dorms by Southwest. There's already 5,500 students there and its density has long lead to the highest crime rate, arrests, police scrutiny, and negative press on campus. Don't get me wrong, Southwest is fun, I'm not saying tear it down, but it'd probably be better to build all of that infrastructure closer to the campus core.

Check FCS Alabama State’s place that MCKinney posted, about. http://bamastatesports.com/sports/2013/ ... h=football This place is exactly what we need.

[DrG]

I keep checking the construction procurement website weekly hoping to see some plans for anything at this point.

Hate to say it, my good friend, but don't hold your breath.

[UMass'96]

There's an interesting discussion going on at the 247 website regarding the IPF

https://247sports.com/college/massachus ... -115267116

The most I've heard on the matter of an IPF is that the school would like to break ground on the facility some time in 2019. I haven't heard what type of building it would be or anything other than a desired start date.

I just saw a photo of a plan (much like the photos that have been kicking around for a while for the planned upgrades to the football stadium) for what the complex could look like. I say complex because it appears that it would actually be two buildings, attached at the hip, one as the IPF and the other as a competitive track and field facility.

Just as with the pics of a new stadium plan, these are just mock ups and are not final until released by the school in an announcement of construction, which we have not had yet of course.

Looks like the school has partnered with Legacy Building Solutions (https://www.legacybuildingsolutions.com/), a company that specializes in fabric buildings, but again these are not bubbles. Legacy built the McFerrin Athletic Complex on the campus of Texas A&M in 2007 (http://12thman.com/sports/2015/3/23/GEN_2014010157.aspx)

[McKinney]

Personally, I am hoping for it to be built on the parking lots across from South West. A Patriot Place type area that brings new dorms, apartments, dining, shops, hotel, medical center. With all the athletic fields being in the area it could be the start of what eventually turns into an entire athletic complex. Gotta dream big.

I'm not sure it'd be wise to build MORE dorms by Southwest. There's already 5,500 students there and its density has long lead to the highest crime rate, arrests, police scrutiny, and negative press on campus. Don't get me wrong, Southwest is fun, I'm not saying tear it down, but it'd probably be better to build all of that infrastructure closer to the campus core.

Check FCS Alabama State’s place that MCKinney posted, about. http://bamastatesports.com/sports/2013/ ... h=football This place is exactly what we need.

It is a gorgeous facility, but being in New England (even in rural Pioneer Valley/Springfield suburbia) you can expect that stadium to cost $90M unless UMass Facilities has gotten really good at contract negotiation and project management... which given that the McGuirk "improvements" cost $36.8M, I don't think they have.

I really try to keep a balance between optimism and realism without being straight up pessimistic, but sometimes it feels like Massachusetts athletics has literally everything in the world working against it and terrible luck to boot.

[McKinney]

Before:
After:

Maybe it's "plagiarism" , but I think it kind of fits.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I keep checking the construction procurement website weekly hoping to see some plans for anything at this point.

Hate to say it, my good friend, but don't hold your breath.

I agree, but that does fly in the face of everything that the department has tweeted about in relation to this discussion. They've essentially stated multiple times that we should expect some sort of big announcement this off season. Frustrating.

[McKinney]

If we're gonna spend the effort Alabama State did on a stadium renovation, we might as well move the field south a few yards and make a full bowl.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

[sloves90_611]

If we're gonna spend the effort Alabama State did on a stadium renovation, we might as well move the field south a few yards and make a full bowl.

Was about to quote your original post and say the same thing. Sounds good to me.
Obviously they’d have to lower the field significantly as well.

[dennisdent]

There's an interesting discussion going on at the 247 website regarding the IPF

https://247sports.com/college/massachus ... -115267116

The most I've heard on the matter of an IPF is that the school would like to break ground on the facility some time in 2019. I haven't heard what type of building it would be or anything other than a desired start date.

I just saw a photo of a plan (much like the photos that have been kicking around for a while for the planned upgrades to the football stadium) for what the complex could look like. I say complex because it appears that it would actually be two buildings, attached at the hip, one as the IPF and the other as a competitive track and field facility.

Just as with the pics of a new stadium plan, these are just mock ups and are not final until released by the school in an announcement of construction, which we have not had yet of course.

Looks like the school has partnered with Legacy Building Solutions (https://www.legacybuildingsolutions.com/), a company that specializes in fabric buildings, but again these are not bubbles. Legacy built the McFerrin Athletic Complex on the campus of Texas A&M in 2007 (http://12thman.com/sports/2015/3/23/GEN_2014010157.aspx)

They actually believe my post on the indoor football facility! I wouldn't have posted it if it wasn't true...From my understanding, they are looking at spending 25-30 million on the indoor facility. This is all subject to change but as of today, this is the plan...

[McKinney]

They actually believe my post on the indoor football facility! I wouldn't have posted it if it wasn't true...From my understanding, they are looking at spending 25-30 million on the indoor facility. This is all subject to change but as of today, this is the plan...

Uhhhh what are you talking about? Who believed you? What post? I'm so confused.

[McKinney]

Obviously they’d have to lower the field significantly as well.

Probably so. But the good news is that I think this project could be done in phases. Although the entire stadium was Phase 1 for Alabama State, we could actually do a Phase 0. Put in the end zone seating and keep the current stands, and possibly demolish the half-sections 10 and 20 in the North. This would be a more affordable option, modernizes McGuirk to be ready for future expansion, and keeps the capacity to a manageable 20,000. The bad news is, if UMass were to take on Phase 0 will they commit to the rest of the phases, or is it best to just build something entirely new?

[dennisdent]

They actually believe my post on the indoor football facility! I wouldn't have posted it if it wasn't true...From my understanding, they are looking at spending 25-30 million on the indoor facility. This is all subject to change but as of today, this is the plan...

Uhhhh what are you talking about? Who believed you? What post? I'm so confused.

Here's my post about the hopefully good news: http://www.umasshoops.com/newboard/view ... start=1170