Gophers getting a new practice facility?

[hinjon]

In an article in the Star Tribune, Maturi says something about a practice facility.

"He talked about a practice facility when we hired him, and President Bruininks and I mentioned to him that we had a real commitment to doing something for TCF Bank Stadium," Maturi said. "We needed to raise money. At that time it had already been appropriated by the state, so it was a go. We told him in the summer of 2009, we would evaluate where we are and make a decision. And the reality of it is, we've kind of made a decision, we're going to go ahead with this, and now it's back to raising our money."

The facility would be attached to Williams Arena.

"That would save on the cost," Maturi said. "You wouldn't then have to build locker rooms, you wouldn't have to build some of the other amenities that would be necessary if you moved it off-site. I hope we can do something here. We're looking at different blueprints as we speak."

In addition, Smith will get a bonus for getting the team into the NCAA tournament, a bonus that grows if the team advances.


http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/41294407.html?page=2&c=y

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

I Made A Small Donation Already

They're going to name one of the toilet stalls after me.

The "Friend Of Tubby" crapper.

 

[NateDawgUM]

They're going to name one of the toilet stalls after me.

The "Friend Of Tubby" crapper.

Funny, that's already what I call my toilet, and I didn't even make you pay.

 

[Anderson8284]

Geez, FOT!

I'm jealous. As a civil engineer, it's beena life-long goal to have a crapper named after me. It never has happened.......maybe I'll have to contribute to this particular fund-raising campaign.........

 

[hinjon]

FOT....if you actually did make a donation, how do others go about doing the same?

 

[sec105]

The "Friend Of Tubby" crapper.

That woukld make it the "FOT Crapper".

I hope we don't get it confused with the "Foot Tapper Crapper" out at the Airport.

 

[Dr.Don]

My most suppressed desire is to have a crapper named after me:

Dr.Don's Diarrhea Depository

 

[sec105]

Or Dr. Don's Dump Station

 

[boner4goldy]

Friend of Tubby Feces Factory

 

[Dr.Don]

We need one brand new portable toilet outside the New Brickhouse. Let's call it the Brick S**t House.

 

[GopherCrazy]

connected to williams? where? I like the way the main entrance looks.. I hope they dont plop it right there...

 

[sec105]

We need one brand new portable toilet outside the New Brickhouse. Let's call it the Brick S**t House

I fear our Bucky neighbors may extend that to the whole complex. Yes they are that COLD.

 

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

I fear our Bucky neighbors may extend that to the whole complex. Yes they are that COLD.

f becky!

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

FOT....if you actually did make a donation, how do others go about doing the same?

Just send it to Joel (AD). I suppose anyone can.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

Funny, that's already what I call my toilet, and I didn't even make you pay.

I call what I see floating in mine every morning a NateDawg.

 

[GopherCrazy]

I call what I see floating in mine every morning a NateDawg.

SNAP!

 

[mnboiler]

connected to williams? where? I like the way the main entrance looks.. I hope they dont plop it right there...

I'm not pretending to have any inside info on a possible location for a practice building but looking at Google maps I have looked at the area around Williams. I would think that it would be the red or any combo of Yellow, Green, Blue(continous of corse, so not yellow and green) but I could very easily wrong.

As for naming a toliet(or something a little larger) this is the website you want to visit.

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=727938

 

[grunkiejr]

I'm not pretending to have any inside info on a possible location for a practice building but looking at Google maps I have looked at the area around Williams. I would think that it would be the red or any combo of Yellow, Green, Blue(continous of corse, so not yellow and green) but I could very easily wrong.

As for naming a toliet(or something a little larger) this is the website you want to visit.

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=727938

Google maps needs to be updated. Oak Street no longer runs right in front of Williams Arena. I've heard that it would be located on the area where Oak Street used to be.

<iframe width="425" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/sv?cbp=12,23.75016759642086,,0,-8.92187500000001&cbll=44.975806,-93.227294&panoid=&v=1&hl=en&gl=us"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?source=embed&hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=Williams+Arena&near=Minneapolis,+MN+55402&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,8697228678642537184&ei=Hdy-See_J4KyNJaopaAN&ll=44.97638,-93.228661&spn=0.006295,0.006295&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=44.975806,-93.227294&panoid=T3LUW97F14ft25b36u5qXg&cbp=12,23.75016759642086,,0,-8.92187500000001" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

 

[GopherInWI]

If I had a vote, it'd say the red section on mnboiler's map would work well. It's a parking lot now which would be disappointing to lose, but you keep the appearance of Williams facing TCF Bank Stadium. I think it's faculity/game day lot. I'd love to see the facility happen, because as much as I don't want to say I want to keep up with the Joneses....I want to keep up with the Joneses. The facility 'arms' race in the Big Ten is wide spread and we should hop on the band wagon.

And while we're at it, how about Siebert Field.

 

[mnboiler]

Google maps needs to be updated. Oak Street no longer runs right in front of Williams Arena. I've heard that it would be located on the area where Oak Street used to be.

<iframe width="425" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/sv?cbp=12,23.75016759642086,,0,-8.92187500000001&cbll=44.975806,-93.227294&panoid=&v=1&hl=en&gl=us"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?source=embed&hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=Williams+Arena&near=Minneapolis,+MN+55402&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,8697228678642537184&ei=Hdy-See_J4KyNJaopaAN&ll=44.97638,-93.228661&spn=0.006295,0.006295&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=44.975806,-93.227294&panoid=T3LUW97F14ft25b36u5qXg&cbp=12,23.75016759642086,,0,-8.92187500000001" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

While the picture hasn't been updated the street pattern has been updated. Personally I think the view from TCF is worth saving instead of replacing it with a possibly crappy view of a practice building. But I do understand why they would want to put the building there but overall there is better places to put it.

As for a baseball field I think they best place for it would be the parking lot north of Ridder/Baseline. But that will never happen because of football/basketball parking.

 

[borninthebarn]

I thought I heard somewhere that it was going to be the blue/yellow area. I remember wondering about the wisdom of messing with that entrance, but I suppose they could just build a bigger lobby area and put the practice facility on top of it or something. They do need a bigger lobby there.

 

[GopherCrazy]

see, I thought the perfect place would be to place it right across from TCF.. right next door to that fire station On the same block as stubb and herbs

 

[hinjon]

Given this is Minnesota, I'm guessing they will put it here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...11&gl=us&num=10&iwloc=addr&iwstate1=saveplace

 

[row19gopher]

Practice Facility

I was under the impression that one of the reasons they moved Oak St was to allow for more room to add the practice facility near the east end of Williams.

 

[GoAUpher]

I was under the impression that one of the reasons they moved Oak St was to allow for more room to add the practice facility near the east end of Williams.

I'm wondering if the LRT line didn't play into it too...though I believe it has moved underground by the time it reaches the Stadium Village area.

 

[year of the gopher]

I was under the impression that one of the reasons they moved Oak St was to allow for more room to add the practice facility near the east end of Williams.

I thought this had more to do with the stormwater and sewer work that needed to be done. I'm not sure that they would build a practice facility on the east end. My bet is on the south or west side of Williams/Pavilion.

 

[GoAUpher]

I thought this had more to do with the stormwater and sewer work that needed to be done. I'm not sure that they would build a practice facility on the east end. My bet is on the south or west side of Williams/Pavilion.

This seems to make sense based on an article I saw on the U's website: http://www.alumni.umn.edu/Stadium_Update3.html

Quote:
What makes the landscape earth-friendly is a storm water system designed to dramatically reduce the amount of runoff going into the Mississippi River.

In heavy rain, water will follow the course of gentle slopes known as “bioswales,” which slow down and help filter the water before it flows into two 42-inch pipes that run under University Avenue to a retention pond located across the street from McNamara Alumni Center. “It’s not your typical pond because it will be dry most of the time,” Swanson explains. “But if it rains more than an inch, it will hold the water and slowly let it out into an 18-inch pipe that drains to the Mississippi River.” Landscaped with trees and shrubs, the pond’s walls are gabion baskets, which are stacked stones wrapped in a wire enclosure. A similar design was used in retaining walls around the new Interstate-35W bridge.

I've attached a picture of the retention pond and where it sits.

 

[GoGophers2005]

Putting it where the parking lot sits on the Southwest (University Ave) portion of Williams and the Pavillion makes the most sense. They are in dire need of a better entrance at that location and I believe more amenities for Williams and the Pavillion could be located here as well....(Team store, more concessions, a more accessible club area, larger restrooms)....all the while keeping the charm of Williams.

I believe Duke put an entrance similar to what I am talking about on their arena a few years back.

 

[Donovan]

They should put in some underground heated parking below the new practice facility. They could charge a pretty stiff parking fee for both basketball and hockey games during the winter (probably $25/car). Then again, not sure if it could make enough money the rest of the year to make it a good idea.

 

[mnboiler]

I'm all for conservation and saving the enviroment(I believe we owe to our children and our children's children) but that water runoff pond across University Street almost seems like overkill. First of all there are going to be run off ponds on site. Then second of all the largest area that you would have to worry about run off is that turf grass stuff(same stuff as in the Dome) meaning that no fertizilier needed(Which is the biggest on concern with run off) And to top is off the pond isn't going to empty 360 days a year. Overall that seems like a horrible use of space.

I'm not saying that a practice facility should go there but a building of some sort could very easily go there and make a much better use of the space.

As for the underground parking ramp. I really like the idea but it would only work if the building on the northwest side of Williams. And the parking spots it most likely wouldn't be for the general public it would be for high level donors during games and for staff during every other sititution. Also thinking about it a little bit to put a park structure under the practice area would add quite a bit of cost and building time. (If I'm wrong on this will someone please correct me.) Although adding parking will only serve to keep people happy because we all know that one of Minnesotan's favorite things to complain about is parking.