Someone suggested that they could remove the current HPER complex and build a new arena facility with a new pool in that area. The Natatorium needs to be replaced to I could go along with that idea as well. That keeps the athletic zone still in the same area as Soccer, Track and softball.
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Many memories of the Special Events Center, not the least of which are Magic v. Bird and Utes over UNLV in 1977. But I have to say, I won’t miss it as much as I did the Einer Nielson Fieldhouse. A great place to watch a game. The noise was deafening. When the fans stomped on the bleachers the air was full of dust. And I’ll never forget the chain link fences along the baselines. When there was a bad call fans would shake the chain link and climb up it, screaming at the refs. Right in the action.
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I’m pretty sure that has been there since the 70’s, so yeah, it probably needs to be replaced.
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They’re not.
They’re pretty clear they want it out of that area.
It makes sense logistically too. Moving it to the western edge helps traffic.
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Decent summary here:
Relocation of Huntsman Center part of University of Utah’s plan to create ‘college town magic’
I’m not sure its important, but it was convienent to have the basketball practice facility next door to the arena.
Sure.
But there’s really not a lot of difference between football not being at the stadium to me.
And many of the functions they’ve hosted at the practice facility for donors, alumni etc will undoubtedly be moved to the new arena.
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Do you mean this in the way that football and basketball have to rent the space from the university?
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Yes.
The facilities are not under athletics, athletics are tenants.
It’s a complex setup
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Here’s an idea. I really don’t know how they’re going to move the Huntsman Center from its current location to a different location on campus. I just don’t see where they can move it to without demolishing a bunch of buildings. What if, now stay with me, they bought the land that the current Smith’s Ballpark sits on and made it an extension of campus? And then move the Huntsman Center from its current location to there? The university could develop the area around it and really clean up the area. Since it sits right next to a TRAX station that currently serves Smith’s Ballpark, the infrastructure would already be there to get people to games. Plus it would relieve extra cars and congestion coming to campus all the time. Since they are planning on tearing down Smith’s Ballpark after Utah baseball plays their final season there this year anyway, they need something in the area to replace it. Well, if they moved the Huntsman Center there and the university purchases the land, wouldn’t that solve the problem? This would be a similar idea as to what they did at San Diego State University after they tore down Qualcomm and replaced it with Snapdragon Stadium (and bought the land Qualcomm sat on and turned it into an extension of their campus). They could even extend the “Huntsman Center Express” idea to be a TRAX train that doesn’t stop at the filler stations between the Stadium Station and the current “Ballpark Station” (renamed “Huntsman Center”) on game days. Thoughts? Am I up in the night or is a possible solution?
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That seems too far and downtown somewhere would be better. But most likely (according to folks here and elsewhere, more likely in the west Stadium parking lot or somewhere where Ft. Douglas). Either way, they aren’t ‘moving’ the Huntsman Center. It will be demolished (perhaps AFTER) a new facility is built, which will still be named the Huntsman Center (I’m pretty sure).
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That defeats the entire vision of Randall’s to have the U be a fully self-contained entity. Dormies won’t even walk across Eccles Bridge now to go to games that are free to them. Why would they take the time to go down to the Ballpark neighborhood?
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The parking lot at RES.
Provides trax access, and with an included parking garage would provide more parking.
The city isn’t selling the ballpark. They already have plans for it, and as others have said, that defeats the entire purpose of bringing every thing back to campus.
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Hell Kahlert Village dorms are just steps away from the current JMHC and yet students don’t go. It is wild to see the complaints about the lack of football tickets for the MUSS from parents online and yet they don’t encourage their kids to walk a few feet to support the basketball team.
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It was just an idea
A co-location with RES makes sense in today’s sports marketing scheme. Lots of campuses have these facilities co-located, and a lot of cities have been working to co-locate events venues for a while now. Building the arena to host more events than just basketball would be beneficial too. Building it to maximize the fan noise factor isn’t a bad idea either.
I don’t think they are too worried about the students attending events there. They are more focused on the big money donors and folks who can afford tickets. A gut and refurbishment of the Hunty would likely be as expensive as building a new arena to spec - and it won’t move the needle with the money people.
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the current Presidential admininistration probably sees no need for the VA building any longer. Problem solved.
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Except for us who use that facility.
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Bootstraps!
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