Renderings of stadium renovation

[aubiefifty 508]

April 5, 2017 Investing for Success That is why we are investing in major improvements to the locker room and recruiting space at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Thanks to the support of the Auburn Board of Trustees, work will soon begin on the first phase of our plan to continue enhancing the experience for players, recruits and fans at Jordan-Hare. After an extensive planning process, we determined the critical needs were to improve the locker room for our current players and greatly expand and enhance the recruiting space for football and our Olympic sports. I am pleased to share with you some renderings so you can appreciate the "wow" factor this project will create. A new building featuring expanded recruiting space and club amenities for fans will blend in with the southwest corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The new facility will give recruits a glimpse into the rich heritage and history of Auburn football, including SEC and national championships won by the Tigers. The expansive recruiting areas in the new facility will create an impressive, inviting and open space. It will inspire prospects and their families with the story of Auburn’s history and traditions. Auburn's three Heisman Trophy winners will be prominently displayed in the new facility, designed to tell the Auburn story. Auburn's new facility will be the gold standard of college athletics recruiting, telling the Auburn story of family, history and tradition. The locker room at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be renovated and expanded, creating a more open feel to emphasize unity while telling the story of Auburn's rich football heritage. The top floors of the new facility in the southwest corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium will house a press box and football operations. Creating new club space and fan amenities was a priority for the new project. Fans who join the club will be able to enjoy televised games, food and beverage service and a great view of Tiger Walk. Auburn has a great story to tell. That was the starting point for the concept. As you can see from the images, the expansive recruiting areas in the new building planned for the southwest corner of the end zone create an impressive, inviting and open space. It will inspire prospects with the story of Auburn’s history, tradition, passion and vision. Recruits and their families will step into the recruiting area and see compelling displays of our Heisman Trophy winners and other greats, including Outland Trophy and Thorpe Award winners. They will get a glimpse of Tiger Walk. They will see displays of championship rings and the crystal ball, and they will think about what it must feel like to come to Auburn with the hope of leaving with diplomas in their hands and rings of their own on their fingers. Our football recruiting area will be significantly larger, and the Olympic sport recruiting space will nearly double in size. The facility will be the new gold standard in college athletics recruiting. We expect excellence out of our athletic programs, so we must model excellence. With the continued support of loyal donors, who have already given 30 percent of the cost of this phase of the project, excellence is what we will achieve. The new building will seamlessly blend with the stadium and provide a terrific view of Tiger Walk. It will also include two floors of club space for about 800 fans who choose to be a part of it. The club amenities will give fans a place for community, where they can congregate before, during and after games. Club members can enjoy the day’s televised games, good food and something cold to drink, and even take in Tiger Walk with a great view. Enhancing the gameday experience has been one of our key strategic goals for a number of years. Judging by the fact Auburn’s gameday experience was voted #1 in the SEC for the 2nd straight year, those efforts have paid off. But we must continue to press ahead and look for more opportunities to enhance the experience while preserving the traditions that make Saturday afternoons in Auburn so special. We simply cannot afford to be complacent, and under my watch, we will not be. Scripture tells us your heart is where your treasure is. I have a heart for student-athletes first. Doing all we can to enhance the student-athlete experience has and will continue to be my priority for facilities projects and programs we invest in at Auburn Athletics. With this project now under way, I can say with confidence Auburn’s best days are ahead of us. One of the joys of meeting recruits who become those wide-eyed freshmen on the bus at the first game is seeing how much they change in four or five years. Watching them grow and mature into Auburn men and women, as their dreams of earning degrees and competing at the highest level come true, is the most satisfying work one could ever do. I am grateful every day for the chance to serve in this role with the chance to influence these young men and women who leave here equipped to succeed in their careers and enjoy healthy lives of significance. As donors and season ticket holders, you make that possible. Thank you.

[corchjay 1,682]

The press box in the corner looks like crap.  I understand we need things for recruiting and keeping up with the Jones' in the SEC but can we just do one major overhaul and be done with it for a few years.  We spent a fortune on the mega tv and it's kind of a distraction and doesn't really enhance the game day experience.  Why not dress the old girl up some and possibly take away a few seats to create these new things because just sticking a press box in the corner looks like crap in my opinion.  

[RunInRed 1,208]

2 minutes ago, corchjay said:

The press box in the corner looks like crap.  I understand we need things for recruiting and keeping up with the Jones' in the SEC but can we just do one major overhaul and be done with it for a few years.  We spent a fortune on the mega tv and it's kind of a distraction and doesn't really enhance the game day experience.  Why not dress the old girl up some and possibly take away a few seats to create these new things because just sticking a press box in the corner looks like crap in my opinion.  

Agree! X1000

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

2 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

Agree! X1000

Going to be sad when this project gets in the way of the one that really needs to be done. 

[SaltyTiger 680]

3 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

Agree! X1000

Agree X 10,000

[corchjay 1,682]

Come up with a real plan. Stop the bandaid stuff.  We don't need to "bowl in" the entire stadium we don't need more seats.  Just dress up the stadium.  Change the seating.  Add seats instead of bleachers in some areas.  Add sky boxes on the west stands.  Put press on one end of the stadium and a matching recruiting area on the other in matching infrastructure.  Move the giant TV on top of one of those and put an interactive better score board above the other new infrastructure.  Add in fan amenities.  Cell phone charging areas.  Dedicated Hot spots guaranteed to provide a true high speed wifi experience for phones and tablets.  More restrooms, more concession, more tvs under the stadium.  

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

4 minutes ago, corchjay said:

Come up with a real plan. Stop the bandaid stuff.  We don't need to "bowl in" the entire stadium we don't need more seats.  Just dress up the stadium.  Change the seating.  Add seats instead of bleachers in some areas.  Add sky boxes on the west stands.  Put press on one end of the stadium and a matching recruiting area on the other in matching infrastructure.  Move the giant TV on top of one of those and put an interactive better score board above the other new infrastructure.  Add in fan amenities.  Cell phone charging areas.  Dedicated Hot spots guaranteed to provide a true high speed wifi experience for phones and tablets.  More restrooms, more concession, more tvs under the stadium.  

I think adding around 6K to 10K seats would sell out. But you are spot on. A 28 million $ bandaid.  

[corchjay 1,682]

Just now, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

I think adding around 6K to 10K seats would sell out. But you are spot on. A 28 million $ bandaid.  

yeah lets just go ahead and get $280 million and do it right.  The stadium is starting to look like 7 different people are designing it.  as long as we don't add a janky looking upper deck like the bammer endzones I guess I'll be happy.  but LSU, state, aTm, ole miss, arkansas, and bama have all passed us in stadium enhancements.  We are the only west team not keeping up.  

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

1 minute ago, corchjay said:

yeah lets just go ahead and get $280 million and do it right.  The stadium is starting to look like 7 different people are designing it.  as long as we don't add a janky looking upper deck like the bammer endzones I guess I'll be happy.  but LSU, state, aTm, ole miss, arkansas, and bama have all passed us in stadium enhancements.  We are the only west team not keeping up.  

Put the seating size up to 100K, perception is huge, and go with it. If some seats aren't sold, give those seats to some organizations who deal with underprivileged kids. Win win win for everyone. 

[augolf1716 3,055]

3 minutes ago, corchjay said:

yeah lets just go ahead and get $280 million and do it right.  The stadium is starting to look like 7 different people are designing it.  as long as we don't add a janky looking upper deck like the bammer endzones I guess I'll be happy.  but LSU, state, aTm, ole miss, arkansas, and bama have all passed us in stadium enhancements.  We are the only west team not keeping up.  

humm wonder why that is.........................hummmmm

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

Just now, augolf1716 said:

humm wonder why that is.........................hummmmm

Hope that Dr Leath will get this done. The stadium renovation. 

[aubiefifty 508]

i guess i will be oddball out. i like it. i am sure there are other things needing done but recruiting is the lifeblood of football programs so if it helps i am all for it. i mean gosh clemson adds a slide of all things and wins a natty?  lol but of course i do not claim to be an expert on any of this..................

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

3 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i guess i will be oddball out. i like it. i am sure there are other things needing done but recruiting is the lifeblood of football programs so if it helps i am all for it. i mean gosh clemson adds a slide of all things and wins a natty?  lol but of course i do not claim to be an expert on any of this..................

This project isn't going near the same as some other schools with regards to recruiting. That's the problem. It's really like putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[mcgufcm 804]

Y'all think Ole Miss has passed us in stadium upgrades??? Have you been to the Vaught? Their major stadium expansion was primarily done by reducing the amount of allotted space per seat in the bleachers. That's not a joke. They moved the numbers closer together. A&M, LSU, and Bama? Yeah. I buy that. Even Arkansas. Last time I was in Fayetteville, that stadium seemed pretty cutting edge. MSU and Ole Miss? Not a chance.

Personally, I don't think the proposed press box looks terrible. I would like the building to the jumbotron structure to tie the two of them together, but placing it in the dead space between the screen and the ramp isn't a bad idea. It's dead space. If the new building is done well, it's a good use of space. That's my take on the proposal. Now, if we're talking about whether it should be a bigger overhaul or the bandaid, I'm on board with a bigger overhaul, but you need a lot of support and $$ for that.

[RunInRed 1,208]

My beef is less on the recruiting lounge but more on the press box and how it just seems to sit on top and how it looks from inside the stadium.  No symmetry or alignment with the overall architecture of the stadium.  Unless, the "master plan" is to put a similar structure on the other side of the scoreboard in the South End Zone and then, ultimately proceed with the North End Zone expansion ... But I haven't heard any of that.  That's just me suggesting.

 

[RunInRed 1,208]

Anybody want to take this image:

... and photoshop in the pressbox and similar structure on the other side of the scoreboard?

[mcgufcm 804]

I'll buy the symmetry argument. If we're going to do this, I'd much prefer popping a similar building to the other side of the screen with an exclusive club lounge. Leave the admin/press box on the other side.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 2,604]

3 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

My beef is less on the recruiting lounge but more on the press box and how it just seems to sit on top and how it looks from inside the stadium.  No symmetry or alignment with the overall architecture of the stadium.  Unless, the "master plan" is to put a similar structure on the other side of the scoreboard in the South End Zone and then, ultimately proceed with the North End Zone expansion ... But I haven't heard any of that.  That's just me suggesting.

 

This right here. 

[Barnacle 1,093]

I'm of the opinion that we should do our best to accommodate the press. I hate the idea of sticking them in the corner, not to mention all the other problems already mentioned. It kind of feels like an afterthought. Do ya'll know of any other stadiums where the press box is in a corner??

Edited April 6 by Barnacle

[corchjay 1,682]

9 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

I'm of the opinion that we should do our best to accommodate the press. I hate the idea of sticking them in the corner, not to mention all the other problems already mentioned. It kind of feels like an afterthought. Do ya'll know of any other stadiums where the press box is in a corner??

I think most new NFL stadiums are in the endzones.  I could be mistaken though.

[mcgufcm 804]

Yeah, most of the time, the press box isn't centrally located. That's valuable space.

[RunInRed 1,208]

26 minutes ago, mcgufcm said:

Yeah, most of the time, the press box isn't centrally located. That's valuable space.

Again, my beef isn't with relocation of the press box per se, it's more the process and communication thereof. We've what, seen how many different renderings? Plans scrapped?  And now a few years later we'll be in $40M+ for a new scoreboard ($13M) with a tarp-removed open back and this expansion ($28M).

It just seems the whole thing is scatter shot, reactionary, incomplete, ill-planned and certainly not aligned to any "vision."

And frankly, where they are putting the press box, as a stand-alone facility, looks like crap.

[AU64 1,917]

Probably one objective is to have the jumbotron visible from the Club Seats...

I'm about 100% sure that JJ did not come up with this plan....so who is the architect doing the work on the project?    And Trustees have apparently approved it so i guess they thought the plan was good enough to support.

Guess I'm among the minority that thinks we are already overspending on stuff to benefit a small minority of fans....and the athletes and recruits are already treated like Greek Gods as it is.   If some PTBs and fans are willing to pay for it, that's fine but I'm betting that soon you will see another $5 on the tickets to cover the cost of the work. 

[Barnacle 1,093]

 

2 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

It just seems the whole thing is scatter shot, reactionary, incomplete, ill-planned and certainly not aligned to any "vision."

And frankly, where they are putting the press box, as a stand alone facility, looks like crap.

Agreed.

Although, I still don't like the idea of a press box in the corner, period. 

[Win4AU 195]

I've said this before but the Jumbotron was terribly executed.  I sat in section 15 for 5 seasons and never had a problem seeing a video or replay.  My last season in section 15 the scoreboard was almost sitting in my seat.  I couldn't see squat not could the couple thousand people around me.  Either it wasn't thought through or they just decided to screw everyone in the top sections of the south end zone.