Pregame: The Assembly Hall Renovation Project

[IlliniTSM]

Bump.

This advertisement showed up in my student email inbox this afternoon:



http://pacmail.em.marketinghq.net/fu...q_v=fa0044fcf7 (link to advertisement)

[jrichisamazing]

Originally Posted by Shiloh

while I understand that catering to old, rich people with luxury suites and the like is critical to raising funds for this thing, I'm of the mind that assembly hall can be drastically improved with just a few changes.

1. Just flip the entire court configuration. Camera looking at krush & commentators, with benches and visiting fans on the other side. I don't see why this should be a big deal because the hall is symmetrical.

2. For shots where you can still see the A section, change the seats to ones with orange upholstery so the empty seats are less obvious in wide shots.

Now these fixes are purely aesthetic for the tv cameras and do little for the obstructed views in low A section and the back of krush, but they are extremely cheap and easy. If we want to throw some money at this thing, these are the biggest changes I would make:

1. Chop off A section so the closest rows on the sides are the same level as the closest rows behind the baskets.

2. Dig into the floor so we can lower the court. I don't know all the details of the feasibility of this, but as a structural engineer I don't know why the center floor would be critical. Introduce stadium seating for the krush and have the student section extend 270 degrees around the court (again facing the camera). If we have better seating to offer the krush we can expand membership and have a daunting wall of orange around the court.

3. Have a bigger and better scoreboard that makes sitting in C suck a little less. The shape of the building and the way the C section sits on the walls means that reconfiguration options are limited.

4. Add movable sound reflector panels to the roof or center catwalk thing. This would make the building far less cavernous and contribute to more noise on court level.

5. Add a raising platform to center court that the chief will one day rise out of at halftime.

(6) we need a comprehensive ticket market to make using another's ticket less of a pain in the butt. Also, if the old farts don't show up by 15 minutes into the first half we should encourage others to fill in the lower seats like we do when there's a snowstorm or something

Krush and benches should be on the same side. That's what Ohio St, Mich St, Mich, along with many other schools, do.

[illinicb]

Originally Posted by IlliniTSM

Bump.

This advertisement showed up in my student email inbox this afternoon:

http://pacmail.em.marketinghq.net/fu...q_v=fa0044fcf7 (link to advertisement)

Thanks TSM. I'm not a current student (I was barely a student when I was enrolled), I was curious what the petition is and what the ballot is? Are "they" looking to increase student fees or is there something else involved?

Thanks.

[IlliniTSM]

Originally Posted by illinicb

Thanks TSM. I'm not a current student (I was barely a student when I was enrolled), I was curious what the petition is and what the ballot is? Are "they" looking to increase student fees or is there something else involved?

Thanks.

illinicb, the petition is to add a question to the spring student elections ballot. I forgot to copy and paste the actual wording of the survey before I submitted it , but the question they want to add to the ballot is something like "Do you support a $25.00 increase to the general fee in order to support the Assembly Hall renovations?"

Now my question is, was this part of the master funding plan all along, or is it a desperation move because other fundraising efforts have not been fruitful?

[IL2000]

[IL2000]

[IL2000]

[IL2000]

[-josh-]

I don't see me in any of those pictures.

[Illini70math]

Originally Posted by -josh-

I don't see me in any of those pictures.

You're the dorky looking guy in the third picture down.


Hey, just trying to be helpful!

[frankfortillini]

Originally Posted by kurtatx

Hefner Hall seems more likely if we're talking about naming rights. Dude has lots of $$$

Far from it - Hef's net worth is shockingly low. He doesn't even own the Mansion.

[OrangeAndBlue217]

Neil Bluhm is our richest Alum. Net worth 1.8 Bil. I would hope we are trying to/are getting money from him. Also, Larry Ellison, the world's fifth richest man, attended the University of Illinois, but dropped out before earning a diploma.

http://www.businessinsider.com/riche...#ixzz2Jhirsljx

[HeartofaChampion]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

Larry Ellison, the world's fifth richest man, attended the University of Illinois, but dropped out before earning a diploma.

Too bad he dropped out of UI before getting his degree. Doesn't he know he'll never be a success in life without that diploma?

[PeoriaChief]

It looks alright, but as far as environment there is no way it comes to close to Breslin. Still not enough students close enough to the floor. Still too much space between the court and the fans. Still way too wide open. The upgrades are cosmetic. Not impressed.

[lstewart53x3]

Originally Posted by PeoriaChief

It looks alright, but as far as environment there is no way it comes to close to Breslin. Still not enough students close enough to the floor. Still too much space between the court and the fans. Still way too wide open. The upgrades are cosmetic. Not impressed.

What? I think it looks really good.

[OrangeAndBlue217]

I think it looks good, those arent necessarily the final plans though. I am like others and want the camera facing the student section. I think that is really important.

[PeoriaChief]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

I think it looks good, those arent necessarily the final plans though. I am like others and want the camera facing the student section. I think that is really important.

It is for me as well and I don't see it happening. This LOOKS good but how does it improve our home court advantage? It doesn't.

[danielb927]

Originally Posted by PeoriaChief

It looks alright, but as far as environment there is no way it comes to close to Breslin. Still not enough students close enough to the floor. Still too much space between the court and the fans. Still way too wide open. The upgrades are cosmetic. Not impressed.

Breslin (just went up there yesterday) has ~1400 students around the floor according to the Izzone chairs. AH with the renovation I think will have around 1200, just for comparison. Right now it's about 600, many of whom can't see the game at all.

[Botb9]

Siebel already owns naming on a building on campus. Not sure who else to draw from at that point.

[illini ri0t]

Originally Posted by danielb927

Breslin (just went up there yesterday) has ~1400 students around the floor according to the Izzone chairs. AH with the renovation I think will have around 1200, just for comparison. Right now it's about 600, many of whom can't see the game at all.

1200?! Thats awesome!! And loooooooooong overdue!

[PeoriaChief]

Even if it is 1,200 it's not as closed in or as close as the students are at Breslin. I just always hated that gap (where th sears "loop") between the crowd and the court. Same thing with the space between the end one and crowd at MS.

On another note, there's no way the block I isnt a huge part in the Nike rebranding since its all over these photos. Also disappointing.

[idoc13]

It would be fine if the cameras pointed toward Krush. In that rendering, it doesn't which means it will still look like crap on t.v. There is also too much space between the floor and the crowd.

I don't know what is so hard about this... Put more students really close to the floor. Point the cameras at them. Done.

[Dan]

So they need a $25 increase in student fees for the project, to be voted on March 5-6. After that, then perhaps they'll release the entire project to the public [?].

Btw according to the IlliniHoops twitter, the plan is to move the TV cameras to face the east side, to face the new Orange Krush section.

About
Re-Assemble Assembly Hall, Leave A Legacy
The Assembly Hall is ready for a face lift! Join the movement to help out our beloved arena today!!!

Description

The University of Illinois' Assembly Hall has experienced numerous memorable events in its 50 years. From the Flying Illini to Elvis to the Barnum & Bailey Circus, now is the time to celebrate the Assembly Hall's past, present, and future with a face lift!

With a simple $25 increase to the general student fee beginning in the fall of 2014, every student can help personally create a new Assembly Hall legacy that includes a ton of new perks. This renovation will give students an arena that is student friendly, filled with energy, and something they can brag about to friends. The renovation will include a number of updated amenities: additional restrooms and concession stands on all concourse levels, larger concourses, air conditioning, an indoor atrium entrance with ticket office, Illini fan store, Hall of Fame area, new seating, a retractable seating structure providing 2,500 square feet more open space, new video board, ribbon boards, and enhanced accessibility for all ADA patrons.

The student body will see increased benefits from this project. Student seating on the floor for basketball games will increase significantly. A student lounge will be created for use at basketball games and other events throughout the year. There will be a private student entrance as well as continued ticket pre-sales and discounts for concerts and shows.

The addition of this student fee now will ensure that our current generation of Illinois students will leave a legacy for future generations of Illini. For more information, browse this page to learn more about the renovation project or contact the committee promoting this project at renovateAH@gmail.com. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @renovateAH

https://www.facebook.com/ReAssembleAssembly/info

[danielb927]

Originally Posted by illini ri0t

1200?! Thats awesome!! And loooooooooong overdue!

That's my best estimate, anyhow, just basing it off the pics. Haven't heard anything official.

[FeelYourPaign]

I hope that vote passes.
But I wonder exactly how important it is that it pass.
Estimating 40,000 students (easy math) at $25 per student
That is $1 million per year for the length of the extra assessment.

Obviously, $1 million is nice, but isn't a single $1 million a drop in the bucket of a project like this? So, either they have other very good sources of funding, the extra fee is a perpetuity (like Chicago area tolls, ha ha).

Does $1 million float this project? Doubtful in my mind.
But if the students vote for it, then they had darned well better end up with a lot more floor seats !!