A complex housing a fine arts center and basketball complex sounds appealing.

(04-09-2015 09:47 AM)squeak Wrote:  A complex housing a fine arts center and basketball complex sounds appealing.

Now something like THIS....similar to what Knoxville has with the Civic Coliseum/Auditorium can be discussed reasonably and rationally. Not the aforementioned "theater with a basketball court on the stage".

A modern-day Knoxville Civic Coliseum -- with attached parking garage -- would be a PHENOMENAL addition to downtown.

(04-09-2015 07:39 AM)queenladybug817 Wrote:  

(04-08-2015 10:29 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(04-05-2015 07:48 PM)squeak Wrote:  This thread is crazy, this thread is stupid, this thread is ongoing, and I started it for all the Freedom Hall naysayers. After the upgrades, that's where we need to be, that's where we need to stay.

The upgrades to Freedom will buy ETSU/JC about 10-15 years max. They let the building rot too much and honestly it would be asinine to dump the kind of money into it that it would take to make it a modern marvel. Do some House Hunters renovations to it that make it somewhat aesthetically pleasing, while planning a new venue. Those apartments falling through is a great thing for ETSU and JC. It's time to snag that land up and start planning it, as it will take that long to raise the kind of jack it'll take to build what ETSU and the city both needs.
As for the theatre thing, that's simply ridiculous, though the Curb Center is multi-use and has a basketball venue along with a performing arts center down the hall from it.
Right now the focus has got to be getting the seats and sound fixed at Freedom Hall, and somehow getting people closer to the floor. I know the spin is there are more seats at Freedom Hall closer than there are at the dome, but it would be awesome to somehow see the endzone seats brought floor level. Students on both ends with the pep band even with just the lower bowl full would create a pretty tough venue to play in.

I actually think the "bones" of Freedom Hall could still allow it to be updated enough to be viable for more than 10-15 years. However, with that said, the location limits it in more ways than I like to see. Most civic arenas are close to at a minimum a downtown walking area or business district. I know when I attend conventions, tournaments or other large events like that, I like to be able to park and then explore a little more of the area nearby. If JC wants to have a civic center that brings in events similar even to the one in Asheville, it has GOT to be in a better location. (And honestly, I didn't think the actual look of Asheville's arena was better than Freedom Hall. It had a nicer concessions area and more of them, but it's actually a little rundown overall too.)

I also like the General Mills area for an arena of this type for Johnson City. It's close enough to downtown for people to walk and downtown is getting back a lot of charm. It's also much closer to ETSU. I'm not only thinking for basketball, but bringing in concerts or other events that would draw students, as well as the local community/region. The only drawback is that most of the hotels in JC are located up on the northern side of town.

Build a hotel or two. If you attach a convention center to it, someone will agree to build. Maybe go after a full service Hilton property. I've said all along they should look to something that's 8500 in the round that can expand out to 12000 for a center stage concert. That's enough to attract Frozen on Ice, Monster Jam, Transsiberian Orchestra, and a whole bunch of bands/musicians that could fill that. It would most likely get a true Monday Night Raw or Smackdown, which I guarantee would sell out there. It would cause a revitalization of West Walnut, almost creating a lower Broadway type atmosphere. They could put a theatre with it to go with convention halls, and it would be successful.
What I do know is something needs to be done sooner rather than later, and I'm sure when it happens folks will be complaining the entire time.

I'm sure the 'neighborhood association' (or whatever it is) would whine and file injunctions the entire time. Anything to stand in the way of progress. I can't comprehend wanting to keep that dilapidated, eyesore mill there. They were on the news toasting the fall-through of the development deal the other night. Wonder if they would like the mill as much if parts of it collapsed and fell into their living rooms?

Those people are largely idiots...