For the past decade it has been a growing concern of many fans and Bartow himself as to why ETSU has not built a new basketball arena for the program. There are a variety of new complexes being built or already built for other sports programs such as baseball, softball, soccer, and future projects include tennis, and track & field.
http://www.etsubucs.com/facilities/default/
I know that the budget is probably the main reason or should I say scapegoat for not constructing a basketball arena. However, I was pondering last night about what could be done if the City of Johnson City and ETSU would finally work together on something and consider remodeling Freedom Hall. Now I don't know how much it would cost to perform the renovations to Freedom Hall, but it seems that it would easily cost less than building a new arena.
I do know the city was hoping the Johnson City Cardinals could play ball at the new ETSU baseball park to avoid renovating Cardinal Park but ETSU would not allow it. I don't understand why ETSU and the city could not work out a deal where the Johnson City Cardinals can play at the new baseball complex, and in exchange, the basketball program could play their regular season games at Freedom Hall. The Cardinals season does not conflict with ETSU's baseball schedule.
It seems like an even agreement to me, however, I'm sure there is more to it than that. What are your all's thoughts on this proposal?
You'd always want to play on campus if possible and practical.
In my way of thinking, Freedom Hall might be the most obsolete venue in town.
Practical yes, however, it would take much longer to build a new arena, maybe 5-10 years. I feel the renovations could take a year at most.
Completely agree on Freedom hall being obsolete. Johnson City could have used it for so much more than what it has been. I do believe it could make a great basketball arena considering its structure and setup of center court.
However, the very fact that Freedom was built in 1974 and the dome in 1977 tells me the divide between ETSU and JC was alive back then. In hindsight, the construction of both these venues instead of one arena for all makes no sense.
The problem with Freedom is it's isolated. No restaurants, gas stations, stores, etc. are close. Combine the fact it isn't the right size for concert promoters, hockey, indoor football etc. makes me want to tear the place down.
Wow, I didn't realize it was that old. I swear the disconnect between the university and the city irritates the s**t out of me.
I know this has been discussed many times before, but no harm in bumping the topic back up to the top. I am sure if done right Freedom Hall could be a decent arena. But the most biggest problem is that it is off campus, and a decent way from campus. Hell we can't get students to walk from their dorm rooms to the dome, much less ask them to get into a car a drive to a game.
(01-25-2012 12:56 PM)Buced_Up Wrote: [ -> ]Practical yes, however, it would take much longer to build a new arena, maybe 5-10 years. I feel the renovations could take a year at most.
It doesn't take 5-10 years to build anything, much less a much needed arena for both the school and the city.
You`d be surprised how quickly things can get done with vision, leadership, and more importantly......... actually securing fund raising and sponsorship opportunities.
There are so many possible areas of cooperation between the city and the university. The performing arts center is another possibility. I never understood the Millenium Centre deal. I thought that it was losing money (maybe I'm wrong) and it seemed the University and VA could work together to make it work. If we get to talking seriously about a football stadium I could see it being a joint project with the City/School District...but I suspect any such discussion is a way down the road.
(01-25-2012 02:32 PM)buc-wild Wrote: [ -> ]There are so many possible areas of cooperation between the city and the university. The performing arts center is another possibility. I never understood the Millenium Centre deal. I thought that it was losing money (maybe I'm wrong) and it seemed the University and VA could work together to make it work. If we get to talking seriously about a football stadium I could see it being a joint project with the City/School District...but I suspect any such discussion is a way down the road.
I believe both the new arena and football stadium could both be used for regional use. Put them right on campus for the Bucs but area high schools could use them for special occasions. Football stadium for the Musket Bowl, high school play-offs, high school band camps, etc. The arena for Buc basketball but also as an entertainment venue for the region. The same goes for the performing arts center. There is so much potential right now and I do believe Dr. Noland will begin to address these issues.
(01-25-2012 02:18 PM)BucNut22 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 12:56 PM)Buced_Up Wrote: [ -> ]Practical yes, however, it would take much longer to build a new arena, maybe 5-10 years. I feel the renovations could take a year at most.
It doesn't take 5-10 years to build anything, much less a much needed arena for both the school and the city.
You`d be surprised how quickly things can get done with vision, leadership, and more importantly......... actually securing fund raising and sponsorship opportunities.
didnt it take the much lauded bank of kentucky center 10 years?
"Northern Kentucky University received legislative approval in 1998 to study the feasibility of constructing a Center (arena) on its campus. The feasibility study affirmed the need for the Center."
"September 24, 2008, The Bank of Kentucky Center opened its doors to the entire greater Cincinnati / Tri-State Community as the NEWEST Entertainment Destination."
i know the actual construction is a couple years, but etsu is a state institution and has to follow process.
(01-25-2012 03:18 PM)slappywhite Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 02:18 PM)BucNut22 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 12:56 PM)Buced_Up Wrote: [ -> ]Practical yes, however, it would take much longer to build a new arena, maybe 5-10 years. I feel the renovations could take a year at most.
It doesn't take 5-10 years to build anything, much less a much needed arena for both the school and the city.
You`d be surprised how quickly things can get done with vision, leadership, and more importantly......... actually securing fund raising and sponsorship opportunities.
didnt it take the much lauded bank of kentucky center 10 years?
"Northern Kentucky University received legislative approval in 1998 to study the feasibility of constructing a Center (arena) on its campus. The feasibility study affirmed the need for the Center."
"September 24, 2008, The Bank of Kentucky Center opened its doors to the entire greater Cincinnati / Tri-State Community as the NEWEST Entertainment Destination."
i know the actual construction is a couple years, but etsu is a state institution and has to follow process.
You count the feasibility study as the start date? If that's the case it means ETSU football was restarted in 2006-2007 and I missed the party.
(01-25-2012 04:24 PM)BucNut22 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 03:18 PM)slappywhite Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 02:18 PM)BucNut22 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2012 12:56 PM)Buced_Up Wrote: [ -> ]Practical yes, however, it would take much longer to build a new arena, maybe 5-10 years. I feel the renovations could take a year at most.
It doesn't take 5-10 years to build anything, much less a much needed arena for both the school and the city.
You`d be surprised how quickly things can get done with vision, leadership, and more importantly......... actually securing fund raising and sponsorship opportunities.
didnt it take the much lauded bank of kentucky center 10 years?
"Northern Kentucky University received legislative approval in 1998 to study the feasibility of constructing a Center (arena) on its campus. The feasibility study affirmed the need for the Center."
"September 24, 2008, The Bank of Kentucky Center opened its doors to the entire greater Cincinnati / Tri-State Community as the NEWEST Entertainment Destination."
i know the actual construction is a couple years, but etsu is a state institution and has to follow process.
You count the feasibility study as the start date? If that's the case it means ETSU football was restarted in 2006-2007 and I missed the party.
thats off thier site, not mine. feasibilty to build --to-- completion = 10 years
you could use that logic with football i suppose...
This is the cynic in me coming out and will go against some advice I have a while back. Things may be very different now then they were while I was still active in the JC C of C and a couple of the city boards but it always appeared to me that the City's only interest in ETSU was how to get as much out of the institution and the students as possible. For example, for 10 years I listened to discussions about how can we attract students to downtown businesses and how can we get various ETSU programs to rent space, pay for buildings in the MedTech Corridor (an oxymoron if ever I heard one), etc. One last rant. When talking about the "City" I wonder if anyone really thinks about who the "City" is? For me it was always the city manager and his senior staff. That was true from Charlie Tyson through John Campbell to Pete Peterson. City Commissioners come and go, but the staff are the "City" IMHO when capital projects are discussed.
(01-25-2012 06:32 PM)OldGrayDog Wrote: [ -> ]This is the cynic in me coming out and will go against some advice I have a while back. Things may be very different now then they were while I was still active in the JC C of C and a couple of the city boards but it always appeared to me that the City's only interest in ETSU was how to get as much out of the institution and the students as possible. For example, for 10 years I listened to discussions about how can we attract students to downtown businesses and how can we get various ETSU programs to rent space, pay for buildings in the MedTech Corridor (an oxymoron if ever I heard one), etc. One last rant. When talking about the "City" I wonder if anyone really thinks about who the "City" is? For me it was always the city manager and his senior staff. That was true from Charlie Tyson through John Campbell to Pete Peterson. City Commissioners come and go, but the staff are the "City" IMHO when capital projects are discussed.
etsu admin gets alot of heat on this board for not collaborating more with the city. but, no one ever mentions the city and thier resistance to cooperate. i know for a fact that this is the case, but nobody wants to hear that. part of the baseball field and cardinals division is the city's doing. this is just a bit of payback for how crappy the city has treated etsu in the past. but everyone jumps on etsu for not doing this or that to accomodate te city. the door swings both ways and etsu should let swing and be &#@%$ who is knocked over...imo. then after the dust settles see if they are more inclined to cooperate.
Yes, good points. We must remember "the city" has it's hands full with other issues that "they" see as more pressing and more directly in line with the business of being a city. Look how long it took to figure out where to have the Senior Citizen's/Community Center: YEARS! - and lots of them - and AT LEAST 3 changes of mind on location (with scads of acrimony to boot). Look at how long it's taken "them" to really have a realistic, workable(?) plan to deal with the flooding in parts of downtown: DECADES! - and lots of them.
ETSU, despite it's slothfulness sometimes, can act more quickly once a decision has been made (big "IF").
Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't partner; in fact I strongly think we should. But that's about as easy, as the saying goes, as herding cats.
A joint athletic/performance venue for Johnson City is probably about item #314 on JC's priority list. On ETSU's list, it might be about #5, just as a wild guess. (Remember, a performing arts center is #1 or #2, but that doesn't include hoops or big concerts.) For this to have a real chance of being done on a joint basis, either a) a big donor would have to get behind it, and/or b) there would have to be some joint "committee" (like the PBA, but probably *not* the PBA) formed of city leaders and ETSU administrators formed to sort it all out. I think that's exceedingly unlikely to happen anytime soon. Pete Peterson would have to push it, and he hasn't indicated any such inclination.
I've always wondered why JC isn't more of a college town. There are countless examples of cities about this size with schools about this size that are much more so. Reading this thread, I guess the relationship between ETSU and the city may have a lot to do with it.
(01-25-2012 10:45 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote: [ -> ]Good point Slap & Dog.
that being said...it does not excuse etsu and the city for not having a better working relationship. this issue HAS to be fixed for both to move forward and share success.
But let's not criticize former city councilpeople who would insult our intelligence by telling us otherwise. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
One thought. Why would a new arena not be priority No. 1 for both Johnson City and ETSU? What is more pressing?
Performing arts center? So you're going to have 500 people going to events- maybe- trying to pretend Johnson City, Tennessee is a culture hotspot by night after teaching Appalachian studies by day.
Seniors center? Let the nursing homes hold the shuffleboard tournaments!
But what would truly make the area more cosmopolitan? What would truly create attention? What would get people from all over coming into town to spend money at our struggling restaurants and hotels?
A NEW ARENA!!!!!!
And the fact that ETSU and Johnson City can't see that is yet another reason why . . . .
Anyone want to complete my sentence for me? I know you know where I'm going with this.