Toured Stadium Yesterday (no pics)

[Rouser]

So...I was lucky enough to take a tour of the new stadium yesterday. After putting on the goggles and hard hats...our group had their jaw dropped the whole time.

The new stadium is wonderful. Most of the seats were in place (still some lower bowl seats left to install). We were able to tour the bulk of the stadium. I got to sit in about row 10 of the upper deck. What a great view!! Really changes my thinking about where to sit.

They showed us where expansion would be (upper deck stretching from press box)...the stadium would still have an open end.

The most amazing space I toured was the home lockers.. Wow! Any new recruit is going to be ready to sign on the dotted line! I'm guessing they will bring new recruits throughout the whole stadium and finish in the lockers. Its huge and very very nice.

Basically...nobody will be disappointed.

 

[Golden Elephant]

Rouser, I'm curious how your thinking changed about where to sit - are you more partial to the upper deck now?

 

[Rouser]

I am more partial to upper deck after sitting in the upper deck seats. Its really not that far away and everything seems smaller in scale than the dome (whether reality or not).

 

[grunkiejr]

Telling me about it without showing me pics is torture. I mean it is like a blind man having a friend describe the pics in a Playboy.

Just selected the seats for my parents...Section 238 row 20 seats 17-20. My group is selecting next week. I think it looks like we'll probably grab benches in the corner of the end zone. I'm hoping for one of the top rows in the closed end...119, 121, 129 or 131. It should be fun by the student section.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

Just selected my seats in section 212, row 21. Sounds like they'll be good seats!

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

"Stretching from pressbox"? Does that mean it will be built over the seats below? In other words, would keep the rain off some seats? Curious...

 

[Rouser]

Not sure of how it would look but the site manager (contractor) said another deck would be added starting where the press row ends and continuing around the stadium and stopping at the open end. In other words, the stadium will not be closed off to add seats. The lights were actually built high to accomodate this in the future.

 

[norman dale]

grunkiejr, please apologize in advance to your parents

Telling me about it without showing me pics is torture. I mean it is like a blind man having a friend describe the pics in a Playboy.

Just selected the seats for my parents...Section 238 row 20 seats 17-20. My group is selecting next week. I think it looks like we'll probably grab benches in the corner of the end zone. I'm hoping for one of the top rows in the closed end...119, 121, 129 or 131. It should be fun by the student section.

I and another GH'er am going to be sitting directly above your parents so please forewarn them an occasional "gosh darn" may echo through their ears.

 

[grunkiejr]

I and another GH'er am going to be sitting directly above your parents so please forewarn them an occasional "gosh darn" may echo through their ears.

Nice. In that case please replace Playboy with "the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue" in my last post so that I sound like a more wholesome son.

I think that they can handle the occasional 'gosh darn' too. When my brother joins them I'm sure the language will be more colorful than that.

 

[tundra]

I am more partial to upper deck after sitting in the upper deck seats. Its really not that far away and everything seems smaller in scale than the dome (whether reality or not).

cosign. thinking this is my ticket next week, if possible.

 

[Maroon92]

Question for Rouser on stadium tour

Rouser--when you toured the stadium and you were by the future expansion area--is that concourse usable for walking and are there bathrooms located up there? It looks like wheelchair seating is there and I can' think those people will have to take an elevator down to the lower concourse to use the facilities.

I have 3 young kids and want to know if I sit up there are my trips to the bathroom with kids going to take me a half a quarter to get down and back.

Speaking of bathrooms--comparatively to the dome is there more bathrooms per seat at TCF than in the dome ?

 

[GoldenGo4Fan]

Is that concourse usable for walking and are there bathrooms located up there? It looks like wheelchair seating is there and I can' think those people will have to take an elevator down to the lower concourse to use the facilities.

I called them the other day about the upper concourse as my mother of 72 years doesn't want to go up and down the stairs all the time either. I asked if everyone would be able to use the elevators and they told me yes. I wasn't 100% sure on the answer I got so I am going to be calling back tomorrow morning about this very thing. I will ask if they will have working bathrooms or not up there and post what I find out.

 

[Goldmember]

I think it looks like we'll probably grab benches in the corner of the end zone. I'm hoping for one of the top rows in the closed end...119, 121, 129 or 131. It should be fun by the student section.

That is the student section. And therefore GA. Or, maybe I'm confused.

 

[Rouser]

Never really asked them about the concourse / expansion area...but looks like GoldenGo4Fan covered it. The contractor told us there were more bathrooms (per person)...or bathroom space at least. He actually was going to do a "flush test" the next day.

I can say that the main concourse (between lower and upper levels) is much wider and has an open feel to it since you can actually see the field from the concourse (minus pilars).

 

[go4rob]

Goal Line Club??

So...I was lucky enough to take a tour of the new stadium yesterday. After putting on the goggles and hard hats...our group had their jaw dropped the whole time.

The new stadium is wonderful. Most of the seats were in place (still some lower bowl seats left to install). We were able to tour the bulk of the stadium. I got to sit in about row 10 of the upper deck. What a great view!! Really changes my thinking about where to sit.

They showed us where expansion would be (upper deck stretching from press box)...the stadium would still have an open end.

The most amazing space I toured was the home lockers.. Wow! Any new recruit is going to be ready to sign on the dotted line! I'm guessing they will bring new recruits throughout the whole stadium and finish in the lockers. Its huge and very very nice.

Basically...nobody will be disappointed.

Why doesn't the Goal Line Club organize a tour for its members? I've been waiting and waiting to see the new digs!

 

[GoldenGo4Fan]

OK, I called the ticket office. First, on the visitors side you will be able to take the elevators down to the main concessions area if the stairs are too much for someone in your group. This is only on the visitors side because on the home side that will be a private concourse area for the boxes. They could not tell me if the restrooms would be open on the upper concourse or not. The plumbing would be in place since it is connected to the lower level, but she said to pick my seats with the idea that we would need to take the elevator or stairs down to the main concourse (until the add-on happens --- pull for Chicago to get the 2016 Olympics).

Also, in case anyone is interested, I asked about concessions and restrooms in the area behind the seats on the open end of the stadium. They said no concessions are planned for down there and they were unsure about any restrooms. You would need to plan to go to the main concourse.

 

[GoldenGo4Fan]

Why doesn't the Goal Line Club organize a tour for its members? I've been waiting and waiting to see the new digs!

I think that is a great idea and wouldn't be surprised if they did do this. They could even say it requires a donation of $100 or something to the GLC and limit it to the first 100-200 people (10 groups of 10-20 people). It could also be done as a raffle where you donate $50 for a chance to tour the stadium and that $50 is considered a donation to the GLC.

 

[Maverick]

Also, in case anyone is interested, I asked about concessions and restrooms in the area behind the seats on the open end of the stadium. They said no concessions are planned for down there and they were unsure about any restrooms. You would need to plan to go to the main concourse.

This plaza area seems like the perfect place for a New York style hot dog wagon, ice cream cart, etc....