Blake

I like it!

And as I predicted, it didn't happen. UA bought the land where the skyway was supposed to go last December and is in the process of buying up the rest of the land. Dr. Daniels was mistaken and UA is in no way footing the entire bill for UPA by buying up the parcels between the stadium and freeway. These purchases are about actual campus expansion which is a sparate from the UPA concept and development. And to reiterate saying that downtown Akron is a part of the campus is akin to saying that since all poodles are dogs, then that must mean all dogs are poodles. While it is arguable that a small part of the campus is located downtown, it doesn't follow that that means all of downtown is on campus. All dogs are not poodles!

What about the fact that Akron played a big roll in winning this gig and will be a part of the event. I can see now how Cleveland will treat Akron...like a suburb at best and in all likelihood as though it doesn't exist. That fact is that Cleveland and Akron got the gay games and not just Cleveland.

Not going to happen. The Directors of Gardner Student Center, either Don Sabatino or Bud Marstin were only speculating. UA is taking that space and let's hope it will be for a new UA arena that will be multi-puposed and not a joint venture with the City of Akron.

Oh yeah. Part of the campus (mainly the Polsky Building) is actually in downtown, on Main Street. Next door to that is Mayflower Manor. Next to that is a surface-level parking, rumored to be the slot for an arena, across the street from Canal Park. I think I said this before, the JAR is just worthless...too small for major university functions, convocations or concerts, and too small to really "feel" like a college arena. put it downtown and it's assured it won't feel like a college arena.

When you say on campus and not downtown; where are you talking about because the boundaries of the campus are not as clear cut as they use to be. For example: Do your consider Quaker Square on campus or the stadium or Polsky's? The boundaries of the UA campus are more clear than they have ever used to be thanks to Dr. Proenza's Landscape For Learning. Polsky Building is not on campus anymore than the Rubber Bowl. At the very least Polsky is not on campus proper just like the Rubber Bowl is not on campus proper. The Quaker Square Inn at The Univeristy of Akron has the potential for being/looking on-campus but UA has to make that happen and I believe it can and will. To ask if I think the stadium is on campus is, and I'm sorry, a truly dumb if not dishonest question. Therefore, I won't answer that gamey question.

Nice try but no cigar. You are clearly anti-UA. Your post is your confession

I was told they are going to be blocking some lanes specifically for gameday traffic to ease congestion. Visted the stadium last week, here's the pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41459155@N02/sets/72157621912128205/ Great shots. Thanks. I was granted a private tour myself of the stadium about a month ago since I'm well connected to UA and know what's going on there. Stay tuned for more great information about UA's growth in general and the decision to build the new UA arena on campus and not downtown.

That is going to be a heck of a cluster at the Buchtel exit during gamedays. Yes and we should be so lucky to have such a traffic/parking problem.

I believe there already are an on-ramp and off-ramp to route 8 where the arena could be placed. The on-ramp is off Goodkirk and the off ramp takes you to Carroll.

UA bought some of the land in that area east of the stadium. According to Ted Curtis, VP of planning, UA will continue to buy up the remaining parcels. They will then offer to sell SOME parcels to greek chapters so they may buy it back from UA for new Greek Housing. That may or may not come to fruition. It's up to the individual chapters. If they don't take the offer, UA will find another purpose for the land. And, if they do take the offer, there is still plenty of room for the arena and a totally new Greek Village. And your curiosity over the UA purchase of the area south of Exchange is well appreciated. That too would be a prime location for a new UA on-campus arena.

surfohio : sounds like you really don't like The University of Akron. "buried in the heart of campus" WERE YOUR WORDS. You've got to be kidding? Have you not witnessed the campus renaissance. It far outdoes any alleged downtown renaissance that's for sure. You don't realize that it is that campus that has brought life to this community including its downtown. I think you did a lot of stretching of the truth in your post by using well chosen and loaded language. Your position is so far from the truth and facts that I'll just have to say, NO CIGAR FOR YOU SURFOHIO And it is comforting to know that you feel the new on-campus stadium is "buried in the heart of the UA campus" where it will suck like Rhodes arena. Rhodes Arena sucks because of its structural make-up and not its location. Try not being so disingenuous when you debate, surfohio.

I'm embarased for you, jeremy. That was a pretty desperate post

Not going to happen.

I think the area you mention is just west of UA's law school and south of UA's performing arts hall. From what I've learned, that area is slated for a new law school since C. Blake McDowell is under serious scrutiny and must expand if not rebuild. I like your thinking though. I have the same intuition about Quaker Square as do you. And, I support UA going at it alone when it comes to building an on-campus (not downtown) multi-purpose arena. There is too much room for incestuous politics that would interfere with UA's vision if they were to engage in a joint venture with the city. The city has a track record of discounting UA's existence in the media in order to dupe people into thinking UA facilities are city of Akron facilities. That is why UA's PAH is still having marketing problems to this date. Having the UA owned arena on the campus instead of downtown will still meet the entire community's and region's needs and not just downtown. Plus, there is an added bonus of having the prestige and drawing power of an on-campus university arena in our community. It will make Akron look more credible than having a confusing and muddled shell game of an arena downtown.

1. U of A is supposed to frivolously spend millions of dollars buying property and using the courts to get eminent domain the same way as the football stadium? 2. How do you define the campus? Is the Polsky Building on Campus? If so that would mean all of downtown would be "on campus". Parts of where the football stadium is now were privately owned business (bars). So there were bars on campus before? The city was willing at one point to do a joint venture with U of A for an ice arena. As far as keeping it "out of downtown" why? Columbus built up the area around their convention center with a thriving district. "Is the Polsky Building on Campus? If so that would mean all of downtown would be "on campus". " You are kidding right? UA ownership of the Polsky Building in no way makes "all of downtown on campus". What an over the top and ridiculous statement to make. UA owns the Rubber Bowl. That must make the air dock and muni airport on campus too according to your thinking. Get back to us when UA buys all of the land that encompasses downtown and closes off Main Street and Broadway for a pedestrian mall/commons and then I'll be happy to entertain your thoughts on the matter. Until then, you are just splitting hairs, blowing smoke and basically being disingenuous.

Do students take classes there? BTW, the Rubber Bowl was not on campus yet UA owned it just like the Polsky Building. The point is the church and safety building interrupt the campus flow and that is counter to what UA is attempting to achieve. Yes, Polsky is technically "on-campus", I guess, but that begs the question. It's just a building that is downtown and looks like a downtown building and happens to be owned by UA. Big frigging deal. It is not the end all and be all to UA's real looking campus. And by no means does it make non-campus land next to it on-campus as in the church and safety building. If simply taking classes in any old building was the litmus test for on-campus, then I guess UA's landscape for learning and all the millions it spent on creating a beautiful self-contained campus is for naught. Heh?

Exactly. If built downtown it wouldn't have to house just U of A events. I'm sure the city would love to compete with Blossom and get some of the revenue from events like that, at least during colder seasons when they can't have concerts outside. St. V is building a new field house or something, so I doubt they would be interested in contributing. A UA campus arena can look nice. It can also be used for other than strictly UA events. What makes you think it can't? High Schools will use UA's on-campus stadium. The UA on-campus stadium is looking like and billed as one of the best college stadiums in the nation. If our stadium which is on campus can look nice, be multi-purpose and serve the non-campus community and region as it will, then why wouldn't an on-campus arean be capable of doing the same thing. The Coleman Commons held cheerleading camps for highschools in Akron there the other day. UA's EJ Thomas Hall has non- UA events there all the time including High School graduations. The UA campus accomodates conferences which have nothing to do with the college all the time. UA as a whole has been serving the community in this multiputpose way all the time. If UA can put the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane at the Rubber Bowl and fill it, it can do the same at the stadium (which it plans to do) and an on-campus multi-purpose arena. The campus doesn't lock its doors to the community. And, there are plenty of potential locations east of downtown that UA has or is buying as we speak that would easily accomodate an on-campus arena that would seat far less than UA's on-campus stadium.

You had it right the first time. The site near or at Kinkos is a good one because it can be made to look on campus. I'm sorry, downtown in the area of the Mayflower doesn't look like any kind of campus and certainly not the UA campus. Because it is an obvious downtown looking location, it would be next to impossible to be converted to look like an integrated part of the UA campus. The arena needs to help make the real campus stick out just like the new stadium. A downtown arena will shoot UA in the foot.

Growing up in the Columbus area, The Ohio State University was a constant and clear presence in the community. The boundries were obvious, even though it is smack in the middle of the city. Buildings, events and facilities are marketed in a way that makes it overwhelmingly clear who, WHERE and what is the Ohio State University. If Ohio State can do it so can The University of Akron. UA is trying to create a park-like, pedestrian friendly, town within a city appearance. Putting a brand new multi million dollar, major people attracting structure downtown takes away from that goal. It makes no sense for the university to take great pains and expense to put a stadium on campus only to turn around and place an arena downtown. The existance of the Polsky building justifies nothing and is irrelevant to this issue. Areas that were once "off-campus" but ar no longer were areas that had obvious potential to look like part of the campus. Downtown does not share that qualtiy. It looks like a downtown area and has major interruptions which prevent an integrated campus flow. Are you going to tell us that St. Bernard Church and the Safety Bulding are also on campus?

It doesn't have to be a joint venture in ordere to justify more seats. What it must be is multi-purpose in order to justify more seats and even that doesn't require a joint venture. UA succeeded at putting a 30,000 seat stadium on campus that serve students and community alike without it being a joint venture. It can do the same with a 10,000 to 15,000 seat arena An on-campus arena will serve UA students as well as the community in the same successful way that an on-campus stadium and performing arts hall does. Putting the arena on campus instead of downtown will not detract from its support one bit. In fact, a campus arena will most likely have a better appeal to the student body as well as the general community. This is exactly why UA built the stadium on campus and not downtown as the mayor vehemently wanted them to do. And the fact of the matter is downtown Akron is not on campus. I don't care if thePolsky Building is technically on campus. It is not on campus in reality or spirit. No reasonable person considers downtown as on campus. It can never be made to look on campus because it already has a downtown traffic laden non-campus appearance.

I totally agree with your location for the campus arena. I don't agree with your Lebron James connection with the university. His having the same coach is not enough. One cannot be associated with an institution of higher education without being a part of higher education. That is why they kicked sleazy Alex Arshinkoff off the board at UA.

The same way you put a 30,000 seat stadium on campus. All campuses exist in a city and many are in the downtown area. UA is not unique in that regard Also, Lebron James will have nothing to do with a UA arena. He is only a high school graduate and will not play a role in or have his name on a university project. If he wants to be involved, he can start by enrolling and showing up for class.

UA's AD doesn't work for downtown. He is employed by UA. And he should push for an on-campus multi-purpose arena and not a downtown arena. UA is doing a wonderful job of looking like a real campus. Putting an arena downtown will be a big step backwards and would be suicidal for UA.

"Open enrollment has less to do with the state and more to do with Doc Proenza's policies. He's pushing for a more diverse student body through the use of inclusive admissions. I commend him for this, but I don't think open enrollment is needed to achieve this goal." Actually, it's the other way around. Open enrollment at UA and a few other universites is a mandate of Fingerhutt and the Strickland. It is not Proenza' policy at all. In fact, Proenza doesn't set policy all by himself. The board of trustees does.