Where Would You Put A New Basketball Arena?

[salonghorn-70]

I am assuming that a decision will be made to raze the Erwin Center for a medical school. I am also going to assume that a new arena will be a joint facility with the City of Austin. So where do you put it?

 

[texexted]

There have been discussions with the city about putting it somewhere downtown. Not sure that's the answer. On campus is the logical location but there are obviously many challenges there due to lack of available space.

 

[salonghorn-70]

Where would the space be available downtown? I agree there doesn't seem to be any space around campus. I wonder if it could end up going further south on I35?

 

[Pogo]

Move the track/soccer stadium off campus, and put the new basketball arena there. It's big enough and close enough to I-35.
Track and soccer don't need to be on campus near as much as a basketball/multi-purpose arena.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

I would expand Gregory.

 

[ViperHorn]

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[Brad Austin]

Track, soccer??? Yeah we should keep them where they are so all 23 people can have solid access to watching. Look to the left of your screen, it's called "other sports" for a reason.

I say build a real fieldhouse that's cramped and loud right there. Give me some of that Hoosiers vibe. Rick Barnes can roll up a newspaper and buy a Gene Hackman wig. Let's do this! Soccer = Pele and Beckham. Woohoo. Move aside, the real football is already nearby anyway.

 

[Third Coast]

When I think of Texas basketball, cramped and loud doesn't come to mind. Anything is possible, but I doubt a new arena is going to change that.

 

[Bevo-Stevo]

South end of DKR-Memorial stadium. Let the city/county build their own arena for concerts, circus, and ice capades.

 

[giveemhell]

I'd demo one or two of the state parking garages on San Jacinto Street (adjacent to or across the street from Scholz's) and replace them with a single purpose basketball arena.

It's not quite as far-fetched as it sounds. Two years ago, the Texas Facilities Commission created a new master plan for the Capitol Complex (and surrounding state land and buildings) that recommended demoing that monstrous row of state parking garages lining San Jacinto and replacing them with a variety of mixed-use buildings. The people who worked on that study realized that those parking garages were a gross under-utilization of prime downtown real estate.

The plan was ultimately shot down by the recent legislature for a variety of reasons, the primary one being everyone’s unease that one small group of planners was suggesting changes to the look and feel of the Capitol Complex for the next 100 years. In other words, everyone wanted to take a step back and allow all stakeholders to have some input in this process (which likely means that nothing will ever happen). I agree that more time should be taken, but there is a kernel of truth in the study’s finding that those parking garages were a colossal mistake. One of them would be a great site for a basketball arena.

 

[notanative]

What's going on the UJH site?

 

[notanative]

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[Horns11]

I've always said demo the RecSports Center, 20th St, and the School of Social Work. Build a new SoSW on the other side of 35 in one of the parking lots. Build a state-of-the-art fieldhouse where the demolition took place.

Ditto what the others said about nixing any joint project with the city. They'd monopolize it and demand too much control.

 

[Horn69]

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[2003TexasGrad]

Yeah Brad, you mean the real football where the players that actually use their feet are the ones that people say arent real football players? Haha good one. Soccer is the real football. Not that you have to like it of course, but lets not mince words.

Im for putting a new arena where the Rec Center is, or across MLK where some of the city parking garages are. It needs to be on campus or immediately adjacent to it. And no more than 10K seats, maybe even 8K. A larger version of Cameron indoor, but with LA Lakers "showtime" lighting. Make it the most bad *** krunk arena. Not a cavern.

 

[Wishbonemac]

Far East Austin, like on 51st between Springdale and Ed Bluestein. There's a new Super 8 motel right there.

Progressive thinking in Austin these days is focusing on reducing traffic downtown and locating the new Dodds Center in a previously underserved areas kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[2003TexasGrad]

Well then, why not just have it in Manor? Cheap land.

 

[Lone_Star]

Hey, since we're talking about moving it to places like Manor, I have about 27 acres of land east of the airport right off of 71 and Wolf Lane. It's right on the Travis/Bastrop line, on the Travis side. I'm open to selling.

 

[2003TexasGrad]

Hey, make it a part of the Circuit of the Americas complex. See how many students show up for those games!

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

I say they wait and put it right on top of the tunnel the city council wants to spend a couple billion dollars to reconnect east and west Austin. We could call it Friendship Field house, hold hands and all sing kumbaya.