@HurricanesHome - A Real Detailed Plan for Tropical Park

[MGreen26]

The Dolphins are spending $350M to improve No Life Stadium, its centrally located to all three counties and easy to get to, and UM has 20+ years left on its lease.

I believe they are adding/moving seats closer to the field on the sidelines as part of the improvements on top of putting a roof type structure so all UM has to do is tarp off the upper deck and we'll have a huge improvement in noise/atmosphere and have a state of the art stadium and field surface.

I used to have to take the metrorail to a bus to get to the Orange Bowl with no place to tailgate so the fact that the 5k students that go to games simply have to take a bus and/or have a large space to tailgate just means those that don't attend are pussies.

The FAU stadium is an erector set and glorified high school stadium. Anyone that is clamoring for that type of stadium versus an NFL stadium is a fool.

Financing of private stadiums are a giant waste of money and a losing proposition financially in every instance. Better to have the Alonzo type fundraising go for things he mentioned like indoor fields and better training table facilities rather than a money losing stadium that gets used 6 days a year.

A state of the art stadium? you can't possibly be serious. They are not moving the seats closer to the field. the existing structure is remaining the same. At most they are just adding some to the lower bowl.
Also not seeing how students are pussies. What other college requires their students to take a 45 minute bus ride to the dam stadium. Plus if they actually want to tailgate hard, they can't take the free buses the school provides, because they only leave like 2.5 hours before the games starts. So that means they have to drive or carpool, which means someone won't be able to drink, when usually that's the entire point, while in college. It absolutely is a ****ty gameday for students compared to other colleges, probably the worst in college football.

#1 When the Dolphins are spending $350M (which is more than the stadiums the OP referenced to be built from scratch are) then YES I do believe it will be a "state of the art" stadium. The seats are being moved closer to the field. Take at look at the article for yourself.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/6/19/5824758/dolphins-stadium-renovation-plans-sun-life

#2 The gameday atmosphere for students has been like this for 25+ years. When UM played at the OB students had to take the metrorail to Overtown then get on a bus to get to the games. How is that easier than just getting on a bus and getting off the bus at the stadium? There was NO PLACE to park your car at the OB if you chose to tailgate so we would rent buses, throw a couple kegs in the back, and roll over to the stadium. You can **** about anything in life these days but a 45 minute bus ride shouldn't be one of them.

Bottom line is if the team is any good the stadium atmosphere will take care of itself. Put a ****ty product on the field and there will be a ****ty atmosphere.

In this day and age, third world facilities equal third world coaches which equals a bad product. Until the school makes a financial commitment to football nothing will change.

 

[Calinative]

The Dolphins are spending $350M to improve No Life Stadium, its centrally located to all three counties and easy to get to, and UM has 20+ years left on its lease.

I believe they are adding/moving seats closer to the field on the sidelines as part of the improvements on top of putting a roof type structure so all UM has to do is tarp off the upper deck and we'll have a huge improvement in noise/atmosphere and have a state of the art stadium and field surface.

I used to have to take the metrorail to a bus to get to the Orange Bowl with no place to tailgate so the fact that the 5k students that go to games simply have to take a bus and/or have a large space to tailgate just means those that don't attend are pussies.

The FAU stadium is an erector set and glorified high school stadium. Anyone that is clamoring for that type of stadium versus an NFL stadium is a fool.

Financing of private stadiums are a giant waste of money and a losing proposition financially in every instance. Better to have the Alonzo type fundraising go for things he mentioned like indoor fields and better training table facilities rather than a money losing stadium that gets used 6 days a year.

A state of the art stadium? you can't possibly be serious. They are not moving the seats closer to the field. the existing structure is remaining the same. At most they are just adding some to the lower bowl.
Also not seeing how students are pussies. What other college requires their students to take a 45 minute bus ride to the dam stadium. Plus if they actually want to tailgate hard, they can't take the free buses the school provides, because they only leave like 2.5 hours before the games starts. So that means they have to drive or carpool, which means someone won't be able to drink, when usually that's the entire point, while in college. It absolutely is a ****ty gameday for students compared to other colleges, probably the worst in college football.

#1 When the Dolphins are spending $350M (which is more than the stadiums the OP referenced to be built from scratch are) then YES I do believe it will be a "state of the art" stadium. The seats are being moved closer to the field. Take at look at the article for yourself.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/6/19/5824758/dolphins-stadium-renovation-plans-sun-life

#2 The gameday atmosphere for students has been like this for 25+ years. When UM played at the OB students had to take the metrorail to Overtown then get on a bus to get to the games. How is that easier than just getting on a bus and getting off the bus at the stadium? There was NO PLACE to park your car at the OB if you chose to tailgate so we would rent buses, throw a couple kegs in the back, and roll over to the stadium. You can **** about anything in life these days but a 45 minute bus ride shouldn't be one of them.

Bottom line is if the team is any good the stadium atmosphere will take care of itself. Put a ****ty product on the field and there will be a ****ty atmosphere.

Putting money into it doesn't make it good. And it doesn't matter how easy you think a 45 minute bus ride is to tailgate. How many other schools have to do that? Then you have people like yourselves saying the student support is ******, when also, there are only 10k undergrads to begin with.
"Moving 3600 seats closer to the field" means exactly what I said. They are adding seats in to the lower bowl on the sidelines, which are hella far away. It doesn't change the angle of view for anyone else, which is the entire problem to begin with. All that is really happening is they are improving the Screens, and putting a canopy up. The only way it affects the stadium atmosphere is if it is raining hard.

 

[LuCane]

No offense to the OP but all he did was waste his time with this- not that it doesn't make absolute sense. The administration doesn't need business type plans for a lightbulb to go off in their collective heads.

Want to apply real pressure (relatively speaking as they seem immune to it) to the school? Work on getting a local county politician to go on record saying that Miami-Dade would explore this idea with the school. There are already politicians championing a Canes return to a soccer stadium that looks like it wouldnt fit next to Marlins Park so this might not be that impossible a task. The school's current talking points against Tropical Park is that FIU was needed and wasn't interested and that it's not their land. Get the land part on the table and force their hand in at least admitting that they have no interest.

This is a great idea.

I personally don't hold out any hope for anything short of Beckham building something and gifting us a spot in it but if Highsmith's plan gets going then we need to look for allies outside of the school. Again, the OP was spot on with the material within his effort but trying to cajole them from within is a pointless endeavor.

The [likely] next Miami mayor is an enormous Canes fan who basically doesn't miss a game. If nothing happens under him (soccer or otherwise), which I don't expect it to, this will forever be a pipe dream.

 

[tokengator]

The seats are being moved closer to the field.

No. "The seats" are not being moved closer to the field. Some seats that currently don't exist will be added to bottom while several rows will be removed from the top. The vast majority, like 95% of the stadium, will be the exact same distance from the field after the renovations as they are today. The renovations are superficial and do nothing to change the biggest problem with the stadium which is the absurd distance from the field.

 

[Gatorhater]

The Dolphins are spending $350M to improve No Life Stadium, its centrally located to all three counties and easy to get to, and UM has 20+ years left on its lease.

I believe they are adding/moving seats closer to the field on the sidelines as part of the improvements on top of putting a roof type structure so all UM has to do is tarp off the upper deck and we'll have a huge improvement in noise/atmosphere and have a state of the art stadium and field surface.

I used to have to take the metrorail to a bus to get to the Orange Bowl with no place to tailgate so the fact that the 5k students that go to games simply have to take a bus and/or have a large space to tailgate just means those that don't attend are pussies.

The FAU stadium is an erector set and glorified high school stadium. Anyone that is clamoring for that type of stadium versus an NFL stadium is a fool.

Financing of private stadiums are a giant waste of money and a losing proposition financially in every instance. Better to have the Alonzo type fundraising go for things he mentioned like indoor fields and better training table facilities rather than a money losing stadium that gets used 6 days a year.

I think the real problem with No Life is simple. Aside from the fact that you need a bus to get from seats to field, it has proved to be a stadium of no wins. The OB had magic and history of greatness for the Dolphins and Canes, not to mention fantastic old high school games and several Super Bowls(including #3) too. The Fins have done nothing since moving there, even with Dan at QB. We know what has happened to the Canes. Some people want a stadium to be a place to go and have fun. For most Cane fans that includes winning. The OB was horrid, but what a place to beat the living crap out of people. It was like magic. So the food service was horrible and Lord help you if your bladder was up to the test, but to the opponent it was pure ****. A night game at the OB was over before it began. It was a place where men only could go, or women with real men. No wine drinkers could even make it through the streets to get in. It was indeed special. No Life is a place where a homeless baseball team once won something. They could spend billion dollars on it and only make it worse. It is NOT the OB. We need our own place, not a monument to Joe Robbie's pride. It is curse.

 

[Topgoon]

The Dolphins are spending $350M to improve No Life Stadium, its centrally located to all three counties and easy to get to, and UM has 20+ years left on its lease.

I believe they are adding/moving seats closer to the field on the sidelines as part of the improvements on top of putting a roof type structure so all UM has to do is tarp off the upper deck and we'll have a huge improvement in noise/atmosphere and have a state of the art stadium and field surface.

I used to have to take the metrorail to a bus to get to the Orange Bowl with no place to tailgate so the fact that the 5k students that go to games simply have to take a bus and/or have a large space to tailgate just means those that don't attend are pussies.

The FAU stadium is an erector set and glorified high school stadium. Anyone that is clamoring for that type of stadium versus an NFL stadium is a fool.

Financing of private stadiums are a giant waste of money and a losing proposition financially in every instance. Better to have the Alonzo type fundraising go for things he mentioned like indoor fields and better training table facilities rather than a money losing stadium that gets used 6 days a year.

ssvir, let me guess.... you live in Broward or PB county, right?

 

[ssvir]

Putting money into it doesn't make it good. And it doesn't matter how easy you think a 45 minute bus ride is to tailgate. How many other schools have to do that? Then you have people like yourselves saying the student support is ****ty, when also, there are only 10k undergrads to begin with.

Based upon the California reference in your handle I would imagine you would know that neither UCLA nor USC play close to campus and face the same issues.

I also never said the student support is ******. I know from experience there are truly only about 7,500 students (grad and undergrad) that could/would go to games so we actually have pretty good support from the student population. What I said is that students *****ing about a bus ride face the same issue students did at the OB and nobody *****ed when we were winning 58 games in a row at home.

 

[Tad Footeball]

No offense to the OP but all he did was waste his time with this- not that it doesn't make absolute sense. The administration doesn't need business type plans for a lightbulb to go off in their collective heads.

Want to apply real pressure (relatively speaking as they seem immune to it) to the school? Work on getting a local county politician to go on record saying that Miami-Dade would explore this idea with the school. There are already politicians championing a Canes return to a soccer stadium that looks like it wouldnt fit next to Marlins Park so this might not be that impossible a task. The school's current talking points against Tropical Park is that FIU was needed and wasn't interested and that it's not their land. Get the land part on the table and force their hand in at least admitting that they have no interest.

This is a great idea.

I personally don't hold out any hope for anything short of Beckham building something and gifting us a spot in it but if Highsmith's plan gets going then we need to look for allies outside of the school. Again, the OP was spot on with the material within his effort but trying to cajole them from within is a pointless endeavor.

The [likely] next Miami mayor is an enormous Canes fan who basically doesn't miss a game. If nothing happens under him (soccer or otherwise), which I don't expect it to, this will forever be a pipe dream.

Are you talking next mayor of the City of Miami or of Miami-Dade?

 

[can4life]

look if ucf built a 45k seat stadium for 55m we could at lease spend 80m and have a nice stadium at tropical park... theres no excuse not to have one south miami has plenty of room we should name it Orange bowl stadium at tropical park, the parking is already there its right by the freeway and it would bring some much needed business and jobs to the south miami area, state championship games could be played there football, soccer, lecross, even the pop waner Sean Taylor classic could be played there, concerts could be held there man we need to make this happend.

 

[fro3679]

Why would a stadium at Tropical Park need classrooms and training facilities? Practices would still be on campus. The only time our players would ever be at the stadium would be on game days.

 

[GoldenShowertheGators]

#1 When the Dolphins are spending $350M (which is more than the stadiums the OP referenced to be built from scratch are) then YES I do believe it will be a "state of the art" stadium. The seats are being moved closer to the field. Take at look at the article for yourself. http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/6/19/5824758/dolphins-stadium-renovation-plans-sun-life #2 The gameday atmosphere for students has been like this for 25+ years. When UM played at the OB students had to take the metrorail to Overtown then get on a bus to get to the games. How is that easier than just getting on a bus and getting off the bus at the stadium? There was NO PLACE to park your car at the OB if you chose to tailgate so we would rent buses, throw a couple kegs in the back, and roll over to the stadium. You can ***** about anything in life these days but a 45 minute bus ride shouldn't be one of them. Bottom line is if the team is any good the stadium atmosphere will take care of itself. Put a ****** product on the field and there will be a ****** atmosphere.

This just shows me you have no idea what E-4 is or was. My game day experience as a student involved no metro rail or bus but did involve quite a bit of debauchery. I see the kids now filing past our current tailgate walking the 2.2 miles from where their buses leave them and where they tailgate and I just look at them with nothing but pity.

 

[Tad Footeball]

#1 When the Dolphins are spending $350M (which is more than the stadiums the OP referenced to be built from scratch are) then YES I do believe it will be a "state of the art" stadium. The seats are being moved closer to the field. Take at look at the article for yourself. http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/6/19/5824758/dolphins-stadium-renovation-plans-sun-life #2 The gameday atmosphere for students has been like this for 25+ years. When UM played at the OB students had to take the metrorail to Overtown then get on a bus to get to the games. How is that easier than just getting on a bus and getting off the bus at the stadium? There was NO PLACE to park your car at the OB if you chose to tailgate so we would rent buses, throw a couple kegs in the back, and roll over to the stadium. You can **** about anything in life these days but a 45 minute bus ride shouldn't be one of them. Bottom line is if the team is any good the stadium atmosphere will take care of itself. Put a ****ty product on the field and there will be a ****ty atmosphere.

This just shows me you have no idea what E-4 is or was. My game day experience as a student involved no metro rail or bus but did involve quite a bit of debauchery. I see the kids now filing past our current tailgate walking the 2.2 miles from where their buses leave them and where they tailgate and I just look at them with nothing but pity.

Just looking at it on the surface- we're one of the only college stadiums that serves hard liquor yet we also create a situation where many students are inclined/forced to drive over 20 miles if they want to even remotely enjoy the tailgating experience that their counterparts enjoy. Yeahhhhhh, Donna cares about the kids.

 

[LexCane55]

Ill just park at Columbus and walk to the game

 

[LuCane]

No offense to the OP but all he did was waste his time with this- not that it doesn't make absolute sense. The administration doesn't need business type plans for a lightbulb to go off in their collective heads.

Want to apply real pressure (relatively speaking as they seem immune to it) to the school? Work on getting a local county politician to go on record saying that Miami-Dade would explore this idea with the school. There are already politicians championing a Canes return to a soccer stadium that looks like it wouldnt fit next to Marlins Park so this might not be that impossible a task. The school's current talking points against Tropical Park is that FIU was needed and wasn't interested and that it's not their land. Get the land part on the table and force their hand in at least admitting that they have no interest.

This is a great idea.

I personally don't hold out any hope for anything short of Beckham building something and gifting us a spot in it but if Highsmith's plan gets going then we need to look for allies outside of the school. Again, the OP was spot on with the material within his effort but trying to cajole them from within is a pointless endeavor.

The [likely] next Miami mayor is an enormous Canes fan who basically doesn't miss a game. If nothing happens under him (soccer or otherwise), which I don't expect it to, this will forever be a pipe dream.

Are you talking next mayor of the City of Miami or of Miami-Dade?

City. Though, I guess it may go either way.

 

[MagicCity]

Sorry guys this just isn't the solution.

 

[Calinative]

#1 When the Dolphins are spending $350M (which is more than the stadiums the OP referenced to be built from scratch are) then YES I do believe it will be a "state of the art" stadium. The seats are being moved closer to the field. Take at look at the article for yourself. http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/6/19/5824758/dolphins-stadium-renovation-plans-sun-life #2 The gameday atmosphere for students has been like this for 25+ years. When UM played at the OB students had to take the metrorail to Overtown then get on a bus to get to the games. How is that easier than just getting on a bus and getting off the bus at the stadium? There was NO PLACE to park your car at the OB if you chose to tailgate so we would rent buses, throw a couple kegs in the back, and roll over to the stadium. You can **** about anything in life these days but a 45 minute bus ride shouldn't be one of them. Bottom line is if the team is any good the stadium atmosphere will take care of itself. Put a ****ty product on the field and there will be a ****ty atmosphere.

This just shows me you have no idea what E-4 is or was. My game day experience as a student involved no metro rail or bus but did involve quite a bit of debauchery. I see the kids now filing past our current tailgate walking the 2.2 miles from where their buses leave them and where they tailgate and I just look at them with nothing but pity.

Just looking at it on the surface- we're one of the only college stadiums that serves hard liquor yet we also create a situation where many students are inclined/forced to drive over 20 miles if they want to even remotely enjoy the tailgating experience that their counterparts enjoy. Yeahhhhhh, Donna cares about the kids.

The actual school buses drop us off on the opposite side of the stadium from the tailgate, but alot who take fraternity buses get dropped off at WalMart. Plus they just moved all the fraternity tailgates this year, putting them like a mile away from the stadium. And that's where most students actually tailgate.
As far as distances go, UCLA is the only one that is close:
http://www.footballgeography.com/list-of-fbs-stadiums-sorted-by-distance-to-the-campus/
(All those crappy schools don't count)

 

[Cat5]

Have been in favor of TP for a long time but in reality it won't work

Everything about the park is great. Location distance from the U is fine. Tailgating around the park and add large pavilions around the lake would be outstanding. Plenty of parking room ... but, but, but getting to it and more importantly leaving would be a traffic nightmare. The park has two entrance ways... Off Bird Road and Miller Road. Bird Road is one of the most heaviest used roads in Miami already and Miller is OK but getting into and exiting the park from 826 expressway would jamb every commuter road for miles. Imagine 1,000 cars arriving early waiting to get in line for about an hour, then 14,000 more cars over a 4 hour period trying to get in, now picture 15,000 cars leaving all at once after the game... with the majority going north on 826. Now throw in adding extra seats and more cars for the big games... How do you spell Cluster F--- ?

Keep looking... something near the water and expressways would be ideal, but where and we're back to dealing with the City of Miami again.

Answer... The Marlins have been losing money every year... no fan support... Get rid of the Marlins and we take over the Miami contract.

 

[mirednmediocrity2]

Nothing's going to happen here unless Alonzo is able to find some big donors for his project. It seems we rarely get big donors for football related projects.

 

[SpikeUM]

Since we are talking pie in the sky anyway, what about playing at FIU or FAU stadiums?

 

[hoops156]

Have been in favor of TP for a long time but in reality it won't work

Everything about the park is great. Location distance from the U is fine. Tailgating around the park and add large pavilions around the lake would be outstanding. Plenty of parking room ... but, but, but getting to it and more importantly leaving would be a traffic nightmare. The park has two entrance ways... Off Bird Road and Miller Road. Bird Road is one of the most heaviest used roads in Miami already and Miller is OK but getting into and exiting the park from 826 expressway would jamb every commuter road for miles. Imagine 1,000 cars arriving early waiting to get in line for about an hour, then 14,000 more cars over a 4 hour period trying to get in, now picture 15,000 cars leaving all at once after the game... with the majority going north on 826. Now throw in adding extra seats and more cars for the big games... How do you spell Cluster F--- ?

Keep looking... something near the water and expressways would be ideal, but where and we're back to dealing with the City of Miami again.

Answer... The Marlins have been losing money every year... no fan support... Get rid of the Marlins and we take over the Miami contract.

I think Loria makes money regardless if you go or not based on the stadium deal.