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Post by timholycross on Nov 25, 2019 9:39:16 GMT -5
Since Fitton Field is used so rarely and actually functions 'as is' I don't see us spending much cash down there. Dream scenario is we blow it up (IMHO it is beyond 'renovation' and 'improvements' ) and put in a nice looking and modern 10K stands w/lights, turf, jumbotron, seat backs, press box, lockers, etc. No running track - - keep the stands as close to the action as possible) . And then try to Pack the House! Something will have to be done soon. The home side is close to 100 years old at this point. Anyone (not me) know about the iron (or steel) skeleton...what the life expectancy is, etc.? I gotta think they did laborious testing in 1986. No traumatic incidents since then to compromise the place either (flood, earthquake, etc.). The seating itself seems to be holding up. The visitor's side and the corner of the closed end zone were built from scratch at that point. |
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Post by hcpride on Nov 25, 2019 9:50:25 GMT -5
/\ My dream of blowing the place up and replacing it (with a nice looking and modern 10K stands w/lights, great sight lines, open end zones, turf, jumbotron, elevator, seat backs, press box, lockers, etc.) is really separate and apart from the life or half-life of the iron/steel superstructure. Unless one could practice cost-cutting by blowtorching and welding that into something to support my dream. Otherwise, KABOOM!!
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Post by timholycross on Nov 25, 2019 10:27:19 GMT -5
/\ My dream of blowing the place up and replacing it (with a nice looking and modern 10K stands w/lights, great sight lines, open end zones, turf, jumbotron, elevator, seat backs, press box, lockers, etc.) is really separate and apart from the life or half-life of the iron/steel superstructure. Unless one could practice cost-cutting by blowtorching and welding that into something to support my dream. Otherwise, KABOOM!! They should have blown the place up in 1965 (when 290 was supposed to go right through it; hence the curve in the highway) and built a new one up the hill, but the $ wasn't there at that point to do that; the state and feds weren't giving them anywhere near what the place was worth. |
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Post by purplehaze on Nov 25, 2019 11:43:01 GMT -5
There's one small thing that bugs me about the present scoreboard and that's "HOME and GUEST" - that's high school style - we're HOLY CROSS' (not 'home') - change that immediately
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Post by lou on Nov 25, 2019 11:53:33 GMT -5
There's one small thing that bugs me about the present scoreboard and that's "HOME and GUEST" - that's high school style - we're HOLY CROSS' (not 'home') - change that immediately At least they changed that on the baseball side of the scoreboard. Got a bit confusing during playoffs when they alternate being the "home" team. So if you didn't know and came in late, HC could have been the away team for a game or two |
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Post by Tom on Nov 25, 2019 12:16:59 GMT -5
I think most copper alloys are now subject to a tariff. So there actually is a Brass Tax |
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Post by Tom on Nov 25, 2019 12:19:20 GMT -5
Charming and Historic. Perhaps it was more labor intensive to keep them clean and sanitary, but they reminded me of the old fixtures at Fenway Park years ago. It was never labor intensive at Fenway. Back in those days, they just never cleaned the bathrooms at all |
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Nov 25, 2019 18:22:44 GMT -5
Something will have to be done soon. The home side is close to 100 years old at this point. Anyone (not me) know about the iron (or steel) skeleton...what the life expectancy is, etc.? I gotta think they did laborious testing in 1986. No traumatic incidents since then to compromise the place either (flood, earthquake, etc.). The seating itself seems to be holding up. The visitor's side and the corner of the closed end zone were built from scratch at that point. From appearances, the steel appears to be in good condition. Most of it is protected from the weather by the metal seating, which is a continuous form with both the riser and the seat being metal. There is very little stress, -- five/six games a year. Students no longer jump up and down. The railroad still use steel catenary poles along the New Haven that have been out in the elements for over 100 years. The concrete in Harvard's stadium has deteriorated; it is over a hundred years old. The deterioration does not mean that the load-bearing capacity of the stadium is compromised. www.cbiconsultingllc.com/the-restoration-of-harvard-stadium/^^^ This brief report also explains how HC @ Harvard games drew over 50,000 spectators. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on Nov 25, 2019 18:38:51 GMT -5
The last time I attended a game at Notre Dame Stadium in 2008, the men’s room had the type of plumbing mentioned.
When I walked out of the men’s room, I was looking for the Lysol spray shower before going back to my seat. Hope they have updated in the last 11 years. 🙄
The steel on the home side of Fitton is now showing rust on the beams. Until the next major renovation, which I hope to live to see, repainting and sealing is needed.
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Post by rgs318 on Nov 25, 2019 19:12:37 GMT -5
Rust reformer is "God's gift" to rusting metal.  |
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Post by hcnation on Nov 26, 2019 19:04:48 GMT -5
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Post by efg72 on Nov 26, 2019 19:10:21 GMT -5
Wow-their ranking deserved a home game but wonder how the facilities qualified
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Post by Ignutz on Nov 26, 2019 22:14:36 GMT -5
Wow-their ranking deserved a home game but wonder how the facilities qualified Absurd. |
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Post by bartoburger on Apr 12, 2023 8:39:25 GMT -5
Are there any plans to install luxury boxes at Fitton Field? Seems the arms race of current football stadiums would have Fitton Field up for renovation for the affluent fans who help the boosters. What renovations are scheduled for Fitton Field this off-season? Does anyone have any updates?
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Post by hc87 on Apr 12, 2023 9:55:22 GMT -5
We just put in cushions for about 200 seats....whaddya want fella???  |
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Post by cruskater31 on Apr 12, 2023 11:01:11 GMT -5
Are there any plans to install luxury boxes at Fitton Field? Seems the arms race of current football stadiums would have Fitton Field up for renovation for the affluent fans who help the boosters. What renovations are scheduled for Fitton Field this off-season? Does anyone have any updates? The major issue discussed on here with Fitton is that the stands, stairs, railings, etc. are not in compliance with the ADA for handicapped patrons. The stadium was built and the last major renovation happened before the ADA law happened in 1990 so we are grandfathered into the law. Any renovation to the stadium could trigger having to go into ADA compliance which would essentially mean tearing down all of the grandstands. A new press box or luxury boxes would have to be "tower" style, built behind the stands and hanging over the stadium rather than being attached to the top of the stands. At least this is what we have discussed on here. |
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 12, 2023 18:23:52 GMT -5
Are there any plans to install luxury boxes at Fitton Field? Seems the arms race of current football stadiums would have Fitton Field up for renovation for the affluent fans who help the boosters. What renovations are scheduled for Fitton Field this off-season? Does anyone have any updates? The major issue discussed on here with Fitton is that the stands, stairs, railings, etc. are not in compliance with the ADA for handicapped patrons. The stadium was built and the last major renovation happened before the ADA law happened in 1990 so we are grandfathered into the law. Any renovation to the stadium could trigger having to go into ADA compliance which would essentially mean tearing down all of the grandstands. A new press box or luxury boxes would have to be "tower" style, built behind the stands and hanging over the stadium rather than being attached to the top of the stands. At least this is what we have discussed on here. That pretty much summarizes it. If they were to replace Fitton, KH said it would be down-sized to 15,000-17,000, IIRC. And the cost of a new stadium would be tres cher: well north of $50 million. |
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Post by mm67 on Apr 12, 2023 19:17:13 GMT -5
Hope it's built with a brick bowl /horseshoe & arches in keeping with the traditional red brick of our small NE college. This would provide a beautiful addition. A PPAC modernist design or a bland concrete structure supported by visible steel beams would be awful. Check out Columbia's Baker Field for what not to do. Gotta' do it right.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 12, 2023 20:01:52 GMT -5
Are there any plans to install luxury boxes at Fitton Field? Seems the arms race of current football stadiums would have Fitton Field up for renovation for the affluent fans who help the boosters. What renovations are scheduled for Fitton Field this off-season? Does anyone have any updates? We have a large luxury box. It's the DCU Club at Polar Park where HC plays once per year. Holy Cross typically has five home FCS games per season, five road FCS games and one road FBS game. With one home game played downtown under the lights at Polar, Fitton only hosts games four times per year on average. Thus any renovation or replacement has to consider the very high per use cost. The stadium and grass field in current form are both functional and historic. And few would complain if HC has the chance to be competitive in two FBS games per year like as is the case this coming fall, which could further reduce games at Fitton if that trend holds. Plus I think the luxury box function is somewhat achieved by the tailgating tradition at Fitton. |
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Post by gks on Apr 13, 2023 8:13:27 GMT -5
Parts of the stadium are close to a hundred years old no?
Something will have to be done sooner rather than later. "Functional" should not be the standard for the College's front door.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 13, 2023 8:37:57 GMT -5
Parts of the stadium are close to a hundred years old no? Something will have to be done sooner rather than later. "Functional" should not be the standard for the College's front door. If everything is safe and sound structurally at Fitton, would more scholarships for the perennially woebegon minor sports be a better investment? I drove by both the Fitton baseball/FB complex on Rte. 290 and BU's Nickerson Field on the Mass Pike on Monday. Fitton looked better to me. Because of the way it is laid out on a hillside and it is first seen about 90% of the time from the elevated I-290, most of the terraced campus is the front door of the college for better or worse. The size of the FB stadium says to opponents when they drive in, "HC doesn't !@#$%&* around when it comes to FB."😏 |
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Post by timholycross on Apr 15, 2023 8:18:19 GMT -5
Someone (PP's the most likely suspect) posted some firm's structural evaluation of the support beams in the older part of the stadium (which would comprise about 2/3 of the capacity)- and that evaluation, IIRC; would allow the place to stay as is for at least another 50 years.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 15, 2023 15:32:37 GMT -5
Someone (PP's the most likely suspect) posted some firm's structural evaluation of the support beams in the older part of the stadium (which would comprise about 2/3 of the capacity)- and that evaluation, IIRC; would allow the place to stay as is for at least another 50 years. That was probably me. IIRC, there was a structural evaluation, mostly beneath the east stands. There were several steel girders either replaced or reinforced. Again IIRC, someone driving on McKeon Rd. had noticed work going on, and had taken several photos. This would probably have been early in the NP era. NP was contemplating a new building with two football lockers rooms, a medical treatment facility for both teams, and locker rooms for two teams for softball. I cannot remember whether tennis would have also gotten locker rooms. |
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