McGuirk Upgrade

[TruBluMaroon]

I'm still happy they're doing something to pretty up the place. It is lipstick on a pig, and it's not cheap. But it's something obvious that needed to be done. Let's plant some grass and trees, and make the place lit well, green, and a nice place to walk around. Great. I think the facade refresh actually fits the mid-century modern look better than I expected.

But let's not pretend this is a "vision". I'm somewhat confused why it's being presented in "3 Phases". And ultimately it just feels like relatively minor (and to some degree required) site-improvement. This is the full thing? This feels like a Phase 1.

Yet again, it feels like we’re being asked to lower our expectations for what UMass football can be.

Also, UMass might want to consult their official colors now being Maroon & Black before they paint it white and hang 200 white panels up.

An elitist view……how we considered how the pig views it….lol

[McKinney]

I just want to know if their vision for concessions includes 10-12 food trucks scattered around the stadium, why can't we do that now. Does that require the lipstick?

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I just want to know if their vision for concessions includes 10-12 food trucks scattered around the stadium, why can't we do that now. Does that require the lipstick?

No, and the gravel is probably better for that situation anyways.

[LS71]

I just want to know if their vision for concessions includes 10-12 food trucks scattered around the stadium, why can't we do that now. Does that require the lipstick?

No, and the gravel is probably better for that situation anyways.

Gravel sucks for people on crutches or in wheelchairs.

[McKinney]

I’ve always had a soft spot for mid-century modern architecture, so revisiting McGuirk’s background changed how I looked at this.

McGuirk is a SOM building from the early 1960s, and it reflects that era’s thinking clearly: expressive concrete, strong horizontality, and a stadium conceived as a freestanding object rather than knitted more into campus (although I guess Southwest was built around the same time or shortly after).

I don’t know if this is explicitly what they’re going for here, but seen through this lens the refresh makes more sense to me than I initially reacted to it a few days ago.

The sort of sculptural work with the facade and the "park" feel of the landscaping and pedestrian space feels consistent with mid-century modern principles: clarity of form, structure doing the visual work, and the influence of Le Corbusier’s idea of buildings as free objects in a park, shaped by landscape rather than enclosed by it.

McGuirk already sits this way, and this update reads like a continuation of that logic.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I just want to know if their vision for concessions includes 10-12 food trucks scattered around the stadium, why can't we do that now. Does that require the lipstick?

No, and the gravel is probably better for that situation anyways.

Gravel sucks for people on crutches or in wheelchairs.

No shit, sherlock.

[Quann]

Those drawings have to be a joke. I wouldn’t waste one penny on anything in those sketches. Are they ever going to be adults about this stadium or just keep dicking around?

[minutefanjsf]

Those drawings have to be a joke. I wouldn’t waste one penny on anything in those sketches. Are they ever going to be adults about this stadium or just keep dicking around?

They are legit drawings and not chat gpt/AI. I was wrong. Apparently these are the type of things architects produce as rough sketches. From my understanding, Bamford had many more and much better to choose from and he chose the worst to share.

[Quann]

Any updates in the real world on a McGuirk project besides Bamford's sweet renderings?

[Steve81]

Except the Capital Planning, don't know were to look. The current planning document is the same as it's the same report from September 25, 2025.
https://www.umassp.edu/budget-office/re ... l-planning

[harbo]

I cannot find anything anywhere on line about tangible changes/improvements to McGuirk, the surrounding area, and spectator amenities. Are there improvements being made to issues like parking and tailgating that were problematic last season? With August games, I would expect that about 120 days is a fairly short-term timeframe to work out any potential bugaboos.

Have the fans ben involved in identifying potential pitfalls? Our local high school has worked well with the fans over the past several decades. Helps to have a successful program, but the administration has been proactive to issues that come to light. Go Warriors!!

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I cannot find anything anywhere on line about tangible changes/improvements to McGuirk, the surrounding area, and spectator amenities. Are there improvements being made to issues like parking and tailgating that were problematic last season? With August games, I would expect that about 120 days is a fairly short-term timeframe to work out any potential bugaboos.

Have the fans ben involved in identifying potential pitfalls? Our local high school has worked well with the fans over the past several decades. Helps to have a successful program, but the administration has been proactive to issues that come to light. Go Warriors!!

I had thought they had done some paving based on a tweet from last month, but it turned out that was an area that was already done.

I do not recall any outreach with a survey or solicitation of input. They do post-game surveys to STHs and anyone that enters an email when they buy tickets, but that's it.

[minutefanjsf]

I cannot find anything anywhere on line about tangible changes/improvements to McGuirk, the surrounding area, and spectator amenities. Are there improvements being made to issues like parking and tailgating that were problematic last season? With August games, I would expect that about 120 days is a fairly short-term timeframe to work out any potential bugaboos.

Have the fans ben involved in identifying potential pitfalls? Our local high school has worked well with the fans over the past several decades. Helps to have a successful program, but the administration has been proactive to issues that come to light. Go Warriors!!

I had thought they had done some paving based on a tweet from last month, but it turned out that was an area that was already done.

I do not recall any outreach with a survey or solicitation of input. They do post-game surveys to STHs and anyone that enters an email when they buy tickets, but that's it.

The STH renewal says they are changing traffic patterns and splitting lot 22 and 33. The collegian article says there will be railings in the entire stadium, instead of just home middle sections, PA and video banners/boards. All that will be 8 million for the start of the season. Not much, IMO.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

The STH renewal says they are changing traffic patterns and splitting lot 22 and 33. The collegian article says there will be railings in the entire stadium, instead of just home middle sections, PA and video banners/boards. All that will be 8 million for the start of the season. Not much, IMO.

Missed the Collegian article, thanks for the heads up!

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Posted in the General Forum as well in the Master Plan thread, but worth putting here as well:


Not a Master Plan update, but some movement here on Campus Housing changes. Might be worth keeping an eye on related to McGuirk as well...

https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/ha ... s-housing/