Indoor sports facility announced

Meinig Fieldhouse will be next to the soccer field and will be big enough to hold lacrosse games, including room for spectators. Expected to open in 2026.
[news.cornell.edu]

Fantastic news

This is huge! Finally!!! Glad it’s in central campus and that they will allow all student organizations to use it! I’ve been railing for this for years, great for recruiting!!!

It's not in the linked article for some reason, but the link that the athletics department posted on Facebook has a rendering showing that the field hockey facility shifts to the west, behind Bartels Hall and closer to the Biotech Building, to make room for the indoor facility.
(I missed the giant photo at the top of the article showing this)

That is terrific news!

$55M. SMH.

Weder
It's not in the linked article for some reason, but the link that the athletics department posted on Facebook has a rendering showing that the field hockey facility shifts to the west, behind Bartels Hall and closer to the Biotech Building, to make room for the indoor facility.
(I missed the giant photo at the top of the article showing this)

So is that directly across Tower Rd. from Bradfield?

Trotsky

Weder
It's not in the linked article for some reason, but the link that the athletics department posted on Facebook has a rendering showing that the field hockey facility shifts to the west, behind Bartels Hall and closer to the Biotech Building, to make room for the indoor facility.
(I missed the giant photo at the top of the article showing this)

So is that directly across Tower Rd. from Bradfield?

Yeah, should be.

Good news that Cornell will have a field house for
* sports practice for athletes
* ability to play lacrosse (other games? soccer?) in the field house
* access for students
* on campus not out by the cow barns
* has spectator space (100? 250? 500? 1000?) -- 500 should hold the number of fans that show up early season for lacrosse

Cornell Sun has not yet weighed in as of Thursday afternoon. They have been busy covering Ho Plaza protests in support of solidarity with Palestine. Different department from sports.

I hope the lettering on the outside says Meinig Fieldhouse. It gets a bit much as when the name expands to, say, Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering (this exists), I have no problem with a long-form plaque inside the door, but when there's a haiku-number of words relating to full-naming in the first graf of a sports story, it's a killer.

This is a 120x60 yard field. If I recall, women's lacrosse fields are supposed to be 70 yards wide. Or is this like ice hockey, where there are 200 x 85 and 200 x 100 foot ("Olympic" rinks, and in some cases that works out to a home advantage.

At least Cornell will not be the last Ivy school with a permanent, full-field field house, or fieldhouse.

Maybe Qatar can donate for the field house since I know a bunch of alumni who want nothing to do with Cornell at the moment (rightly so).

Weder
Meinig Fieldhouse will be next to the soccer field and will be big enough to hold lacrosse games, including room for spectators. Expected to open in 2026.
[news.cornell.edu]

Does that mean we're giving up our "home ice advantage" for lax vs Syracuse?

Even in chilly weather, a Cornell-Syracuse game is worth 2000-3000 fans. I don't think even a first rate field house holds that many people. In the Carrier Dome, yes.

Do they change the rule on FIeld hockey being played on field turf? I thought they only allowed grass or Astro turf type fields?

In HS, you play on whatever field sheds water. In college, AstroTurf is what a college needs to have if it's to be a seriously considered place for recruits. AstroTurf keeps balls going straight but is said to be worse for burns and scrapes when you fall.

upprdeck
Do they change the rule on FIeld hockey being played on field turf? I thought they only allowed grass or Astro turf type fields?

Only mention of field hockey in announcement was the "rebuild" of Dodson.

Weder
Meinig Fieldhouse will be next to the soccer field and will be big enough to hold lacrosse games, including room for spectators. Expected to open in 2026.
[news.cornell.edu]

I’ll pencil in 2031 for the first grumblings that it’s inadequate and outdated because Princeton built something better.

Great naming opportunities still available: [cornellbigred.com]

$10 million for the turf field
Only $500,000 for one of two entrances.

Swim team alumni are still upset that no replacement has been announced for Teagle. It can't help the swim coaches recruit against Ivies which have much nicer and newer pools.

Please, please do the Block C on the wall as in that last link instead of the Huggy Bear in the Chronicle article

I am very happy Cornell is finally getting a new indoor practice facility and it's something former AD Andy Noel had been working on for at least the last 15 years. It's also great that Cornell has some very generous donors. However, as someone who has spent his career in finance, I do not understand the $55MM price tag. For that price Cornell can build a new indoor practice facility, construct a new swimming pool, and replace the West Stands at Schoellkopf. Ithaca is located in Upstate NY, not NYC where you can still buy a nice house for under $300K. Maybe not in the Ithaca city limits but definitely in nearby Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira. My brother in-law who lives in Syracuse has a beautiful home he recently purchased for $150K and renovated the entire property himself. Syracuse University's new practice facility cost $14MM. Another example, you can drive from Buffalo to Poughkeepsie and it will be very difficult to find any buildings that cost $55MM. Our local community college constructed an indoor practice facility about 15 years ago for less than $5MM. It drives me nuts when not-for-profit universities are so irresponsible with their spending. No wonder why it costs $80K per year to attend Cornell.

The SU one cost more like 20-25 million and that was started 10 yrs ago. Its original budget was 17 million and it went up.

Also the Cornell cost includes the money for the upkeep which is a good chunk of money, many many millions.

it has some things the SU one doesnt have. better scoreboards, seating and storage. Team rooms and many other rooms, dividers built in for multi sport use.

Since the money is mostly donated funds that cant be used for other things how is it being wasted?

Im sure some of the cost is for relocating the fields its replacing as well as the construction is somewhat complicated due to its location.

I would think even SU if they were building theirs now would see it cost 5-10 millon more

Local Motion
I am very happy Cornell is finally getting a new indoor practice facility and it's something former AD Andy Noel had been working on for at least the last 15 years. It's also great that Cornell has some very generous donors. However, as someone who has spent his career in finance, I do not understand the $55MM price tag. For that price Cornell can build a new indoor practice facility, construct a new swimming pool, and replace the West Stands at Schoellkopf. Ithaca is located in Upstate NY, not NYC where you can still buy a nice house for under $300K. Maybe not in the Ithaca city limits but definitely in nearby Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira. My brother in-law who lives in Syracuse has a beautiful home he recently purchased for $150K and renovated the entire property himself. Syracuse University's new practice facility cost $14MM. Another example, you can drive from Buffalo to Poughkeepsie and it will be very difficult to find any buildings that cost $55MM. Our local community college constructed an indoor practice facility about 15 years ago for less than $5MM. It drives me nuts when not-for-profit universities are so irresponsible with their spending. No wonder why it costs $80K per year to attend Cornell.

Don't agree at all with your statement. Dartmouth's indoor practice facility, which is smaller than what Cornell will build, was built 3 years ago at a cost of $27 million. The $55 million price is pretty much in line with the larger facility planned and inflation.

I would guess the money set aside for upkeep is in the 10-20 million range. so its in the budget but its not being spent.. Which also why the project was announced with a large amount left to be raised since its not part of the construction cost but the project cost,

From the announcement:

Cornell Chronicle article
Along with support from the university, a core group of benefactors has committed $32.5 million toward the design and construction of the fieldhouse; additional donor support is currently being sought for the remainder of the project’s estimated $55 million total cost.

The Syracuse indoor practice facility which is the exact same dimensions as their stadium field cost $14MM in 2015. OK add $5MM for inflation and construction costs and we are at $19MM. Meanwhile, I am on the board of a charter school that just built a beautiful new basketball arena with 800 seats, new men's and women's locker rooms, new fitness center, and three new science laboratory classrooms all for just over $4MM. Posters an indoor practice facility is nothing more than a pole barn with turf. Sure jazz it up a little, but it's still a big pole barn with turf. Cornell is probably using a super expensive architectural firm from NYC and labor that will delay this project forever. There is no other entity in Upstate NY that would spend this kind of money on any 100K sq ft facility.

Local Motion
The Syracuse indoor practice facility which is the exact same dimensions as their stadium field cost $14MM in 2015. OK add $5MM for inflation and construction costs and we are at $19MM. Meanwhile, I am on the board of a charter school that just built a beautiful new basketball arena with 800 seats, new men's and women's locker rooms, new fitness center, and three new science laboratory classrooms all for just over $4MM. Posters an indoor practice facility is nothing more than a pole barn with turf. Sure jazz it up a little, but it's still a big pole barn with turf. Cornell is probably using a super expensive architectural firm from NYC and labor that will delay this project forever. There is no other entity in Upstate NY that would spend this kind of money on any 100K sq ft facility.

Yeah, but common sense goes out the window when it's universities and rich donors. RIT spent $40 million on its hockey rink in 2014. Obviously a hockey rink has a lot more going on, but this is also a 100k sq. ft. facility.

Binghamton is spending $60 million on a baseball stadium of less than 100k sq. ft.

Local Motion
The Syracuse indoor practice facility which is the exact same dimensions as their stadium field cost $14MM in 2015. OK add $5MM for inflation and construction costs and we are at $19MM. Meanwhile, I am on the board of a charter school that just built a beautiful new basketball arena with 800 seats, new men's and women's locker rooms, new fitness center, and three new science laboratory classrooms all for just over $4MM. Posters an indoor practice facility is nothing more than a pole barn with turf. Sure jazz it up a little, but it's still a big pole barn with turf. Cornell is probably using a super expensive architectural firm from NYC and labor that will delay this project forever. There is no other entity in Upstate NY that would spend this kind of money on any 100K sq ft facility.

Nellie Negative at it again.

Local Motion
The Syracuse indoor practice facility which is the exact same dimensions as their stadium field cost $14MM in 2015. OK add $5MM for inflation and construction costs and we are at $19MM. Meanwhile, I am on the board of a charter school that just built a beautiful new basketball arena with 800 seats, new men's and women's locker rooms, new fitness center, and three new science laboratory classrooms all for just over $4MM. Posters an indoor practice facility is nothing more than a pole barn with turf. Sure jazz it up a little, but it's still a big pole barn with turf. Cornell is probably using a super expensive architectural firm from NYC and labor that will delay this project forever. There is no other entity in Upstate NY that would spend this kind of money on any 100K sq ft facility.

IF the SU one costs 20 million how much do you think it costs to run the bldg every year? make it cheap 500K for 20 yrs.. thats 10 million so the real budget is 30 million

Just like your 4mill bldg what is the cost for that to stay open and used beyond just what you use it for bball games?

A bldg this size is going to require some full time staff to maintain/clean it. Make that cheap, 2 people 50k plus benefits for 20 yrs. 150K x 20 thats 3 million in the budget that i dont expect your BB building has any budget built in for.

Its field turf that stuff lasts but not 20 yrs so thats anothe 2 million around yr 10. That stuff requires constant upkeep as well.

Cornell requires many of these costs be funded before building new ones these days.

I spoke with our neighbor who is a professor of Kinesiology (study of movement) at our community college and she also works with the women's soccer team. Community college professors often wear multiple hats. She said their field house which includes 140' by 240' indoor Field Turf along with a running track and a new fitness center (weight and aerobic equipment) total cost was built in 2010 for $6MM. The facility is used by all varsity teams, intramurals, and fitness activities. It's a beautiful facility and the weight room is quite impressive too. She said both their soccer and lacrosse teams play scrimmages there during inclement weather. In terms of maintenance the community college already has a maintenance and cleaning staff that cares for the facility, meaning it does not cost them millions of dollars. I would assume Cornell has a similar maintenance and cleaning staff.

Again I think building a new indoor practice facility at Cornell is great, but it's ridiculous our students are paying $80K per year to attend Cornell which is many times the cost of inflation when I attended Cornell. I still have a copy of my tuition, room, and board from the 1980's as the total for the year was $5,800. Just do the math, $5,800 40 years ago is present value today = $17,879. OK round it up over $12K and we are at $30K. Granted I was in CALS but it's still ridiculous and a significant reason why a college education is placing these kids in significant student loan debt.

Just like at Cornell I am sure the avg prof on campus knows how the costs are computed for upkeep..

If they don't think adding buildings means extra cost/staff that's fine. you don't add 100k of building space at no cost.

I mean who is paying for the lights/elec/water that it consumes, replacing the roof in 15-20 yrs., replacing the turf in 10 yrs.

Why Cornell's facility might cost more than somebody else's indoor facility from 5+ years ago? Possible causes:

• Inflation
• Cornell requires a big set-aside for 10? 20? 25? more? years of upkeep; it feels like Cornell is more fiscally responsible
• Roof high enough to play lacrosse, ? soccer ? not just a roof good enough to practice for the games that are then played outside
• Spectator seating (some but not a lot)*
• Better lighting; some indoor fields are really dim
• Nicer facility. Look at any sports facility Princeton built the last 30 years and theirs is nicer. Such as the 4,000-seat lacrosse/soccer Class of 1952 Stadium. As is their endowment (~$2 million per student vs. Cornell's $500K per student, even if this is donated not endowment money; it speaks to how much other Ivy schools can fundraise). The current soccer field feels like a HS facility, i.e. seats not elevated, albeit nicer exterior surround
• Does the cost include moving other fields around such as field hockey?
• Ground penetrating radar surveys so you don't be driving Meinig Fieldhouse pilings through the synchrotron ring (photo)

* I still have not heard how many fans can be accommodated. I believe lacrosse coach Connor Buczek described it as minimal but without citing a number.

billhoward
[*] Ground penetrating radar surveys so you don't be driving Meinig Fieldhouse pilings through the synchrotron ring (photo)

TIL the synchrotron is only 40 feet deep.

you also cant be just constructing when synchrotron is in use that requires some planning.. like when they were doing the campus store and bio tech they could only do the Dynomite/digging certain times around the research projects.

this project has been on the books for several years already, so they have spent money and it still hasnt been approved by the city so more will be spent before it really gets off the groun.

More details emerge with the filing of Site Plan Review paperwork. [ithacavoice.org]
90,000 square feet. 56 feet tall. $41M "hard costs". Open winter 2025-26

As for the interior space, the application touts the desire for the new building to be “a campus hub” for varsity, club and intramural practices and a limited number of lacrosse competitions. The overall dimensions and height of the field house are intended to support a field that will be programmed to support NCAA requirements for both women’s and men’s varsity lacrosse competition; a varsity soccer pitch for practices; and the facility will host campus recreation, club and intramural sport teams.

A synthetic turf field with rubber/sand infill will comprise most of the usable ground floor space within the proposed building. The ground level will also contain a mechanical room, restrooms, a training room and storage. There will be a mezzanine level on the south side of the field, along with two team rooms, restrooms, an area for elevated filming and mechanical spaces, accessible by both stairs and elevator. Space along the south wall of the proposed building will provide an area for a limited number of spectators on both the field level and the mezzanine level.

The 23-page Site Plan linked from the Ithaca Voice story emphasizes the exterior aspects like storm water management.

David Harding
More details emerge with the filing of Site Plan Review paperwork. [ithacavoice.org]
90,000 square feet. 56 feet tall. $41M "hard costs". Open winter 2025-26

As for the interior space, the application touts the desire for the new building to be “a campus hub” for varsity, club and intramural practices and a limited number of lacrosse competitions. The overall dimensions and height of the field house are intended to support a field that will be programmed to support NCAA requirements for both women’s and men’s varsity lacrosse competition; a varsity soccer pitch for practices; and the facility will host campus recreation, club and intramural sport teams.

A synthetic turf field with rubber/sand infill will comprise most of the usable ground floor space within the proposed building. The ground level will also contain a mechanical room, restrooms, a training room and storage. There will be a mezzanine level on the south side of the field, along with two team rooms, restrooms, an area for elevated filming and mechanical spaces, accessible by both stairs and elevator. Space along the south wall of the proposed building will provide an area for a limited number of spectators on both the field level and the mezzanine level.

The 23-page Site Plan linked from the Ithaca Voice story emphasizes the exterior aspects like storm water management.

The project architect, Sasaki, designed Dartmouth's indoor practice facility which is only 76,000 sq ft in size, not a full football field like Cornell's will be.

Athletics now has a fancy web page. [cornellbigred.com]

Martha E. Pollack, President of Cornell University
Athletics and physical education are critical parts of the Cornell experience, contributing in important ways to our students’ wellness and sense of belonging. The new Meinig Fieldhouse will significantly enhance the opportunities available to our students to participate in both varsity athletics and recreational sports, and will serve as a welcoming place to build friendships and self-confidence. I am delighted to be making this important investment in our students’ potential, and look forward to seeing Cornellians benefit from the Meinig Fieldhouse for decades to come.

David Harding
Athletics now has a fancy web page. [cornellbigred.com]

Martha E. Pollack, President of Cornell University
Athletics and physical education are critical parts of the Cornell experience, contributing in important ways to our students’ wellness and sense of belonging. The new Meinig Fieldhouse will significantly enhance the opportunities available to our students to participate in both varsity athletics and recreational sports, and will serve as a welcoming place to build friendships and self-confidence. I am delighted to be making this important investment in our students’ potential, and look forward to seeing Cornellians benefit from the Meinig Fieldhouse for decades to come.

People are playing soccer with a lacrosse goal.

[cornellbigred.com]

I am in the construction industry. You don't know what you're talking about with regard to cost escalations for both labor and materials since Covid.

looks more to me like 3 people are kicking a soccer ball around and some others are walking around the field

Mr. Niss
I am in the construction industry. You don't know what you're talking about with regard to cost escalations for both labor and materials since Covid.

Is the materials spike permanent or was it an artifact of logistics issues? I thought it was the latter, but I'm not in the biz.

Trotsky

Mr. Niss
I am in the construction industry. You don't know what you're talking about with regard to cost escalations for both labor and materials since Covid.

Is the materials spike permanent or was it an artifact of logistics issues? I thought it was the latter, but I'm not in the biz.

When prices go up, they rarely come back down much (if at all) ... materials prices remain significantly increased from Feb 2020 notwithstanding some improvement in supply chain issues, and labor costs remain extremely high due to a shortage of laborers

One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

David Harding
One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

I watched the session. They didn't read the submitted site review documentation very well. Some of their questions/concerns were explained there. Anyway, I'm expecting it should move through the review process fairly smoothly, and construction to start in the Fall.

Ken711

David Harding
One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

I watched the session. They didn't read the submitted site review documentation very well. Some of their questions/concerns were explained there. Anyway, I'm expecting it should move through the review process fairly smoothly, and construction to start in the Fall.

Well, comparing the architect's rendition with the comment about landscaping, I'd have to agree with the planning board. The rendition shows a more-or-less generic building that could be in Kansas. How about at least a few trees in the foreground?

Local politics is typically which developer got the last bribe into the pols before the vote. Is Ithaca the same way, or is there a different dynamic?

David Harding
One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

Ithaca Voice
The board had some suggestions. Daniel Correa lauded the use of Sasaki Associates as landscape architect, but felt the landscaping was lacking in interest, and suggested decorative boulders or a small-quad like layout, and Chair Mitch Glass added that “it needs a lot more attention.” Emily Petrina liked the building design, and wanted Cornell to commit to solar arrays on the roof. There were also some concerns about the use of a synthetic turf field.

Having covered small- and medium-size planning board meetings, I am fearful of planning boards elsewhere that make well-intended and sometimes clueless suggestions. (Example: In present day historic districts, rejecting as bad taste colorful paint colors on late 1800s Victorian houses, not knowing bold colors were not uncommon common then (the painted ladies), and the boldest colors cost more so it was an indication of wealth.) If IV writer Brian Crandall quoted them accurately (he has been writing for some time), what else do you install on the ground of an indoor building if not synthetic turf?

Solar panels are a good idea but add initial cost. Decorative rocks? I believe even the larger Alumni Fields of fifty years ago had no rocks. Maybe Cornell should get credit for the rocks around Beebe Lake.

I still haven't heard how many spectators would fit for lacrosse.

billhoward

David Harding
One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

Ithaca Voice
The board had some suggestions. Daniel Correa lauded the use of Sasaki Associates as landscape architect, but felt the landscaping was lacking in interest, and suggested decorative boulders or a small-quad like layout, and Chair Mitch Glass added that “it needs a lot more attention.” Emily Petrina liked the building design, and wanted Cornell to commit to solar arrays on the roof. There were also some concerns about the use of a synthetic turf field.

Having covered small- and medium-size planning board meetings, I am fearful of planning boards elsewhere that make well-intended and sometimes clueless suggestions. (Example: In present day historic districts, rejecting as bad taste colorful paint colors on late 1800s Victorian houses, not knowing bold colors were not uncommon common then (the painted ladies), and the boldest colors cost more so it was an indication of wealth.) If IV writer Brian Crandall quoted them accurately (he has been writing for some time), what else do you install on the ground of an indoor building if not synthetic turf?

Solar panels are a good idea but add initial cost. Decorative rocks? I believe even the larger Alumni Fields of fifty years ago had no rocks. Maybe Cornell should get credit for the rocks around Beebe Lake.

I still haven't heard how many spectators would fit for lacrosse.

With luck, including great coaches and continued stellar recruiting, and assuming Ithaca weather does its part, there will be a couple of indoor games per year, and the lines to get tickets will resemble those to get season hockey tickets during the late sixties and early seventies.

billhoward

David Harding
One step at a time. Ithaca Planning Board has some suggestions.
[ithacavoice.org]

Ithaca Voice
The board had some suggestions. Daniel Correa lauded the use of Sasaki Associates as landscape architect, but felt the landscaping was lacking in interest, and suggested decorative boulders or a small-quad like layout, and Chair Mitch Glass added that “it needs a lot more attention.” Emily Petrina liked the building design, and wanted Cornell to commit to solar arrays on the roof. There were also some concerns about the use of a synthetic turf field.

Having covered small- and medium-size planning board meetings, I am fearful of planning boards elsewhere that make well-intended and sometimes clueless suggestions. (Example: In present day historic districts, rejecting as bad taste colorful paint colors on late 1800s Victorian houses, not knowing bold colors were not uncommon common then (the painted ladies), and the boldest colors cost more so it was an indication of wealth.) If IV writer Brian Crandall quoted them accurately (he has been writing for some time), what else do you install on the ground of an indoor building if not synthetic turf?

Solar panels are a good idea but add initial cost. Decorative rocks? I believe even the larger Alumni Fields of fifty years ago had no rocks. Maybe Cornell should get credit for the rocks around Beebe Lake.

I still haven't heard how many spectators would fit for lacrosse.

The question on the artificial turf was for the new field hockey field that will be built in conjunction with the indoor center, not the indoor center's field surface. They won't be installing a turf field with the ground up tires fill that has been the subject of contention. Again this was covered in their submission material.

I thought I read somewhere that 500-600 spectators accommodated for lacrosse. I think there is upper level seating on one side

I see mention of a second level in building. 500 should hold most of the fans for the February / early March games. I recall attendance numbers of 250-500 at Schoellkopf for early lax games.

Once the place is open, and since non-athlete students are said to be getting some level of access, I bet Cornell wishes it had the money to build two indoor fields.