6 month update on stadium-area project

[18IsTheMan]

The latest update is: no update.

Nevertheless, Ray says "I’m noticing a lot of other schools are popping up now with different ideas and moving in that direction. We think we’re a little bit ahead of that pace."

I'm not sure what pace we're ahead of. The "breaking" announcement in February was that a request for information had been submitted. Stop the presses! Didn't even have a design mock-up of what it might look like as a teaser. Six months later it's "we don’t have anything at this point that we can share."

Gamecocks 'game-changing' project to benefit athletics remains uncertain

South Carolina's "game-changer" project that in theory will pay for several athletic facility improvements has yet to move out of neutral despite being announced in February.

www.postandcourier.com

 

[Deleted11512]

Just because someone releases a drawing of what they'd like doesn't mean anything. I'm sure RT could have done that in Feb. Also, I'm not aware of any that have been released that are in the size and scope of what we're going to do. I think it was Kansas that just released their 40 acre project. Ours is 900 acres. I've got a little knowledge of the commercial development space, and it's not for the impatient. When we're talking about 10 digits, it's going to take longer than you had hoped 100% of the time. Also, I'm sure the current financing environment is slowing things down a bit as well.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Just because someone releases a drawing of what they'd like doesn't mean anything. I'm sure RT could have done that in Feb. Also, I'm not aware of any that have been released that are in the size and scope of what we're going to do. I think it was Kansas that just released their 40 acre project. Ours is 900 acres. I've got a little knowledge of the commercial development space, and it's not for the impatient. When we're talking about 10 digits, it's going to take longer than you had hoped 100% of the time. Also, I'm sure the current financing environment is slowing things down a bit as well.

That February announcement was teased as a MAJOR announcement. It was really built up. And it wasn't just a press release. It was Ray getting in front of the cameras to make a big announcement. All to tell us, basically, "we're thinking about doing something, but don't even know yet if we can do it, and, even if we are able to do it, we don't know what it might eventually entail or even look like." There was a thread on this forum about what a humongous nothing burger the announcement was. Just find it funny that after such a hyped up announcement, he still can't tell us anything 6 months later. He can't even say "we're moving forward Moral of the story: next time just do a press release and be done with it. A few weeks ago there was interview with the Gamecock Club director where he hinted at some major WB upgrades in connection with this project. P*ss or get off the pot. If you don't have anything to announce, don't announce things. Six months after the major announcement and you still can't even say what it might potentially be. I know the wheels move slowly, but you have to wonder if they're even turning at all.

UT is planning a similar development and announced it in March, but they actually stated some concrete plans and provided some preliminary renderings. So, we're actually behind the pace.

 

[KingWard]

Show me the bulldozers.

 

[Deleted11512]

That February announcement was teased as a MAJOR announcement. It was really built up. And it wasn't just a press release. It was Ray getting in front of the cameras to make a big announcement. All to tell us, basically, "we're thinking about doing something, but don't even know yet if we can do it, and, even if we are able to do it, we don't know what it might eventually entail or even look like." There was a thread on this forum about what a humongous nothing burger the announcement was. Just find it funny that after such a hyped up announcement, he still can't tell us anything 6 months later. He can't even say "we're moving forward Moral of the story: next time just do a press release and be done with it. A few weeks ago there was interview with the Gamecock Club director where he hinted at some major WB upgrades in connection with this project. P*ss or get off the pot. If you don't have anything to announce, don't announce things. Six months after the major announcement and you still can't even say what it might potentially be. I know the wheels move slowly, but you have to wonder if they're even turning at all.

UT is planning a similar development and announced it in March, but they actually stated some concrete plans and provided some preliminary renderings. So, we're actually behind the pace.

I get it, and agree to a degree. I think it's a catch 22. You can't just quietly throw out a RFQ for a 900 acre billion dollar project. His issue was the timeline. No way we have plans this year. It's going to a year just to visualize ideas for a project that size.

UT's development isn't all that similar. They announced enhancements to the football stadium, which were approved in 2017. Unless there was another $300M development they announced in March.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I get it, and agree to a degree. I think it's a catch 22. You can't just quietly throw out a RFQ for a 900 acre billion dollar project. His issue was the timeline. No way we have plans this year. It's going to a year just to visualize ideas for a project that size.

UT's development isn't all that similar. They announced enhancements to the football stadium, which were approved in 2017. Unless there was another $300M development they announced in March.

What didn't make sense is not only that they had a press conference to announce a request for information had been been submitted, but they also publicized it as a major announcement. Not even knowing if it was actually going to even be feasible.

UT's project is smaller scale, obviously, given their location. Nevertheless, their announcement was more concrete on what their plans were. For that, I give them kudos for being ahead of us. They have plans. We don't know even know yet, 6 months later, if our big development is even possible.

Ray's announcement, literally, was nothing more than "We have an idea but no other details."

 

[Deleted11512]

What didn't make sense is not only that they had a press conference to announce a request for information had been been submitted, but they also publicized it as a major announcement. Not even knowing if it was actually going to even be feasible.

UT's project is smaller scale, obviously, given their location. Nevertheless, their announcement was more concrete on what their plans were. For that, I give them kudos for being ahead of us. They have plans. We don't know even know yet, 6 months later, if our big development is even possible.

Ray's announcement, literally, was nothing more than "We have an idea but no other details."

Again, it's apples and oranges. UT's project is a part of their budget, that was approved 6 years ago. So, they just announced details of funding that was approved in 2017. It basic facility improvement work. We're basically trying to build a small town.

This project is completely difference. Not a dime of the AD budget is going into this. And for the most part, it's things we've already done. That stadium is a dump, and what they're doing now they should have done 8 years ago.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Again, it's apples and oranges. UT's project is a part of their budget, that was approved 6 years ago. So, they just announced details of funding that was approved in 2017. It basic facility improvement work. We're basically trying to build a small town.

This project is completely difference. Not a dime of the AD budget is going into this. And for the most part, it's things we've already done. That stadium is a dump, and what they're doing now they should have done 8 years ago.

No. Apples to apples. I am talking about their entertainment district project, which will have shops and restaurants and a hotel. Totally separate project from the stadium renos which were approved a long time ago and are already in progress

Project is very similar in concept to ours, but smaller scale due to their size restrictions in the area.

 

[Deleted11512]

No. Apples to apples. I am talking about their entertainment district project, which will have shops and restaurants and a hotel. Totally separate project from the stadium renos which were approved a long time ago and are already in progress

Project is very similar in concept to ours, but smaller scale due to their size restrictions in the area.

Do you have a link to that? The only thing I could find was their stadium project.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Do you have a link to that? The only thing I could find was their stadium project.

UT Athletics plans new 'entertainment district' with Neyland Stadium and planned hotel at its center

The planned hotel is adjacent to Neyland Stadium's south end and the district would span the Tennessee River waterfront.

www.wbir.com

 

[will110]

The latest update is: no update.

Nevertheless, Ray says "I’m noticing a lot of other schools are popping up now with different ideas and moving in that direction. We think we’re a little bit ahead of that pace."

I'm not sure what pace we're ahead of. The "breaking" announcement in February was that a request for information had been submitted. Stop the presses! Didn't even have a design mock-up of what it might look like as a teaser. Six months later it's "we don’t have anything at this point that we can share."

Gamecocks 'game-changing' project to benefit athletics remains uncertain

South Carolina's "game-changer" project that in theory will pay for several athletic facility improvements has yet to move out of neutral despite being announced in February.

www.postandcourier.com

Are you surprised? My reaction was very muted when they made the announcement because it was a lot of conjecture and speculation with nothing concrete. I'm not getting excited until they break ground, and even then it's still a long way off.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Are you surprised? My reaction was very muted when they made the announcement because it was a lot of conjecture and speculation with nothing concrete. I'm not getting excited until they break ground, and even then it's still a long way off.

I didn't realize that stadium upgrades are linked to revenue from this entertainment district (per Ray in the article linked). It seems like this project is probably years away. We don't even know yet if it's possible.

 

[Deleted11512]

UT Athletics plans new 'entertainment district' with Neyland Stadium and planned hotel at its center

The planned hotel is adjacent to Neyland Stadium's south end and the district would span the Tennessee River waterfront.

www.wbir.com

Got it. So a hotel a small strip mall type setup. Like I said, it's apples to oranges. That's probably less than 10 acres of development. And that's all they know. They want a hotel and a mixed use space to sit on top of an existing parking garage...that's it.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Got it. So a hotel a small strip mall type setup. Like I said, it's apples to oranges. That's probably less than 10 acres of development. And that's all they know. They want a hotel and a mixed use space to sit on top of an existing parking garage...that's it.

Just because it's smaller does not sidestep the fact that the projects are still similar. Basically identical concepts, with one major caveat: their project is much more complex than ours. We are trying to develop a wide open and mostly vacant and unused space. They are trying to develop in an already highly-developed downtown area with little space available. They have far more hurdles to contend with, hence the creative solution of a roof-top entertainment district. In that sense, it is apples to oranges, since they have many more considerations to make than we do.

On the basic elements of the project, though, it's apples to apples. Can't really be any debate about that. An entertainment district near the stadium containing shops and restaurants. Throw in a pedestrian bridge for them as well.

To their credit, they already know what they want to do and have given a projected layout. All Ray can say is "we want to do something but we don't know what yet."

 

[muscleknight]

And you have to keep the retail you lure or it will become an abandoned strip mall eye sore.

 

[Deleted11512]

Just because it's smaller does not sidestep the fact that the projects are still similar. Basically identical concepts, with one major caveat: their project is much more complex than ours. We are trying to develop a wide open and mostly vacant and unused space. They are trying to develop in an already highly-developed downtown area with little space available. They have far more hurdles to contend with, hence the creative solution of a roof-top entertainment district. In that sense, it is apples to oranges, since they have many more considerations to make than we do.

On the basic elements of the project, though, it's apples to apples. Can't really be any debate about that. An entertainment district near the stadium containing shops and restaurants. Throw in a pedestrian bridge for them as well.

To their credit, they already know what they want to do and have given a projected layout. All Ray can say is "we want to do something but we don't know what yet."

You think it's more complex to add a roof to a parking garage for bars and restaurants and replace a storage warehouse with hotel than it is to take 900 acres and design something that makes sense? What UT is doing isn't a "district". It's a couple of buildings. I guess I would expect them to have a better idea b/c there's not many options. There are plenty of things to criticize RT for. I just don't think this is one of them. The only thing UT has said more than USC is "we want a hotel".

 

[Atlanta_Cock]

I don't care for Tanner. Never have as our AD. He's still not savvy enough or qualified.

 

[Rogue Cock]

I don't care for Tanner. Never have as our AD. He's still not savvy enough or qualified.

It's painfully obvious you have never been in meetings with him.

 

[Atlanta_Cock]

It's painfully obvious you have never been in meetings with him.

Sounds like you haven't either.

 

[Rogue Cock]

Sounds like you haven't either.

Actually several.

 

[Atlanta_Cock]

Actually several.

Is that you, Ray? In any event, I stand by my comment.

 

[Deleted11512]

Is that you, Ray? In any event, I stand by my comment.

RT is a good, not great, AD. He’s a coach’s AD, so his leash is a little too long for my liking. IMO that’s what’s holding him back from being a great AD.

 

[Prestonyte]

Show me the bulldozers.

Or at the purchase orders

 

[Rogue Cock]

Is that you, Ray? In any event, I stand by my comment.

Trite.

 

[Rogue Cock]

Double post.

 

[Atlanta_Cock]

RT is a good, not great, AD. He’s a coach’s AD, so his leash is a little too long for my liking. IMO that’s what’s holding him back from being a great AD.

What's holding him back is his lack of brights. That position is way too sophisticated and complex for him. It's not just about hiring and managing coaches. It's primarily akin to running a $100MM corp which he's never been qualified to do. I've been to events where he spoke about future plans. It was embarrassingly pathetic and unprofessional. I have zero confidence in his ability to prosecute that job.