The shopping center is owned by Mitch Cox Companies. The location makes it prime real estate but it would be especially valuable to the university. If some plan could be worked out to provide a new location for the other shopping center tenants it could happen. Probably not big enough for an arena but could help create space for a track facility.

To build an arena there, you would need the shopping center, Bojangles, the car shop, and Knights Pizza. Would love to see it happen but the university doesn't have that kind of money and the developers don't have the incentive to sell.

And $60 million dollars. Don’t forget that!!

(02-03-2020 10:26 PM)Etsuwins Wrote:  And $60 million dollars. Don’t forget that!!

Or become a private school!!!

(02-03-2020 10:14 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  To build an arena there, you would need the shopping center, Bojangles, the car shop, and Knights Pizza. Would love to see it happen but the university doesn't have that kind of money and the developers don't have the incentive to sell.

I think you would only need the shopping center land to get it done. The other pieces are small and could stay.

It doesnt matter though. I have resigned myself to knowing there wont be a new arena in my lifetime and im not really that old.

I'm curious what it would take to use drop-down screens over the center speakers and use projection as a scoreboard for all four sides. Has anyone seen a setup like that? It seems feasible, uncomplicated, and relatively inexpensive. I know someone is listening since two years ago I suggested we project the ''E'' onto Freedom Hall and low and behold, someone acted on it.

Retractable screens and projectors don't present a clear image. Lipscomb used to use one for theirs and it looked awful. Freedom Hall will always be limited because of the roof line, and the configuration of the round itself. There's just not a viable solution there short of gutting it and starting over, and neither the city nor the university is going to pay for that.
It's a damn shame Steve Johnson's first wife wasn't from Johnson City instead of Bristol, Va...

I know we've known that this area was very unlikely for a new arena , but here's yet another reason why not:

new scaled-down Pizza Hut coming to where PRD's used to be

They closed down the store at Kroger's, and now opening this one. Likely a different owner/franchisee. The reason the one at Kroger's, and other area ones closed was the owner of them went bankrupt. I think.

I know we discussed that particular site somewhere (moderately recently), but I can't seem to find it. Someone specifically asked who owned that site, or what was there now.

I would just settle for slow-mo replays on the big board at Freedom Hall.

(12-17-2021 07:03 AM)squeak Wrote:  I would just settle for slow-mo replays on the big board at Freedom Hall.

They used to do that didn't they? Maybe my memory is bad, but I seem to remember those. I loved the crowd reaction when they slo-moed a block-charge call against the Bucs; there's probably about 4 people in the crowd that knows the proper call, but 3,000 or so screams that it was a "bad call." (By the way, I'm in the 3,000 camp). I seem to remember spots for "dunk of the game" or "defensive play of the game" that got some crowd reaction, too.