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Post by cats2020 on Jan 6, 2024 18:19:09 GMT -5
Finally found the drawing! Knew I wasn't hallucinating! I am not sure what the original source is but it appears to be conceptual rather than a complete architectural rendering. Got a few more I can post if anyone is interested. Attachments:
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Post by wcatradio75 on Jan 11, 2024 23:23:18 GMT -5
The upper level concrete of the east side of the stadium is crumbling. It will be replaced by two entertainment decks and 1,500 to 2,000 seats similar to the west side seats. The lost seating will be more than made up by the addition of another section of seating on the west side. In addition, there will be club level seating on the west side along with a new press box. It will give Whitmire Stadium a first-class look for our level of football. read below... Western Carolina University Athletic Facility ImprovementsThe description is good and the rendering is exciting. But wondering what the total seating capacity will be...
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Post by retiredcat on Jan 12, 2024 8:25:31 GMT -5
From what I can figure, capacity will be in the 15,000 range ....give or take a couple hundred. I think we will add seats on the east side with the new upper level and maybe a thousand on the west side with the new section on the northwest end of the existing seats.
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Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Jan 12, 2024 8:43:05 GMT -5
Looks like for the kind of money we are talking, we could add more seats. I guess we think we will never need more than 15k seats. Short sided thinking if you ask me. I am just glad we are finally going to do something. Also, I know a lot of the money is going to the press box, chancellors box, coaches offices, etc. That does not leave much money for new seats. I have always believed, if we could put a winning team on the field that we could draw close to 30k because we have a lot of people show for a team that has not ever consistently won in football.
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Post by wcugrad95 on Jan 12, 2024 11:12:29 GMT -5
I think it is smarter to do this in a way that takes care of all the immediate needs (press box, crumbling stands, chancellor's box, etc.), add some seating, make the look much better, and have it setup so you can add when needed. I would think with a much smaller dollar amount going forward, you could expand by quite a bit to close more in on the West side and fill in with seats on the top of the new East side to start approaching the 20-25k size should the demand be there.
We do an amazing job putting people in seats, but I honestly don't know how big the crowds would get if we start winning regularly. If we start winning National championships that is a totally different conversation. But having a really solid football team that wins more than it loses and makes the playoffs regularly will result in larger but probably not astronomically larger attendance. I mean the all-time record attendance game was 15,247 and that was against App who brought a huge crowd. Most teams we play now do not bring many fans.
So having a capacity around 15k to me seems about right. Let's win, have the ticket become hard to come by with perpetual sellouts, then add another 5-10k on top of what this new footprint could support.
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Post by GaCat on Jan 12, 2024 21:21:28 GMT -5
I hope the “academic suite” portion of pressbox/chancellor’s box project will not diminish the design of a “top rate” pessbox. Looks like there will be no additional stands planned behind the existing west stands. Once you use up the space behind the west stands WCU will again nullify expansion potential. Just hope we are not going to be short-sighted.
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Post by GaCat on Jan 12, 2024 21:33:05 GMT -5
Looking at that conceptual drawing there is something really ugly sitting on top of the chancellor’s box - hopefully not a pressbox. Hold the designers to a pressbox WE can be proud of as alumni.
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Post by GaCat on Jan 28, 2024 2:55:30 GMT -5
Rather than having an open-air Chancellor’s Box similar to east side why not just do a nice two story glass press box with Chancellor’s section in it? I liked the previous conceptual rendering of a seating section behind the existing west seats with a two story press box - clean design. - rather than that roof-looking design on west side - looks tacky - just my opinion. Concerned that there is no thought/space for future seating.
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Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Jan 28, 2024 11:01:39 GMT -5
I think the Chancellors box is probably the main priority for the Administration. Human nature for the people in charge to value that kind of thing I think, which is understandable and OK. It would be nice to have a modern stadium looking all glass enclosed 2 story press box and chancellors box. I fear that anything else that we build other than the traditional all glass facade will looked dated in a few years like what we have now.. Also, agree that Western will be short sided and not plan for expansion. It seems that is our brand in everything we do. A lot of the old timers can’t see the vision of Western drawing 30 to 35 thousand fans but App does it quite often now but 25 years ago, they would have thought it impossible. It is also human nature to think that since things have been a certain way for a long time that things will not change in the future. Let’s say Kerwin gets the football team on a roll and starts winning championships. Things would change in a hurry. We need to be future thinking and progressive in our planning.
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Post by GaCat on Jan 28, 2024 13:45:38 GMT -5
Good post FlaCat WCU was ranked 15th in FCS football attendance for 2023 - which demonstrates we have involved fans - so at least plan for potential fan growth. GO CATS!
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