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Florida, what renovations are being done to your arena?

Posted on 3/15/16 at 7:47 pm
Posted by CNB
Columbia, SC
Member since Sep 2007
96204 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 7:47 pm
Just saw y'all aren't playing at home because of it. Is it big changes or what?
Posted by Rebel Land Shark
Member since Jul 2013
30176 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 7:50 pm to
From:


To:
This post was edited on 3/15/16 at 7:51 pm
Posted by Sid E Walker
InsecureU ©
Member since Nov 2013
23888 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 7:53 pm to
Adding some brickwork on the outside, gutting the inside. Some architecture firm out of Birmingham got the contract after a local firm underbid themselves and then tried to get another $50M or something like that from UAA.

It's gonna look pretty sweet when finished.
This post was edited on 3/15/16 at 7:54 pm
Posted by CNB
Columbia, SC
Member since Sep 2007
96204 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 7:53 pm to
That looks awesome

Thanks for the pics
Posted by momentoftruth87
Member since Oct 2013
72299 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:02 pm to
Looks sweet, I always hated how the court looked so small and blocked off. Looks like breathing room now.
Posted by BayouBengals03
lsu14always
Member since Nov 2007
99999 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:03 pm to
Finally.

Florida's gym is really trashy looking on the inside. Needed the upgrade.
Posted by KaiserSoze99
Member since Aug 2011
31669 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:05 pm to
quote:



Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
99470 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:07 pm to
I'm going to miss that metal platform-esque deal with the aluminum railing all the way around.
Posted by CJM
Member since Jan 2015
3210 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:08 pm to
Here's some more pictures: LINK
Posted by cornhat
Member since Feb 2011
3393 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:10 pm to
The current O'Dome is a multipurpose arena and is great home environment since the fans are so close to the action but it's really outdated.

It seems like the proposed renovations don't look like $65mil of work but we'll see. Hopefully our baseball stadium gets a renovation soon too.
Posted by Sid E Walker
InsecureU ©
Member since Nov 2013
23888 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 8:24 pm to
Back when it was first built, it had that cool inflatable roof which was 'high tech' for that time. They had the roof up on it about halfway through the original construction and little security around it. Myself and few others would go out there at night on a few occasions and jump on it after the bars closed, kinda like a little bouncy house. Pretty stupid thing to do, thinking back on it now. Could've easily bounced off and down about 60 feet.
Posted by scrooster
Resident Ethicist
Member since Jul 2012
37857 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 9:04 pm to
So ... fewer seats when all is said and done?
Posted by TigersOfGeauxld
Just across the water...
Member since Aug 2009
25057 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 9:17 pm to
quote:

It seems like the proposed renovations don't look like $65mil of work but we'll see.


Looks like UF is adding premium seating, and subtracting general seating. Following the current trend in SEC basketball set by new construction in Auburn and Ole Miss and renovations at UGA and now UF, total capacity will go under the 10,000 mark.

No hating, just observing. LSU will be addressing the question of upgrades to the PMAC at some point, and I'm genuinely curious to see what approach the LSU athletic department takes.

On the one hand, current basketball attendance would justify taking the same approach UGA and UF both took. Namely reducing total capacity by adding in premium seating at the expense of general seating.

On the other hand, LSU gymnastics sells out the PMAC's current total capacity of 13,215. LSU could easily set new attendance records in gymnastics with a higher capacity.

I'd actually be in favor of an entirely new arena along the lines of Mizzou's...17K total capacity, 26 suites.



quote:

Hopefully our baseball stadium gets a renovation soon too.




Your baseball stadium needs to be torn down completely, and have the field flipped. The new stadium would need to face to the NE or NW, and have a full roof over the stands.

Your current baseball stadium faces to the SW. On a hot day sitting in the stands becomes unbearable. I speak from experience. I've seen games where there are more people hanging out behind the stands than sitting in them.

Nothing can be done to rectify the current situation. Building a roof over the current facility would be an exercise in futility. The sun would just shine right under it.

Edit: added pic, corrected direction of Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.
This post was edited on 3/15/16 at 9:38 pm
Posted by DeboseKnows
Gainesville
Member since Dec 2012
1721 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 9:34 pm to
quote:

Your current baseball stadium faces to the SE IIRC


Yes, its absolutely terrible.. Never got worse sunburns in my life than when I was watching our baseball games.
Posted by bgator85
Sarasota
Member since Aug 2007
6025 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:07 pm to
quote:

total capacity will go under the 10,000 mark.


We are losing just under 1,000 seats, capacity will probably be slightly higher than 10,500. We are adding seating in the corners, which makes up for some losses.

$65 million is a decent sized price tag for a renovation of this sized arena, a lot of new amenities coming.

As for baseball, it is a part of the master plan. Foley has said rotating the field probably won't happen. We don't need the support facilities, they were built during the last renovation. This time we can focus entirely on the stadium.
This post was edited on 3/15/16 at 10:20 pm
Posted by TigersOfGeauxld
Just across the water...
Member since Aug 2009
25057 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:28 pm to
quote:

capacity will probably be slightly higher than 10,500.


Still low for a program of UF's caliber, for a university of UF's size, and for the conference as a whole. Just my two cents, but UF should not be settling for a basketball arena that would be in the bottom half of capacity in the SEC.

As it stands now, UK, UT, USCe, Mizzou, and Vandy all have larger arenas in the SEC East. Arkansas, Alabama, LSU, and TAMU all have larger arenas as well, in the SEC West.

UF's O Dome would only be larger than the arenas at Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and UGA.

That's unacceptable, IMO.
Posted by TigersOfGeauxld
Just across the water...
Member since Aug 2009
25057 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:32 pm to
quote:

Foley has said rotating the field probably won't happen.


Nothing except rotating the stadium will make the stands bearable on a hot day. Nothing. That's not hyperbole.

Sorry to hear that.
Posted by Aggie Dynasty
USA
Member since Jul 2013
2103 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:37 pm to


Posted by CNB
Columbia, SC
Member since Sep 2007
96204 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:38 pm to
I remember that picture now, and I remember making the stormtrooper comparison too


(Not implying I was first to point it out or anything)
Posted by bgator85
Sarasota
Member since Aug 2007
6025 posts
Posted on 3/15/16 at 10:40 pm to
quote:

Still low for a program of UF's caliber, for a university of UF's size, and for the conference as a whole. Just my two cents, but UF should not be settling for a basketball arena that would be in the bottom half of capacity in the SEC.


I agree with you to an extent, I believe we should have an arena in the 13-14K seat range but a new arena wasn't really under consideration. I don't think we are settling, I think we are addressing an immediate need for a program of UF's caliber. There are a lot of costly facility issues that will be addressed soon, including a football operations building. Building a whole new arena in conjunction with everything else would cost too much right now.
This post was edited on 3/15/16 at 10:53 pm
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