AUSTIN | Moody Center (U.T. Basketball Arena) | Complete

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by bearinaustin

Clark Field has actually been completely renovated since you've been on campus. It's now called Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center. We upgraded it with synthetic turf, new track, wifi, energy efficient lighting, scoreboards, support buildings. It is packed every night.

I do work for UT RecSports here at UT Austin, but I can't really express any opinions. Sorry! I am really excited for the future though!

Edit: reduced image size



Aerial of how it looks now:

Well, whatever they do with Clark Field, somewhere there ought to be a small monument stating, "Here, Darrell Royal trained champions!"

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

That's actually awesome re: Jester. I take back my previous point. I do still think Dobie should be totally demolished.

Why do you object to Dobie to the extent that you'd want to sentence it to death by lethal implosion? If it's just a question of appearances then maybe the better alternative is to get developers to surround it with taller buildings that obscure it from view.

If it's about street interaction, then I think this is a case where I don't see that as an issue. That location doesn't really need a lot of street-facing retail. The Dobie Mall (if it still exists) contains more of the type of cheap businesses that students patronize than could fit in street-level retail units. I have to disclose some bias here, because I spent 6 years in the Business school and appreciated the existence of the Dobie mall. I liked that there were multiple offerings with a common seating area. This had a nice community effect, such as when large groups of mostly-international students congregated there for the World Cup in 1994. I had no interest in soccer until I got infected by the atmosphere of that room during those games.

But going back to the Jester and Dobie hate, even though they're both hideous (especially Jester), they're functional and they exist. It would cost tens of millions to demolish and thoroughly remove them, and hundreds of millions to replace them. That cost would be passed on to students, the university, and taxpayers. College students are generally far less choosy about the aesthetics and fancy features of their living quarters than are their elders, so why incur all that cost to change things that don't need changing?

[dphogan]

Dobie is not owned by UT. It's a private dorm.

I've heard that UT has considered putting an arena where the current Swimming and Diving complex is and building a new swim center elsewhere on the eastside near the Disch and softball fields. I'm a UT alum and think basketball games in an on campus arena still would not have a large turnout. Games start at 7 or later and students aren't going to come back to campus. Put it downtown and make it easier for the 25-50 yr olds to attend. Students will follow if the arena is built right. The Drum is a horrible venue and that's why they can't draw there. The women need to play in Gregory. They will never fill a large arena. They can always move big games to the new arena if needed.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by dphogan

Dobie is not owned by UT. It's a private dorm.

I've heard that UT has considered putting an arena where the current Swimming and Diving complex is and building a new swim center elsewhere on the eastside near the Disch and softball fields. I'm a UT alum and think basketball games in an on campus arena still would not have a large turnout. Games start at 7 or later and students aren't going to come back to campus. Put it downtown and make it easier for the 25-50 yr olds to attend. Students will follow if the arena is built right. The Drum is a horrible venue and that's why they can't draw there. The women need to play in Gregory. They will never fill a large arena. They can always move big games to the new arena if needed.

I don't agree with any of this other than the Drum is terrible.

The reason they don't fill it is because the product is crap. Improve the product and they'd even fill that outdated morgue they call the Erwin Center. The women's basketball team filled the Drum in the 80s when they were perennial contenders. We don't need gimmicks. We don't need a freaking DJ. What we need is wins.

And don't tie basketball season tickets in with football season tickets. That's why you get so many empty prime seats. They're held by people who don't care about basketball. They may have addressed this recently. I don't know. But it was a problem and should be fixed if it hasn't already.

A lot of freshmen and sophomores (the ones full of school spirit and energy) will be living on campus. An on-campus arena would be a good thing. Make sure to have the student section contain good seating (at least the lower 5 rows on one sideline and both endlines). Make it first come, first serve. The student stampede should be encouraged. When I was in school we actually had kids camping out for the stampede. I was in a few myself. It was great.

I've heard the idea about moving the swim center. I think that would be a good spot for an arena, as are a few other locations.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter where the arena goes as long as it's done right and we put a winning product on the floor. Win and the fans will show up.

[lzppjb]

I've tried to draw it before, but I don't have the skills. My idea would be an arena designed to be used as just a lower level (most women's games and some men's), but be expandable to an upperdeck for big games and tournaments.

There'd be a lower bowl. At the top of that lower level, there would be luxury suites. The upper deck would be above the suites. For smaller games, there would be a way to cut off the upper deck from view, and also keep the noise down low to make it a louder environment. My mind sees large, dark curtain-like panels draped from above the center court scoreboard to the tops of the luxury suites. But it would obviously have to be done in an aesthetically pleasing way, and not trailer-trashy (OU).

[bearinaustin]

Originally Posted by Tech House

Why do you object to Dobie to the extent that you'd want to sentence it to death by lethal implosion? If it's just a question of appearances then maybe the better alternative is to get developers to surround it with taller buildings that obscure it from view.

If it's about street interaction, then I think this is a case where I don't see that as an issue. That location doesn't really need a lot of street-facing retail. The Dobie Mall (if it still exists) contains more of the type of cheap businesses that students patronize than could fit in street-level retail units. I have to disclose some bias here, because I spent 6 years in the Business school and appreciated the existence of the Dobie mall. I liked that there were multiple offerings with a common seating area. This had a nice community effect, such as when large groups of mostly-international students congregated there for the World Cup in 1994. I had no interest in soccer until I got infected by the atmosphere of that room during those games.

But going back to the Jester and Dobie hate, even though they're both hideous (especially Jester), they're functional and they exist. It would cost tens of millions to demolish and thoroughly remove them, and hundreds of millions to replace them. That cost would be passed on to students, the university, and taxpayers. College students are generally far less choosy about the aesthetics and fancy features of their living quarters than are their elders, so why incur all that cost to change things that don't need changing?

Dobie is going to become more of an office complex / dorm as they are gutting the theater and turning it into offices.

Also many of the food options have recently left Dobie. VERTs moved out after they finished expanding their location on the drag @ Dean Keeton.

[bearinaustin]

Originally Posted by jg6544

Well, whatever they do with Clark Field, somewhere there ought to be a small monument stating, "Here, Darrell Royal trained champions!"

Oh I can guarantee Clark will not be the site. It's in a floodplain. We couldn't even build a fence/gate around it because of the floodplain.

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by bearinaustin

Oh I can guarantee Clark will not be the site. It's in a floodplain. We couldn't even build a fence/gate around it because of the floodplain.

Yes nearly the whole field is in the floodplain, but a good quarter is considered floodway. You can build in a floodplain as long as you have a first finished floor at least 1-2 feet above the base flood elevation depending on jurisdiction. But almost nothing can go in a floodway unless you spend lots of money to study it and control it and divert it and make sure nothing up or down stream is impacted adversely.

[the Genral]

Time to dig another diversion tunnel.

[Owlhorn]

Originally Posted by electricron

Yes, AAC was built in Victory Park. Victory Park was going to happen whether or not AAC was built or not. I do not believe larger, taller buildings are being built in Victory Park just because AAC is there.

Suppose, put on your imagination hats, UT decided to build their new basketball arena in Mueller. Then suggest Mueller developed better because of it. Would it really? Mueller has been in planning long before UT sited our imaginary arena there.

Victory Park was a brownfield. It may have eventually redeveloped, but it was a huge project that required federal approval, oversight and required public backing. I doubt it would have been built on at all.

[the Genral]

Rick Barnes is out as UT basketball coach. Official announcement Sunday or Monday.

[Syndic]

We hired Patterson to do four things; fire Mack Brown, fire Rick Barnes, expand DKR, and build a new basketball arena.

2 down, 2 to go.

Now I just hope we can get a good replacement.

[Owlhorn]

Am I the only one that got the financial video on the UT Youtube channel. What a completely different approach by Patterson. Have never seen so much financial handwringing. Perhaps he just doesn't have the relationships that Dodds had? Found this as odd

• Video Link

[Austin1971]

C

[wwmiv]

Frankly, I'm against a basketball arena here unless it is mixed-use.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Frankly, I'm against a basketball arena here unless it is mixed-use.

I agree.

If they design a stadium that's built into a mixed use development then it would be a part of the daily use of the neighborhood not just a place that is only used occasionally then sits empty creating a dead zone. It's a good location and could work for a new soccer stadium or arena but not on its own.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I agree.

If they design a stadium that's built into a mixed use development then it would be a part of the daily use of the neighborhood not just a place that is only used occasionally then sits empty creating a dead zone. It's a good location and could work for a new soccer stadium or arena but not on its own.

Exactly. I want street level retail.

[Austin1971]

A

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Syndic

We hired Patterson to do four things; fire Mack Brown, fire Rick Barnes, expand DKR, and build a new basketball arena.

2 down, 2 to go.

Now I just hope we can get a good replacement.

What about Augie Garrido? What an embarrassing and pathetic excuse of a baseball team he continues to trot out there after gloating about them all of season. Geez!

Man, Dodds really allowed all three major coaches to get lazy over the past 5-6 years leading Texas sports (the major ones) into such mediocracy.

[ILUVSAT]

Agree. Hey, Patterson, I don't think you need to review your metrics to figure out that Texas baseball going .500 is a recipe for change. Texas baseball going .500 is akin to Kentucky or Duke basketball going .500.

Okay...back to the topic. As much as I would like to see an arena downtown, I would agree that the best spot for a new one would be on campus somewhere.