The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(09-23-2015 10:32 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  

(09-23-2015 09:45 AM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  All I will say is this, an OCS secures the future of UAB Football. Playing at the BJCC doesn't do that. No offense but those saying UAB will never have an OCS also said the football program would never be shutdown.

Just sayin'........

Actually, many of the people saying there won't be an OCS any time soon are the same people who started sounding the alarm about the program's end.

hmmmmm..... maybe there's a reason for that.

I know this is just a general conversation because the truth of the matter either UAB will be playing in an over sized old Legion Field or an over sized new Legacy Stadium. Either case it will be too big for UAB Football. The city will not risk losing the Magic City or limit themselves from potentially attracting bigger football games by building something that only can seat 40-45,000 people.

(09-23-2015 09:11 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  I know this is just a general conversation because the truth of the matter either UAB will be playing in an over sized old Legion Field or an over sized new Legacy Stadium. Either case it will be too big for UAB Football. The city will not risk losing the Magic City or limit themselves from potentially attracting bigger football games by building something that only can seat 40-45,000 people.

I don't know how reliable this is, since the site is not very well sourced. But according to Bhamwiki.com I guess there was a plan about 2007 for an 40K MPF. So the BJCC doesn't seem to have a problem with the size.

Quote:There are plans for a major expansion of the BJCC itself to increase and upgrade the exhibition facilities and construct a new covered multi-use stadium. Commitments to fund these plans were curtailed by political backlash against using public funds to construct a domed stadium. The 2006 election installed a Jefferson County Commission that promised not to support the full expansion plan. Accordingly the BJCC authority has begun shifting its priorities toward expanding convention space and developing an entertainment district without the multi-use stadium. After support for a smaller arena emerged, the board asked its consultants to project the costs and benefits of a 40,000 seat covered multi-use facility that could be configured for football.

Meeting in Salt Lake City in February 2007 the Civic Center board, including Birmingham mayor Bernard Kincaid and Jefferson County Commission president Bettye Fine Collins, voted unanimously to pursue a $505.5 million expansion which would include $380 million for a 40,000 seat arena which could be used to provide 175,000 square feet of exhibition space. Other projects included in the package of plans include $17 million for land purchases, $10.5 million for additional parking facilities, $10 for improvements to infrastructure, $6 million for upgrades to existing facades, $5 million for a new skywalk to the existing arena, $2 million for refurbishing of the existing arena, and $75 million to pay off current debts.

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/BJCC

Now that most of the votes are in, I will vote as well - for Option 1, but based on my previous posts on the subject, that's no surprise.

I agree with a number of posters who stated that we would be daft to turn down an opportunity to to play in a brand new facility tailor-made for our needs. Imagine Coach Clark and his coaching staff showing potential recruits the brand new football offices and training facilities on campus and then taking them for a short car ride to show them the sparkling new facilities and locker rooms where they will play their home games. With our coaching staff it will be a killer recruiting pitch.

Also I totally agreed with the point someone made that if we want someone other than UAB to put up the money so the stadium doesn't have to be approved by the BOT, the new BJCC stadium is, and will be, the only game in town. I also agree with someone else who wrote that since the BJCC Board is putting up the money to build that stadium, don't expect them to build it anywhere else but by the BJCC.

One other thing, don't expect white knights will ride up with $70 million in their saddle bags to contribute to UAB so we can start work immediately on a OCS. Ain't gonna happen. I just hopeful that we come up the the money to build the new football facilities that Coach Clark says he desperately needs to spark recruiting. You build very expensive facilities like an OCS by coming up with a sizable down payment and a solid plan to have stadium events pay off a loan over time.

Oh yea,... we already tried that....and we told that there wasn't enough interest in Blazer football to warrant that kind of investment. If we want an OCS someday we have to take the BOT's excuses away from them just as we did to return football.

We have to build up our crowds by saying goodbye to run down Legion Field as quickly as possible and play some place where people will enjoy the facilities almost as much as they enjoy the games, where families will bring their kids to not only enjoy Blazer football, but also to spend enjoyable Fall Saturdays. That's how we can build our fan base to the point that BOT can never say again that there isn't enough interest in UAB football. That's the only way we are ever going to get an OCS.

And I liked something else someone posted: "Don't let perfection be the enemy of the very good".

Leverage the Bham community and truly make UAB Birmingham's team.

If we can use the BJCC, we can eliminate all the City's internal politics and eliminate any BOT interference.

They can make locker rooms that are "customizable" for us on game day.

Make Birmingham great, make UAB greater because of that.

Everybody is getting in the boat and will row together. Let's get in the boat.

UAB is Birmingham's Team

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”

UAB football needs a bazillion dollar on campus stadium. UAB football also needs a bazillion dollars worth of practice facilities and upgrades. I think one is very possible...having both (right now) is quite a stretch.

To me, its like this. Let's say I've got some land and and 1 million dollars. I'd like to build a million dollar house (where I entertain quite a bit) and a million dollar workshop (which is where I run my day to day business, which ultimately gives me the luxury to entertain quite a bit).
If somebody comes along and says, "hey, why don't you build one of the structures on your land...we're going to build the other about 3 miles away and let you use it whenever you need"...what are the chances that I'm going to tell them to F-off? While it wouldn't be ideal, I'd take it and like it

I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

I still like THE ocs BETTER but I will not complaint with a stadium cater for UAB CLOSE to BJCC

I want a streetcar named Desire.

(09-23-2015 09:39 AM)the Dragon Wrote:  

(09-23-2015 08:18 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  The question is what you prefer, not what the realistic option is.

The choices were a new off campus stadium in 2-3 years or WAIT for an on campus stadium, however long it takes.

Minor detail. Let's just make up our own questions and answer them.

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

+1

I would much rather park on campus and take a 5 minute trolley ride to the game.

(09-24-2015 04:45 PM)UABGrad Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

+1
I would much rather park on campus and take a 5 minute trolley ride to the game.

There is now huge new parking lot adjacent to the BJCC and the new stadium will come with its own parking. Plenty of space to tailgate if you want to be outside and fix your own food. I'm going to tailgate in front of big screen in one of the restaurants.

(09-24-2015 10:18 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 04:45 PM)UABGrad Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

+1
I would much rather park on campus and take a 5 minute trolley ride to the game.

There is now huge new parking lot adjacent to the BJCC and the new stadium will come with its own parking. Plenty of space to tailgate if you want to be outside and fix your own food. I'm going to tailgate in front of big screen in one of the restaurants.

You know what goes good with beer? A flight of bacon. From Bottle and Bone. I can live with this.

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

if done students with a valid uab id should be allowed to ride for free on game day.

(09-25-2015 03:48 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

if done students with a valid uab id should be allowed to ride for free on game day.

The city needs to figure out how to make a downtown circulator free for everyone all the time, anyway.

(09-24-2015 08:44 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(09-23-2015 09:39 AM)the Dragon Wrote:  

(09-23-2015 08:18 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  The question is what you prefer, not what the realistic option is.

The choices were a new off campus stadium in 2-3 years or WAIT for an on campus stadium, however long it takes.

Minor detail. Let's just make up our own questions and answer them.

Major detail, and I didn't ask this question.

(09-25-2015 07:58 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 03:48 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

if done students with a valid uab id should be allowed to ride for free on game day.

The city needs to figure out how to make a downtown circulator free for everyone all the time, anyway.

Chattanooga does that. Only problem is that the buses always have homeless people escaping the heat in the summer and the cold n the winter. Charging a small fee keeps the homeless off the buses. I'd rather them sell transit passes help cover the cost of the drivers. You can always offer free rides during special events

(09-25-2015 08:25 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 07:58 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 03:48 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

if done students with a valid uab id should be allowed to ride for free on game day.

The city needs to figure out how to make a downtown circulator free for everyone all the time, anyway.

Chattanooga does that. Only problem is that the buses always have homeless people escaping the heat in the summer and the cold n the winter. Charging a small fee keeps the homeless off the buses. I'd rather them sell transit passes help cover the cost of the drivers. You can always offer free rides during special events

Yeah, I hate the homeless too. Those non-people have no right to use any services that we do.

(09-25-2015 08:47 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 08:25 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 07:58 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(09-25-2015 03:48 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 07:12 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I would like to see a streetcar loop (not diesel buses done up to look like streetcars, but streetcars on tracks). They can be built for about $3-4 million per mile, cars included (that's for a tram-style streetcar; full-on light rail is far more expensive). Connect UAB, Five Points, Railroad Park and Uptown/Stadium for about $20 million and get their growth multiplied together.

And we need to acknowledge that "entertainment" includes "heavy drinking." Students need to be able to get back to campus from the stadium safely.

if done students with a valid uab id should be allowed to ride for free on game day.

The city needs to figure out how to make a downtown circulator free for everyone all the time, anyway.

Chattanooga does that. Only problem is that the buses always have homeless people escaping the heat in the summer and the cold n the winter. Charging a small fee keeps the homeless off the buses. I'd rather them sell transit passes help cover the cost of the drivers. You can always offer free rides during special events

Yeah, I hate the homeless too. Those non-people have no right to use any services that we do.

They have every right to buy a transit pass and use the trolleys. the simple fact is having four or five homeless guys smelling of cigarettes and BO asking other riders for money does not encourage people to use the trolley.