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Post by blackcatinorange on Apr 22, 2011 21:50:31 GMT -6
The most interesting fact in that article were the attendance figures. The year after the FF run, GM drew an average of 6,800 fans. Last year it was down to 5,900, for a program that was still NCAA caliber. I think Butler's numbers last season were similar, and they don't even compete with a University in their town in a high D1 league, as we do. I just mention this because I think it helps to keep our attendance numbers in perspective. We are working to grow the numbers, but at our level it would be fabulous to average 6,000 fans a year. That's also why the on-campus arena has to be "right-sized" somewhere near that number. Wow....averaging 6,000 fans a game. That would be great, and I think its possible if we'd increase our fan base at all levels....season tickets holders, students, and walk up crowd. We'd have to be consistent winners or at least always be in the mix to challenge for an NCAA birth, and have enthusiastic and creative marketing. As much as I love the Cell.....I'd be all for a first rate, on campus arena that was a fit for our mid major program. The Milwaukee campus has so much to offer...and a new on site arena would just add to it. |
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Post by gman2 on Apr 23, 2011 20:44:28 GMT -6
6000 fans per year only if this team is a consistent NCAA tourney participant. Otherwise attendance will be closer to the 3-4k mark. So you will play in a half full on campus arena versus a 1/4 to 1/3 full Cell. On campus arena is not a cure to increase attendance. Travel to the campus and parking will prove obstacles to overcome.
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Post by Super King on Apr 24, 2011 1:40:56 GMT -6
Parking is not an issue. Three on-campus lots now.
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Post by wauker on Apr 24, 2011 2:36:37 GMT -6
I would love to see our new arena built near the south campus, by RiverView and Cambridge. That part of town a great college atmosphere and there is a lot more space for parking. I think it would be an easy sell for the bars on North.
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Post by PantherU on Apr 24, 2011 9:58:53 GMT -6
I think Wauker is right on the money - there's less parking, believe it or not, but there's a whole lot of stuff going on right there. And the North Ave. bar owners would be ecstatic.
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Post by buppie05 on Apr 24, 2011 12:33:56 GMT -6
I never bought into the notion that parking on the eastside would be anywhere as challenging as parking downtown. Now that we have increased parking lots, I'm really having a hard time considering parking near campus a challenge at all.
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Post by buppie05 on Apr 24, 2011 12:36:07 GMT -6
If we could average 5-6k in an arena that holds 7,000, that would be a dream come true indeed. That would be one loud/tough venue for any visiting team to walk into.
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Post by Super King on Apr 24, 2011 13:33:40 GMT -6
I would love to see our new arena built near the south campus, by RiverView and Cambridge. That part of town a great college atmosphere and there is a lot more space for parking. I think it would be an easy sell for the bars on North. Would never happen. They barely got permission for the dorms. There's a huge river preservation movement right now, and undue construction near the river (especially of this magnitude) would never fly. |
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Post by Hack on Apr 24, 2011 16:35:03 GMT -6
I would love to see our new arena built near the south campus, by RiverView and Cambridge. That part of town a great college atmosphere and there is a lot more space for parking. I think it would be an easy sell for the bars on North. Would never happen. They barely got permission for the dorms. There's a huge river preservation movement right now, and undue construction near the river (especially of this magnitude) would never fly. f***in' hippies. Yes, let's preserve the beauty that is the North Ave. landscape. |
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Post by Super King on Apr 24, 2011 16:39:09 GMT -6
Considering the river corridor is one of the few untouched strips of greenspace in the city, as well as a thriving wetland environment under federal protection, it's more than just silly hippies. Also, the river extends far further than just North Ave, and all of it is under the same scrutiny. You can't just lift those protections just because someone wants to build a sports arena; in fact, that's among the silliest reasons to do it. The dorms were one thing; campus living space is at an incredible premium. But considering there's already a space on campus for basketball and the school has use of a much larger arena downtown, an essentially extraneous sports arena is not a very good reason to lift environmental protections.
Besides, the whole point of this arena is that it's on campus.
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Post by PANTHERfan on Apr 24, 2011 19:48:20 GMT -6
Super, I'm pretty sure Hack was just being facetious... or he was drinking heavily. Most sensible people get the river corridor's ecological importance.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Apr 24, 2011 22:45:46 GMT -6
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Post by PantherU on Apr 25, 2011 9:38:00 GMT -6
I think an Urban Planner said it best in the JS when the article about the Wisc. Paperboard Corp. possibly moving came out.
I can't give an exact quote, but it was something like this: "I think it's nice that they're trying to preserve wildlife and a walking trail for the city, but at the end of the day it is what it is: a city. There's a reason other cities don't have preserve space around their rivers. They could use all that pricey riverfront property."
And in a city like Milwaukee, where you head north five minutes and you're out of the city, it really doesn't make sense.
If they're so dead set on keeping the nature of the river intact, how about we tear down the riverwalk and all the buildings along the river? Then we can move into straw huts along the river and sing koombaya.
I get it - I understand why we're keeping it.
What I don't get is why we couldn't develop the land that currently houses a CARDBOARD FACTORY, or the dirt land to the north of it that goes unused? I'm all for the environment, but let's get serious - a basketball arena is definitely the lesser evil compared to a factory that is just as tall.
If a factory is there, the "hippies and not just them" shouldn't get riled up over building an arena.
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Rawls
Junior
Everyone's Entitled To My Opinion
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Post by Rawls on Apr 25, 2011 13:51:12 GMT -6
Well Said, Jimmy
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Post by BBFran on Apr 25, 2011 15:21:34 GMT -6
I don't have a problem with a riverside location for a basketball arena from an environmental standpoint, if properly done, but it would be a difficult choice from a transportation standpoint. You can approach the east side campus from four directions, and there's a lot of on-campus parking available in the evening and on weekends. The paperboard site, in contrast, has very constricted access, and no nearby parking ramps.
It is nice that there are more food/bar options available near North Avenue, but putting the arena on campus may spur more such development on Oakland or Downer, too.
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