Hobbs spoke briefly at tonight’s Cages Club meeting. Said steel being delivered to site in early March, topping off ceremony in May
Practice facility
- Thread starter hoquat63
- Start date
If is ever happens, it is years and years away.
1. RWJB Practice facility for Hoops, Wrestling and Gymnastics
2. Academic/Lacrosse/Soccer center
3. Turning the Hale Center into a 100% Football facility. New locker rooms, etc.
4. Baseball, Softball, Field Hockey, Track and Field facilities.
Maybe but it doesn't mean they can't complete more than one of those projects at a time.
For that kind of money, they may actually have to prepare them so that they're edible.
I think about this every time I’m in the RAC. I look at it in two phases. Here is what I would do given the financial constraints. Phase 1 - with all the offices and practice facilities moved out of the RAC they can add permanent seating where all the folding seats are. So behind both baskets there could be club/ premium seating and on the lower sidelines there could be more premium options. There could be a large premium club behind the basket where the current entrance is. Enclose the entire space as much as possible with wrap around seating. It would potentially add around 1,000 seats, which is fine. Phase 2 - create the atrium that Perneti envisioned with real concessions and a proper space for people to walk in. Phase 1 would pay for itself within 5-10 years and phase 2 would be a more long term upgrade.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
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When is the facility set to open up? For some reason I thought it was July 2019 but with the progress being made maybe its july 2018?
This is New Jersey, nothing gets completed a year ahead of schedule.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
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Oh if anything i think itll be a year late but correct me if im wrong this is set to be complete in July ‘19 right?
There is no point in expanding the RAC when it rarely sells out and probably averages under 5000 in attendance per game.
Look at Penn State: they built an arena for 15000 and attendance is so poor that they have closed the upper sections with enormous curtains. It would be a phenomenal waste of money to expand the RAC when the product is so poor. Maybe someday when Rutgers has a great team and the place sells out regularly, it will be a realistic option.
Nope. Phase 1 would be to blow out the back wall where the student section is and do the same across the court where the lobby is and build seating similar to what is currently on the sidelines. (We don't need the sloping ceilings on the ends of the arena) Have a concourse that goes all the way around the arena. The areas where the press boxes are would be turned into premium club seating around the entire arena. More concessions and restrooms would be made along the concourse. Phase 2 would be just as you stated.
IIRC June 2019 was the initial date. A few months ago in an interview Hobbs was asked “is June 2019 still the target” and he said “2019 is still the target”. Now that was was when momentum was dragging and there was not much activity on the construction site if any. That comment from Hobbs is from from July.
Doesn't have to be a large expansion maybe 2k to make the arena 10k, luxury seating. I'm more interested in creating a legitimate entrance/concourse and make it better looking than the hidious concrete trapezoid.
No timeline for the Academic/Lacrosse/Soccer facility, just a groundbreaking ceremony in the summer per Keith Sargeant's NJ.com article:
"Because the building remains in the designing phase, Hobbs is uncertain of how much it will ultimately cost to build. There isn't a timeline, either, but he hopes to unveil full-construction documents and host a groundbreaking ceremony in early summer."
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...and_barbara_rodkin_do.html#incart_river_index
I prefer option 2 because it provides a positive visual appeal to the RAC on the outside while providing walking space,additional rest rooms food courts and other amenities inside.DependIing on the project drawings additional seating should be incorporated into plan designs as immediate or phased in over 5-7 year time period.
Bottom line is that the RAC needs a big time face lift to blend in with the new practice facility construction.Fans are going to the RAC not the practice facility and there needs to be a arena that can handle 8-10 thousand people in a appealing/pleasant manner to match other B1G schools.
It will still be well underway while the practice facility (#1) is being built. Zero reason for it not to be the funds are “in.”
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