This is ultra nice.
When the renderings of DHS are released you will see some of these elements (notably down left and right field lines) included with permanent grandstands, premium seating areas with tables and congregating areas and a much more visible entry.
There's also an indoor practice facility design.
The plan doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it has plenty to keep DHS among the best in the country.
Now if only we can raise the money while also raising money for a football opps center, basketball lounge and golf course... and paying $10 million annual bond payment on the other $400-plus million in athletics facilities we've build since the 1990s.
Appreciate your passion for the topic. A couple of points I'd like to make:
1. nothing has been decided as we have to raise the money before we can decide to build anything. We are in the process of raising money for four projects -- baseball, golf, football and basketball -- and what we can build will be based on how much interest our donors show for these projects.
2. There have been significant leadership gifts made to the Nicklaus design golf course which is an integral part of the south Gateway project which is one of the most exciting ideas for Tallahassee and the FSU campus in years. There's enough money being donated to that project to where we are confident it will be funded soon. The basketball project has received enough in the way of contributions to where we feel good about it getting done soon too. While we are off to a good start with the football opps building, that's a MUCH bigger project than golf and basketball and baseball combined. As for baseball, we're fundraising for it as I type and we'll base any future decisions on interest as it will take a lot of private contributions to build it.
3. I appreciate your respect so let me clarify: The "eyes to the future" concept for Doak, if funded, would change only the interior metal structure of Doak -- hardly iconic -- and leave the brick classroom/office buildings around the stadium just as they are. So, we are NOT planning to tear the stadium down -- just the bleachers -- and rebuild them within the same iconic stadium.
4. While I think Howser is a great ballpark and will remain among the best, I share your vision for what a baseball stadium next to College Town could be. We are not tone deaf to that very obvious idea.
I have an article on my desk, open and highlighted, of Maritime Park in Pensacola, which was built from 2009-12 at a total cost of $53 million (including the ballpark, amphitheater, etc).
It happened because the City of Pensacola wanted to redevelop downtown and provided a Redevelopment Revenue Bond of $45.64 million to build it, so they paid for it.
The Studer family invested $17.5 million to bring minor league baseball to Pensacola including $3 million to build what was an $18 million ballpark at the time (much more now).
It was a very big idea -- involving a huge investment from a City that wanted to compete with Destin for tourism dollars, the Federal Government (New Market Tax Credits) and a minor league baseball owner.
The city was able to do it with government money and some private investment. A very small percentage of the money was donated.
Two notes: the Nicklaus Legacy Designed golf course is an important piece to academics in that it is an important piece of the Gateway District Project which would accomplish the following for FSU:
it creates a scenic "gateway" from the airport to the Capital which happens to also create a scenic south entrance to FSU's campus connecting large parcels of FSU land south of campus (Seminole Reservation, Golf Course, Nursery, Mag Lab, College of Engineering, Research Park, New Intramural Sports Complex, Morcom Aquatic Center, Indoor Tennis Facility, Alumni Village, etc.). The aesthetic and the connectivity are important to prospective faculty, students and companies thinking of investing in FSU research as well as to the general impression of our university to visitors.
I was surprised to learn that the Mag Lab has attracted companies providing more than 3,000 jobs to Tallahassee. The economic impact this past year was $500 million and with new companies moving people to Tallahassee to utilize the rare technology of the Mag Lab, the impact is expected to reach $1.3 billion in the next few years. So that side of campus is extremely important to FSU academically. The golf course is important because the City, who must make the investment, believes the golf course will accelerate economic growth and thus property and sales taxes in what is now a pretty blighted area to offset the cost of the investment in roads, drainage, lighting and sidewalks.
Here is what the TDO article says about the renovations to DHS:
1. New seats in the grandstands.
2. Updating the open-air suites along the first base side.
3. Improving the dugout suites.
4. Improved lighting.
5. Updating the concession stands.
6. Renovating the weight room and the Tradition Room, updating the dugouts and the clubhouse.
7. Renovating the concourses.
8. Beyond the left field wall, FSU is planning to build visitor locker room -- something that the stadium currently does not have -- and also planning to build out the ticket booth that is facing the softball stadium.
9. FSU plans to put in a hospitality area over the ticket booth that will overlook the stadium.
10. FSU also wants to add standing-room-only area along the right-field line and behind the screen. It will be built up so fans can stand behind the screen and watch the game from that area.
11. Underneath the standing-room-only area, FSU plans to build a facility that will serve as the Seminoles' bullpen on game day.
12. FSU will also build a separate facility behind the right field bleachers that will be used for infield drills and a batting cage.
1. Is a permanent grandstand down fist and third base lines just like you want with some premium seating, some chair back seating and some bench seating (see upcoming Unconquered for more). Either they wrote it wrong or you read it wrong but the plan -- if we can fund it -- is will remove the bleachers and replace with extended grandstand. And yes it does generate more revenue. 2. The proposal does dramatically change the exterior of DHS extending the entry to chieftain way, taking down the right field wall and incorporating gothic arches where pedestrians can see into the field and see the standing terrace above right field wall. So the project does address your priorities, as well as player needs. 3. Moving the roadway waa contemplated and considered. I don't know all the issues as I am not a principal in this project but I am sure it is more complicated than it would appear. Moving the Circus and the students is likely a thorny topic with student affairs as well. I'll ask before commenting. Hope this helps. I've written about the project- with rendering- for this Jnconquerd which will be printed and mailed later this week. While we can all dream up better options I'm excited about what I've seen and believe it will be larger capacity and have more revenue generating amenities and be closer to students, restraunts and entertainment and parking than what is being built down south.
I'm working off memory but I believe the baseball stadium renovations are about 17 1/2 million and there's also a proposal for a indoor practice facility that's a little over 6 million and that may add up to the 25 million that you referenced from Bernie The Florida stadium project does not include an indoor practice facility to my understanding. Again this is all about the availability of money. The Houser renovation project looks doable because it's modular. Once we raise $4.1 million for example we could choose to build the permanent grandstand down the left field line which would include a visitors locker room ticket office and premium seating amenities. Later, when more gifts are pledged and paid, we can do the right-field permanent grandstands etc. If we wait to do anything for baseball until we raise $50 million for baseball, while donors are choosing to donate their money for a football opps building, basketball or golf, it very well could take 10 or more years. And who knows what cost will be then? We may disagree on this but Howser is a great stadium in a great location -- albeit with the limitations you've noted -- but you do what you can do to make it a better facility with the resources you have. It may seem like doing nothing until you have the resources to do it all -- everything or nothing -- is a good option but not if you want to continue to attract Regionals and prospects. FSU Athletics has many pressing facility needs in addition to baseball to address and since our donors get to choose which facility they want to fund, there is competition among these projects for the donor dollar. These are the financial realities of privately funded collegiate athletics.
You are placing the value of an improvement to DHS above the Flying High Circus and the students who participate in those classes and performances and who knows what other group when you move the roadway.
Moving units is something you have to be sensitive to on a college campus. You have dialogue with campus planning, student affairs and the units involved (in the case the Circus) in hopes of finding a win-win like we were able to find with the University Center Complex and College Town.
It is not the first time we -- the Boosters and Athletics -- would be accused of trying to make the tail wag the dog; bending the campus to meet athletics want.
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