Coleman Coliseum renovation talks underway as Alabama construction moves forward

[Trey1121]

Hopefully the BOT will not approve a renovation to get a smaller arena! This is just plain BS. I can’t see any logic in this. We need a NEW arena with a minimum of 12k seats. You obviously don’t have much confidence in Coach Oats and the program’s future. Never compare us to Auburn or Ole Miss. Many contributing alums like myself do not support Byrne’s intimate plans for UA basketball!

 

[TDBama78]

I don't care what it costs as long as they do it right.The payoff is on the back end ,with better attendance and better recruiting. Build it and they will come.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Hopefully the BOT will not approve a renovation to get a smaller arena! This is just plain BS. I can’t see any logic in this. We need a NEW arena with a minimum of 12k seats. You obviously don’t have much confidence in Coach Oats and the program’s future. Never compare us to Auburn or Ole Miss. Many contributing alums like myself do not support Byrne’s intimate plans for UA basketball!

Why do you not support a more intimate arena? Just curious.

I’ve always thought Coleman was too big, it’s rarely full these days and many of the seats are just too far away. They’ve improved the lighting some but, some seats still feel like you are in the dark. I think 12K should be the maximum, 10-12K would be perfect IMO.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Hopefully the BOT will not approve a renovation to get a smaller arena! This is just plain BS. I can’t see any logic in this. We need a NEW arena with a minimum of 12k seats. You obviously don’t have much confidence in Coach Oats and the program’s future. Never compare us to Auburn or Ole Miss. Many contributing alums like myself do not support Byrne’s intimate plans for UA basketball!

I agree we need a new arena. But seating should be in the 9-10K range. We get more than that for only Kentucky, Auburn, and occasionally LSU. Other than those three games, a bigger arena is wasted.

A smaller arena, more packed out, strikes me as selling recruits and ticket buyers far better than a larger arena with more vacant seats.

I am neither an engineer nor construction estimator. So I have no educated idea on costs. But in a conversation with a Development Officer about 5 years ago, I asked the difference in cost of renovation of Coleman vs. demo and build new. At that time, the difference was about $50 million. So the higher number today doesn’t surprise me.

Still, this will be at least the third ”renovation” of Coleman. To my untrained eye, it strikes me as lipstick on an outdated pig.

I can‘t help but believe that $190 million for what you really need is better in the long run than $115 million for an overhaul of a 50-year-old facility.

Put another way, two previous renovations acknowledged, Coleman is 50 years old. Whereas Foster Auditorium, built in 1939, was 30 years old when it was replaced by what is today known as Coleman (at the time, Memorial Coliseum).

I fear we will spend $115 million, and still have what is at heart a 50-year-old arena.

It strikes me as parallel to spending $20K to rebuild the engine and transmission, plus put a godamighty paint job, on a 2010 Chevy Impala. When you’re done, $20K later, you still have a 2010 Chevy Impala. Whereas you could have spent $30k on a new one.

 

[Padreruf]

Why do you not support a more intimate arena? Just curious.

I’ve always thought Coleman was too big, it’s rarely full these days and many of the seats are just too far away. They’ve improved the lighting some but, some seats still feel like you are in the dark. I think 12K should be the maximum, 10-12K would be perfect IMO.

I've been to the Dean Dome, the NC State arena, and Cameron Hall (Duke). Give me latter every time...much more exciting venue for games...intimidating for opponents.
Sometimes bigger is not better -- it's just bigger.

 

[Crimson1967]

Another issue is where we play during the renovation if we go that route. The BJCC is out for the next couple years as it is being renovated.

 

[Rama Jama]

Hopefully the BOT will not approve a renovation to get a smaller arena! This is just plain BS. I can’t see any logic in this. We need a NEW arena with a minimum of 12k seats. You obviously don’t have much confidence in Coach Oats and the program’s future. Never compare us to Auburn or Ole Miss. Many contributing alums like myself do not support Byrne’s intimate plans for UA basketball!

It has nothing to do with confidence in Oats. For the record, he has brought a totally different culture to basketball. If he can recruit we will win and win big. This is about the overall long term health of the program and keeping quality coaches. If we want to compete at the highest level, we need to show that we will commit to a top flight arena, not redo a 50 year old facility.

 

[cuda.1973]

I am neither an engineer nor construction estimator. So I have no educated idea on costs. But in a conversation with a Development Officer about 5 years ago, I asked the difference in cost of renovation of Coleman vs. demo and build new. At that time, the difference was about $50 million. So the higher number today doesn’t surprise me.

Been down that "renovate or new" path. Once you get over whatever sentimental attachment that might exist, or the thought of tearing down something this still useful for something, the choice becomes clear.

Put another way, two previous renovations acknowledged, Coleman is 50 years old.

Kinda makes some of us feel old! Especially if your only memories of it were when it was new.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Demolition costs can be quite high.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Then build a new arena on a new site and demo Coleman down the road when the funds are available. Auburn still hasn’t demolished their old arena and it’s been 10 years since the new one was built.

 

[Trey1121]

I've been to the Dean Dome, the NC State arena, and Cameron Hall (Duke). Give me latter every time...much more exciting venue for games...intimidating for opponents.
Sometimes bigger is not better -- it's just bigger.

I agree we need a new arena. But seating should be in the 9-10K range. We get more than that for only Kentucky, Auburn, and occasionally LSU. Other than those three games, a bigger arena is wasted.

A smaller arena, more packed out, strikes me as selling recruits and ticket buyers far better than a larger arena with more vacant seats.

I am neither an engineer nor construction estimator. So I have no educated idea on costs. But in a conversation with a Development Officer about 5 years ago, I asked the difference in cost of renovation of Coleman vs. demo and build new. At that time, the difference was about $50 million. So the higher number today doesn’t surprise me.

Still, this will be at least the third ”renovation” of Coleman. To my untrained eye, it strikes me as lipstick on an outdated pig.

I can‘t help but believe that $190 million for what you really need is better in the long run than $115 million for an overhaul of a 50-year-old facility.

Put another way, two previous renovations acknowledged, Coleman is 50 years old. Whereas Foster Auditorium, built in 1939, was 30 years old when it was replaced by what is today known as Coleman (at the time, Memorial Coliseum).

I fear we will spend $115 million, and still have what is at heart a 50-year-old arena.

It strikes me as parallel to spending $20K to rebuild the engine and transmission, plus put a godamighty paint job, on a 2010 Chevy Impala. When you’re done, $20K later, you still have a 2010 Chevy Impala. Whereas you could have spent $30k on a new one.

I think Coach Oats will take us to a level we have never seen in basketball. Perhaps I, (or Byrne) should have used “intimidating “ instead of intimate! I totally agree that Coleman is not designed to be a basketball arena. I do think we need 12k seats though and that we can fill it on a regular basis. Avery averaged over 13k in 2018-19. Our enrollment is 3rd highest in the SEC after A and M and FL. I’m afraid they will regret going with 10k.I really despise Coleman and agree with everything you said with the exception of capacity. I think most of us agree with building a new arena!

 

[DogPatch]

Then build a new arena on a new site and demo Coleman down the road when the funds are available. Auburn still hasn’t demolished their old arena and it’s been 10 years since the new one was built.

There's no room on campus for a new site.

 

[Padreruf]

I think Coach Oats will take us to a level we have never seen in basketball. Perhaps I, (or Byrne) should have used “intimidating “ instead of intimate! I totally agree that Coleman is not designed to be a basketball arena. I do think we need 12k seats though and that we can fill it on a regular basis. Avery averaged over 13k in 2018-19. Our enrollment is 3rd highest in the SEC after A and M and FL. I’m afraid they will regret going with 10k.I really despise Coleman and agree with everything you said with the exception of capacity. I think most of us agree with building a new arena!

I'm laughing at myself...I can remember when Coleman was built and we drove from B'ham to Tuscaloosa many times to attend games. Now it is outdated...so am I.

 

[Rama Jama]

There's no room on campus for a new site.

There are plenty of options for a site. UA already owns the shopping center off of 15th Street where Spiller furniture and Landmark Collision sits ( across from Guthries). UA has plans to build a road across the RR tracks to access 15th street from the Coliseum. The old Bryce property offers more than enough room if they choose to use it, but I believe part of the Bryce deal was that a certain percentage remain green space. There are plenty of ways it can make it work if UA chooses to use them. UA is nothing if not bureaucratic so nothing moves quickly so I would not expect any movement any time soon.

Coleman has simply outlived its usefulness. It was considered state of the art 50 years ago, but it has long since been proven to be a poor venue for basketball. Basketball can be a substantial revenue sport if we provide a reason for fans to show up. We've have had good crowds this year with a team that has obvious limitations. I'd guess we have likely averaged close to 9000 a game.

 

[DogPatch]

There are plenty of options for a site. UA already owns the shopping center off of 15th Street where Spiller furniture and Landmark Collision sits ( across from Guthries). UA has plans to build a road across the RR tracks to access 15th street from the Coliseum. The old Bryce property offers more than enough room if they choose to use it, but I believe part of the Bryce deal was that a certain percentage remain green space. There are plenty of ways it can make it work if UA chooses to use them. UA is nothing if not bureaucratic so nothing moves quickly so I would not expect any movement any time soon.

Coleman has simply outlived its usefulness. It was considered state of the art 50 years ago, but it has long since been proven to be a poor venue for basketball. Basketball can be a substantial revenue sport if we provide a reason for fans to show up. We've have had good crowds this year with a team that has obvious limitations. I'd guess we have likely averaged close to 9000 a game.

The old Bryce property is already under development, with no room for an arena.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Demolition costs can be quite high.

Dynamite is cheap...!

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Then build a new arena on a new site and demo Coleman down the road when the funds are available. Auburn still hasn’t demolished their old arena and it’s been 10 years since the new one was built.

That is where the bagman's office is located...

 

[dayhiker]

Dynamite is cheap...!

But hauling off a few tens of thousands of dumptruck loads of debris isn't.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

But hauling off a few tens of thousands of dumptruck loads of debris isn't.

Maybe I should have clarified it with that. We once saved over 1 million dollars in cost by changing the finish floor elevation. Apparently building concrete stairs and a ramp is cheaper than hauling off dirt.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

But hauling off a few tens of thousands of dumptruck loads of debris isn't.

Tonka? j/k

Depends how far you are hauling it, of course. I would think that a thousand truck loads would be ample.

At any rate, I just don't see the difference between the renovation and a new facility costing an additional $70M. There must be other stuff buried in that or the $115M number. (I get that.)