I've been posting about the need for something like this for years. They've already wasted opportunities to build in some of these functionalities in to the football stadium. But it could still be done. Big visions, big dreams...obviously there are things I have no clue on, that probably preclude some, or all of these things, but it seems like the stadium area has some room...and obviously winning a Natty in football changes the calculus a bit.
1. Stadium concourses and press box need major upgrades anyways. Why not build a large, multi purpose building, in to the back of the west stands? Have a large press box with some luxury suites facing in to the stadium, a new, modern, contained concourse, and then a hotel, conference center, multi purpose building behind it all.
2. Large, multi purpose, new football practice facility. Work with various schools, to make a portion of the building the home of various sports, medicine, related majors. And then, a new state of the art football only practice facility on one "end" of the building.
3. A couple new hotels, with restaurants built in. Have Hilton build one, Marriott build one, etc...
4. Big parking garage somewhere.
Tie all those things in to create a new Stadium District.
You've just ruined the best tailgating atmosphere in the Big Ten.
@gros-louis Or improved it? Maybe the scale I'm thinking of is way off, but it sure seems like you could do all the things I mention, and keep/move the green space, and/or parking spaces for tailgaiting?
They could also add a larger RV section with hookups. I was talking with an Auburn fan last weekend, and they said many/most SEC stadiums have dedicated areas where RVs park with water and electric, some even with sewer.
Parking garages do eliminate some of the dual purpose parking/tailgating, I guess. But it could also allow for some larger greenspace areas, that could obviously be utilized for tailgaiting.
The big parking lots, that are largely empty 357 days of the year, seem like they could be better utilized. The OP, I think, and what I've been pushing for, is creating an area, or district, that can attract people year round. Rather than just on game days.
We built a Natty contending program... the people have, and will, come for game days. Lets try to get them for concerts, entire game weekends instead of just game days, multiple days for bball games, etc...
The big parking lots, that are largely empty 357 days of the year, seem like they could be better utilized. The OP, I think, and what I've been pushing for, is creating an area, or district, that can attract people year round. Rather than just on game days.
Not true. The stadium parking lot is used by students and staff all week long, and the west lot is always full.
If there's going to be hotels and such like people are discussing, it needs to be done on IU property. Otherwise, the zoning and permitting nightmare that is Bloomington will come to bear. I wouldn't sacrifice the current stadium lots or grass lots -- the southeast corner of 17th and Fee is there for the taking. In addition to bypassing the city, you also don't have land acquisition costs, so financing would be considerably cheaper.
3. A couple new hotels, with restaurants built in. Have Hilton build one, Marriott build one, etc...
It doesn't work that way. Hilton, Marriott, etc. are franchises. Large hotels are owned by private equity, who employ management firms to run the facility, and who deal with the aforementioned branding entities.
I dunno. It seems like the entertainment district in Bloomington is downtown Bloomington. It attracts people year round as is. Build more stuff there.
The stadium is a mile away / 20-25 min walk. That's pretty close. I struggling to see how Memorial and AH (the athletics "plant") needs its own hotels and restaurants.
Don't get me wrong, I am in favor of stadium renovations, and potentially integrating university depts into stadium facilities is one clever way to get some more budget for the project.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Tennessee is also building something similar. Bloomington is too NIMBY to build anything like an entertainment district.
It doesn't work that way. Hilton, Marriott, etc. are franchises. Large hotels are owned by private equity, who employ management firms to run the facility, and who deal with the aforementioned branding entities.
And public equity. Mark you could buy some shares and get into the landlord game!
@unclemark Yup... getting others to build the hotels...
Stadium renovations need to happen no matter what. They're going to be expensive, no matter what, why not dual purpose with a chunk of the money they're going to spend anyway.
At some point, Indiana is going to want and need a competitive, football only, practice facility. My idea gives everyone a chance to pool some resources. Maybe kinesiology, sports medicine, sports rehab, sports management, broadcasting maybe even, would all have donors that would would pony up some millions to help pay for the back half of the building that regular students have access to. Elite, best in the country, state of the art, facilities for those schools. So the general costs like plumbing, electrical, etc... can be shared between the funding for the football part of the building and the rest of it? And those schools that already interact with the athletics programs, especially football, would be easily accessible. Major football programs are an ecostyem, and huge businesses. Not at all unlike NFL franchises. Why not leverage the resources the school has and could provide?
And replacing a portion of the open paved lots parking, with a couple parking garages, and then some green space... might allow for students to park, and have spots available for game day parking. And have some bigger greenspace areas for tailgating.
I just hope IU strikes while the iron is hot, coming off the Natty, and secures funding for improving Memorial Stadium where it needs improved, AND very seriously looks in to a football only facility, of some kind. Cig isn't gonna be coaching much longer, in the big scheme. We're gonna need for the program itself to be competitive, and not just rely on the head coach.
Iowa State is currently building out their stadium district, called CyTown. They started it when my younger daughter was a junior. They basically are building out the space between the Football Stadium and Hilton. Mixed use, still with parking so knowing that area and knowing the area to work with around Memorial Stadium, they could easily build a similar concept. I do think parking would be a bigger issue for IU as well as gameday traffic flow. The Iowa State district is estimated to generate $184 million for the university over the first 30 years. The big difference for IU is a stadium district would compete with Kirkwood where ISU doesn't have that same issue so its more needed at a place like ISU. To give you an idea of the timeline, ISU started the planning in 2019, started the work in early 2023 and its scheduled to complete in 2027. You'd probably be looking at 2035 if IU wanted to do a stadium district or longer.
@unclemark Yup... getting others to build the hotels...
Stadium renovations need to happen no matter what. They're going to be expensive, no matter what, why not dual purpose with a chunk of the money they're going to spend anyway.
At some point, Indiana is going to want and need a competitive, football only, practice facility. My idea gives everyone a chance to pool some resources. Maybe kinesiology, sports medicine, sports rehab, sports management, broadcasting maybe even, would all have donors that would would pony up some millions to help pay for the back half of the building that regular students have access to. Elite, best in the country, state of the art, facilities for those schools. So the general costs like plumbing, electrical, etc... can be shared between the funding for the football part of the building and the rest of it? And those schools that already interact with the athletics programs, especially football, would be easily accessible. Major football programs are an ecostyem, and huge businesses. Not at all unlike NFL franchises. Why not leverage the resources the school has and could provide?
And replacing a portion of the open paved lots parking, with a couple parking garages, and then some green space... might allow for students to park, and have spots available for game day parking. And have some bigger greenspace areas for tailgating.
I just hope IU strikes while the iron is hot, coming off the Natty, and secures funding for improving Memorial Stadium where it needs improved, AND very seriously looks in to a football only facility, of some kind. Cig isn't gonna be coaching much longer, in the big scheme. We're gonna need for the program itself to be competitive, and not just rely on the head coach.
I generally read your posts and find myself nodding my head in agreement with the majority of them. In this case, I don't think there's a single thing I'm in agreement on aside from actual stadium improvements.
We DON'T need a football-only indoor facility. We DON'T need eyesore parking garages where there is currently parking and greenspace. Getting schools on campus to pay for athletics upgrades would be an absolute boondoggle and perhaps right out of the playbook of what a politician might do, so I wouldn't put it totally past Pam, but seems incredibly far-fetched.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Tennessee is also building something similar. Bloomington is too NIMBY to build anything like an entertainment district.
Did you start a whole new topic about an infeasible project so you could bitch about Bloomington and IU? 7 days after we won a natty?
Where there is a will, there is a way. Tennessee is also building something similar. Bloomington is too NIMBY to build anything like an entertainment district.
Did you start a whole new topic about an infeasible project so you could bitch about Bloomington and IU? 7 days after we won a natty?
It absolutely is feasible and even the site owner agrees.
So, yes?
You just said Bloomington will never do it.
Bloomington wouldn’t but IU absolutely could. Galen Clavio also advocated for some mixed use development by Memorial Stadium.
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