$206 vs. $900? Come on, JoeStag, something is wrong here. Ancillary costs? We can't write-off this difference to ancillary costs.
Btw, the current location of the Rec Plex and Alumni Hall are fine. Could you imagine integrating the architecture of the Prep buildings into the Rec Plex and Alumni Hall? We would have one of the most impressive entrances to campus until you reached the Kelly Center! Ha.
Does anyone have more extensive pictures of the recent renovation plans?
Stagmania: with all due respect, have you followed these postings? I, along with others, are questioning the practicality of doing the RecPlex and Alumni Hall separately. My stance has always been that making it one project would , in the long run, save the University money. I'm not suggesting that Fairfield emulate Queens University, as I had never heard of it until I googled "Student Wellness Cebter/Arena". Its simply shows that the University needs to be more open with their thinking. Are you comfortable with Alumni Hall being one of the first structures visitors see when they visit the Campus? Are you comfortable with the fact that guided tours bypass it? This is about vision, and I think those "in power" lack it. By the way, this board is for voicing opinions. One doesn't have to buy access.
Sobro: you have a lot of god posts, insights and opinions. i respect your views.
Yes i have followed the posts, but not for long. And I have followed with great interest what they are trying to accomplish at Fairfield. Yes it would be nice to do both. We don't have the money to do both at this time given the list of priorities.
That is the issue, priorities with scarce capital.
The powers that be are focused most on endowment, financial stability, academics and attracting the best students they can. That includes essential investment in facilities like the dorms and the recplex. We don't even have enough in this campaign to make much needed improvements to the nursing and business schools. Those things will also happen before alumni hall.
You can disagree. there is no right or wrong but lots of work has been done by well meaning people. So to continually slam people for vision, etc. is somewhat naive IMO.
I find it hard to believe that the consultants, the administration, the trustees and the major donors have studied these issues and alternatives and come to a visionless, foolish decision? i would love a new gym on campus, or to redo AH. Maybe we should scrap the other things and do that first, but some informed people in power disagree.
What are nice gyms doing for monmouth, quinnipiac, queens, etc, etc (the list of average at best schools with nice gyms goes on and on)? Putting them in debt, and not improving their student body. Our kids are in another league by any measure.
As general rule you can assume an arena in the Northeast will cost about $10,000 per seat. The Webster Bank Arena was originally built for about $55 million or about $80 million in today's dollars. The cost will vary depending on site costs, union rules, interest, and the amenities, restaurants, private clubs, suites, etc. RIT in Rochester is currently building a 4200 seat multipurpose arena for under $40 million. An expansion of Alumni Hall would be very difficult because of the nature of the structure and it's current width. I think you might be able to extend the building out the back and then recenter the court but that will put all the new seats at the end of the court. It would also probably trigger a host of new code requirements which would cause you to lose a number of the seats you already have. Most of the capacity numbers for "gyms" in the MAAC are wildly overstated. The rule often used now is one seat for every two feet of stands, so if you use 110 feet for the side of your court that's 55 seats per row. In a conventional gym it is rare for end court seats to number more than about 35-40 per row. Hope this helps answer some of your questions.
Post by ctghostman on Apr 20, 2014 10:19:24 GMT -5
Stagmania - I think the visions of our leadership is misguided. Generally, I view them to be tunneled visioned academics. I think there are bigger thinkers out there-Leahy from QU is one of them. Our trustees mostly hands off - their goals seem to be to keep FU from screwing up rather than moving us forward. Examples of all of this are many and are commented on though out this board. If this group was visionary, a large capital campaign would have been launched 2 or so years in to its reign rather than 10 plus. Alumni Hall is not well maintained, not up to division one standards, and is well past it's prime. It is too centrally located not to be addressed. A modern facility does a lot for FU-chief among them is it gets people back to campus-hopefully feeling pretty good about FU. That brings in more money and exposure for a lot of other good things at FU.
Last Edit: Apr 20, 2014 10:50:01 GMT -5 by ctghostman
Sobro, FU, Broken boat, Tmaac. I can't hear you. I'm here to match your gifts to improve AH when we do the Recplex. And to sit down with you and the Pres, Reed, Lawlor and Chair of trustees to discuss vision. I'll set it up.
stagmania, As a new member here, I don't know how long you have been following the AH discussions and our alumni opinions. This has been ongoing for years on this board and on the former Stag discussion boards. I'm not sure what your reasons are for grandstanding ("I can't hear you, I'm here to match your gifts, I'll set it up"...). Unless your Rec Plex/AH posting is about you and your ability to "match" a Meditz, Lessing, Dolan, Quick, Egan or Rafferty donation amount then you know fully well that four alumni that you have called out are not able even combined to donate the millions of dollars necessary to make a difference. Maybe you can bring a few million to the table but I can't. However, that does not preclude us from voicing our alumni opinions on the AH situation.
IMO, the condition of AH as an NCAA Division 1 basketball and volleyball facility is embarrassing to a school that charges over $57,000 to attend while others in the MAAC like Siena are upgrading their facility as part of an ongoing capital campaign with half the endowment. I haven't read anyone's posting about scraping other University priorities in favor of finally fixing AH. The renovation of AH was part of the last capital campaign that was started in 2000. The funding was allocated then and the plans were drawn up and on display in the AH lobby(new facade, repositioning of the court for a bowl configuration and new seating...). If it was a priority 14 years ago then why isn't it still a priority now? Neglecting the maintenance (peeling paint) of AH is inexcusable, especially for Homecoming, Reunions, Graduation, Division 1 athletic events, campus tours, recruiting.... I do believe that it was a "lack of vision" by past administrations and those trustees to sell off the available property on North Benson Road that was available for expansion or future use.
Over the years I have spoken to FvA, Joe Frager and former Associate AD Roy Brown about AH and FvA told me as recently as last October that more will be done with AH "when funds are available". My point/points have always been if not now when a capital campaign is ongoing then when?
It would have been totally unrealistic to start a campaign 8 years ago. we had just finished the last one. Then we hit a recession in 2008 that lasted until 2010-11. They have been building this one for several years. The fund raising environment is still difficult. Lets see how QU does with all the money they have borrowed, the law school, etc. They have a very hard time getting the students we get.
FU: Do you know what the priorities are for use of proceeds for the campaign? Its one thing to desire a new gym, like we all do, its another to find the money for it with all the other things we need to do first.
We all are entitled to our alumni opinions and have expressed them here for years. Sorry but I won't banter back and forth with you. Have a Happy Easter.
It would have been totally unrealistic to start a campaign 8 years ago. we had just finished the last one. Then we hit a recession in 2008 that lasted until 2010-11. They have been building this one for several years. The fund raising environment is still difficult. Lets see how QU does with all the money they have borrowed, the law school, etc. They have a very hard time getting the students we get.
The economic down turn really started mid 2008. Father von Arx became president 4 years earlier. The momentum for a campaign with a new leader with new ideas should have taken place a year or two into his tenure. Even if it was for a smaller goal, it could have put his stamp on things. Ten years after he took office, his accomplishments, IMO, are minor. Re: the trustees being passive, the missed opportunities - the UB law school and a ten year president with minor accomplishments are examples of this. There is nothing wrong with debt if managed properly. The 2020 report goals aren't exactly inspiring. We may debate the priority of a new alumni hall but in the meantime, how about a few buckets of paint? And as far as our students go-look at our acceptance rate.
Last Edit: Apr 20, 2014 12:39:02 GMT -5 by ctghostman
Well said, Stagmania! I am with you. I will take it a step further. I find Alumni Hall to be a very interesting period piece. Same with the Kelly Centet. I do not favor the Disneyland approach to development, where new construction pretends to be from an older period. Neither does the Natoonal Trust For Historic Preservation, The Secretary Of The Interior, etc. All this. talk about peeling paint is mostly pretext. If not, then let me issue a challenge smilar to yours.. If the guys complaining about peeling paint are willing, I will meet them at AH so that we can do the job ourselves. But, of course, this is not the real issue. These guys will never be happy unless we get out of Bridgeport, and into Fairfield where they feel comfortable. Until then, we will hear all sorts of complaints. Perhaps it is commom for blogs to host complaints, but I will never understand the lack of gratitude for the wonderful arena and amenities we have been given, the finamcial commitment to the program, and the resultant success up until this season. I am very pleased that the Administration and Trustees are focusing investment in facilities more worthy and needy than the gym.
Post by ctghostman on Apr 20, 2014 14:12:12 GMT -5
I think a new or refurbished Alumni Hall is about the entire FU community. Other than there, there is no large indoor gathering space on campus. There needs to be a draw to campus - historically for FU, it's been basketball/Alumni Hall. Rafferty Stadium will be nice but lax isn't a big draw. If it does become one, I will only be for one or two weekends a year. I like the WBA arena but we struggle to get students there. Its not a home court advantage - we need a home. When UConn played there this year, it was a big f-u to our program. The area surrounding it hasn't been developed and rightly or wrongly it has a shady reputation. When we are there, they gouge us with prices-10 parking in a dirt lot and $8 beers isn't exactly friendly to us.
...All this. talk about peeling paint is mostly pretext. If not, then let me issue a challenge smilar to yours.. If the guys complaining about peeling paint are willing, I will meet them at AH so that we can do the job ourselves. But, of course, this is not the real issue. These guys will never be happy unless we get out of Bridgeport, and into Fairfield where they feel comfortable. Until then, we will hear all sorts of complaints.
It would never happen for far too many reasons but if the University would allow alumni to fix a longstanding maintenance issue on the façade of AH rather than doing it themselves then that is even worse. The University's neglect at not fixing the obvious peeling paint at the Main Entrance to AH and inside is the issue and not a pretex to anything else. IMO the condition of AH is a valid complaint and should be an embarrassment to the University, our fellow alumni and anyone looking at it. Alumni volunteers should not be doing the job of Facilities Management at Fairfield University or anywhere.
I can not speak for the other posters that were called out nor can I speak as to knowing what will make any other alumni happy. However, the renovation of AH is not a Men's Basketball issue and it is simplistic to think that it is nor is it a pretext for something else. Men's Basketball no longer plays games in AH and they shouldn't play any considering the way it is now unless something is done. AH is the home of NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball, NCAA Division 1 Volleyball, intramurals, all levels of Prep Jesuit Basketball and the largest capacity building on campus and effectively is part of the Rec Plex as a single unit. When the current administration refers to AH as "not up to Division 1 standards" and "it's a bad high school gym" then AH is a problem and that is a real issue. The past administration and trustees saw AH as a problem in 1999 and in need of renovation and took steps to fix the problem (design and funding) but the problem is still there 14 years later. There will always be some alumni and Stag fans that believe that the WBA is the only answer, some will believe that building an on campus arena is the only answer and others will believe that a renovated AH with a few Men's Basketball games is the only answer but thinking that alumni using a renovated AH as an excuse because they want to get out of Bridgeport and back into Fairfield where they feel "comfortable" is a stretch and a generalization. Rather than issuing challenges, grandstanding and accusations, I would rather see student/alumni/season ticket holder research done by the Dolan Business School's marketing program so as to actually see why the students, alumni and Stag fans go or don't go to the WBA. Find out what the real attendance issues are and what needs to done - comfortability factor, perceived safety, inner city fears, parking, costs, atmosphere, accessibility, inconvenience, team record, MAAC basketball or whatever. However, the renovation of AH is still a real issue and not an excuse for something else.