Indoor sports facility announced

[RichH]

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.
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/10/new-indoor-sports-facility-honor-peter-c-meinig-61?fbclid=IwAR3gcg_1KdXRkvFyNB2GDVtJuWBoEZX-O4nC24hREHpN6YXJ8pXEh6E3BRg

I'll pencil in 2031 for the first grumblings that it's inadequate and outdated because Princeton built something better.

[nyc94]

Great naming opportunities still available: https://cornellbigred.com/news/2023/10/13/general-meinig-fieldhouse-project.aspx

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

[dbilmes]

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.

[TimV]

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

[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.

[upprdeck]

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

[Ken711]

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.

[upprdeck]

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,

[Weder]

From the announcement:

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.

[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.

[Weder]

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.

[Ken711]

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. :-D

[upprdeck]

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.

[Local Motion]

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.

[upprdeck]

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.