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Post by longsuffering on Jun 30, 2021 16:52:48 GMT -5
The rink was built in 1975. >It is at or near the end of its useful design life. >It, like the other parts of the original Hart, was economically built. >It is the last remaining Hart facility that has not been rebuilt since it was constructed. So these are the choices. 1.) Do nothing. 2.) Repair the rink, without changes. 3.) Study the comparative cost of repairing the rink (2.) or repairing and improving the rink with two options: 3.a., improve the space for the men's team, no significant change in seating capacity; 3.b., improve the space for the men's team, and increase seating. My understanding is that 3.a., entails moving the rink footprint onto the adjacent road. 3.a. was the path taken for M/W hoops with the Hart reconstruction done as part of Luth. 1. leads you to abandoning ice hockey sometime in the future. I thought the Hart hoop arena actually lost capacity as some seats were removed to create a better handicapped seating area?
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Post by longsuffering on Jun 30, 2021 17:00:33 GMT -5
I hope TPTB are not seriously considering eliminating hockey or any other sport. HC just hired an energetic young coaching staff. We have a bright young AD. Let's support their efforts. The Hart rink is on campus and connected to the Luth with great training facilities. It's not some hell hole.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jun 30, 2021 17:41:00 GMT -5
The rink was built in 1975. >It is at or near the end of its useful design life. >It, like the other parts of the original Hart, was economically built. >It is the last remaining Hart facility that has not been rebuilt since it was constructed. So these are the choices. 1.) Do nothing. 2.) Repair the rink, without changes. 3.) Study the comparative cost of repairing the rink (2.) or repairing and improving the rink with two options: 3.a., improve the space for the men's team, no significant change in seating capacity; 3.b., improve the space for the men's team, and increase seating. My understanding is that 3.a., entails moving the rink footprint onto the adjacent road. 3.a. was the path taken for M/W hoops with the Hart reconstruction done as part of Luth. 1. leads you to abandoning ice hockey sometime in the future. I thought the Hart hoop arena actually lost capacity as some seats were removed to create a better handicapped seating area? some seats were lost for handicapped spaces, but probably offset by floor seats. Additional seats lost because of increased aisle space.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jun 30, 2021 17:45:46 GMT -5
I hope that option 3b will be selected for the long term future of the program. The question to be answered, what is the cost benefit to HC.
For those who want to see significant change, now is the time to lend your time, money and services to ensure a successful completion.
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Post by longsuffering on Jun 30, 2021 18:48:35 GMT -5
I hope that option 3b will be selected for the long term future of the program. The question to be answered, what is the cost benefit to HC. For those who want to see significant change, now is the time to lend your time, money and services to ensure a successful completion. I have never lent my time or services...except for spouting off on Crossports. I have given a (very) modest amount of money but I did express an idea once by email in the early 2000s and did not receive a response. Way before the Woo Sox were even a gleam in the eye of the city of Worcester, I suggested HC Athletics partner with neighbor Polar Beverages to upgrade the Hart Rink and call it the Polar Igloo with some amenities for neighbors as a way of both entities giving back to the neighborhood. That never happened and years later Polar lent their name and funding to Polar Park as HC sips on their Pepsi with no hint of our Board of Trustees connection to that major bottler resulting in any naming rights. Of course the hoped for new softball field and upgraded ice arena haven't been named yet so it's time for the BOT to use their connection and become persistent with Pepsi. "The Pepsi Generation Softball Stadium at Fitton Field" has a nice ring to it.🙂
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jun 30, 2021 19:21:27 GMT -5
IIRC, Polar is owned by a graduate of Bowdoin, and Bowdoin's mascot is a polar bear.
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Post by longsuffering on Jun 30, 2021 22:13:38 GMT -5
IIRC, Polar is owned by a graduate of Bowdoin, and Bowdoin's mascot is a polar bear. The Bowdoin Polar Bear was selected in 1913 to honor Robert Peary, the Bowdoin alumnus who led the first successful expedition to the North Pole. It wouldn't surprise me if Polar Beverages was named in honor of the Bowdoin Polar Bear if there is a family legacy at Bowdoin. Polar Beverages was founded in 1882 by Dennis Crowley the great grandfather of the current CEO, but the original name was the JG Bieberbach Company with the Polar name adopted in 1916.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 1, 2021 5:15:45 GMT -5
IIRC, Polar is owned by a graduate of Bowdoin, and Bowdoin's mascot is a polar bear. The Bowdoin Polar Bear was selected in 1913 to honor Robert Peary, the Bowdoin alumnus who led the first successful expedition to the North Pole. It wouldn't surprise me if Polar Beverages was named in honor of the Bowdoin Polar Bear if there is a family legacy at Bowdoin. Polar Beverages was founded in 1882 by Dennis Crowley the great grandfather of the current CEO, but the original name was the JG Bieberbach Company with the Polar name adopted in 1916. Ralph Crowley Jr., Bowdoin '73 dailysun.bowdoin.edu/2016/07/ralph-crowley-73-leading-polar-beverages-into-new-waters-boston-globe/The family business' originated with Irish whiskey. No indication of a family association with Holy Cross. Became Polar Corp before Ralph Jr. enrolled at Bowdoin
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 1, 2021 11:53:28 GMT -5
The Bowdoin Polar Bear was selected in 1913 to honor Robert Peary, the Bowdoin alumnus who led the first successful expedition to the North Pole. It wouldn't surprise me if Polar Beverages was named in honor of the Bowdoin Polar Bear if there is a family legacy at Bowdoin. Polar Beverages was founded in 1882 by Dennis Crowley the great grandfather of the current CEO, but the original name was the JG Bieberbach Company with the Polar name adopted in 1916. Ralph Crowley Jr., Bowdoin '73 dailysun.bowdoin.edu/2016/07/ralph-crowley-73-leading-polar-beverages-into-new-waters-boston-globe/The family business' originated with Irish whiskey. No indication of a family association with Holy Cross.  Became Polar Corp before Ralph Jr. enrolled at Bowdoin   Interesting, named in honor of a spring not a college. I wonder if the spring still gurgles. In any case now that we know that Polar Beverages will partner with sports teams I hope HC is staying in contact with that successful neighbor.
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Post by timholycross on Jul 2, 2021 8:11:18 GMT -5
Getting back to Phreek's post, seems that 3b wouldn't be that much more expensive vis-a-vis 3a if you were talking about increasing the capacity to around what UConn is creating. 3a requires major work.
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Post by Tom on Jul 2, 2021 9:00:39 GMT -5
The rink was built in 1975. >It is at or near the end of its useful design life. Does this mean the refrigeration? I assume the boards get replaced periodically, or at least sections do. Other than the system that keeps the ice from melting, I can't think of two many aspects of the rink itself that would have such a short lifespan if properly maintained
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 2, 2021 9:47:41 GMT -5
The rink was built in 1975. >It is at or near the end of its useful design life. Does this mean the refrigeration? I assume the boards get replaced periodically, or at least sections do. Other than the system that keeps the ice from melting, I can't think of two many aspects of the rink itself that would have such a short lifespan if properly maintained Plumbing, refrigeration, electrical. IIRC, they had to make structural repairs to parts of the Hart. The Hart court roof was not replaced as part of the Luth construction. Contractors were replacing part of the roof for some part of the complex last month, but the crane was not working near the rink. I do not know whether the rink roof has been replaced in its 45+ year old life,
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Post by bfoley82 on Jul 2, 2021 16:53:35 GMT -5
The rink was built in 1975. >It is at or near the end of its useful design life. Does this mean the refrigeration? I assume the boards get replaced periodically, or at least sections do.  Other than the system that keeps the ice from melting, I can't think of two many aspects of the rink itself that would have such a short lifespan if properly maintained Pipes do go bad at hockey rinks
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Post by DiMarz on Jul 2, 2021 18:41:49 GMT -5
I'd think there is room next to Fitton Field on what use to be called Freshman field to build an ice hockey facility...It could be built into the hill so there would be campus access from Kimball road, and the parking garage is close by.. Parking could also be built across from the softball field..New locker rooms for the football field could also be incorporated into the design..as well as softball locker rooms...
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 2, 2021 21:40:01 GMT -5
I'd think there is room next to Fitton Field on what use to be called Freshman field to build an ice hockey facility...It could be built into the hill so there would be campus access from Kimball road, and the parking garage is close by.. Parking could also be built across from the softball field..New locker rooms for the football field could also be incorporated into the design..as well as softball locker rooms... Good thinking. It could dovetail with the new softball field on the upper campus. I wondered if the HoJo lot would be big enough for a new rink, but the long walk from the parking garage and across College St. would be more treacherous on icy winter nights than a facility on Freshman Field with adjacent parking. Just build a huge sump pump in case the flood plain ever floods.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 2, 2021 22:40:00 GMT -5
How about this concept, if funding was available, and approval would be granted to build a brand new Hockey Rink on the lower campus.
After opening up the current closed end of Fitton during a major remodel, building the two building complex in the area adjacent to the east end zone. Included in the building complex for the Lower Campus Rink would be new locker rooms for football, baseball and tennis, with entertainment suites for both football and hockey. Over a decade ago, there was a rendering for a IPF and football offices in the area behind Kimball. It would require replacing the maintenance building currently in that footprint next to the garage.
Due to location next to the river, and the configuration of McKeon Road under 290, approval would probably never be granted by the Army Corp and the EPA.
It would be a challenging and fun exercise as a Design Charrette.
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 2, 2021 23:39:16 GMT -5
Opening the closed end zone sounds like opening a can of worms. However, an entertainment suite overlooking two venues sounds exciting.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 3, 2021 5:12:34 GMT -5
I recall reading that the Middle River is a regulated floodplain. I believe this means that one can't erect new structures that would impede the flow of waters in the flood plain during a flood. The softball field and most of Freshman Field lie within the regulated floodplain.
In all likelihood, the covered culvert through which the Middle River flows between Southbridge St. and McKeon Rd. (and built in conjunction with the Interstate 50+ years ago) would not have been built if the Interstate was being designed today. The culvert becomes clogged with debris, the rising floodwater backs up and can spill over into Southbridge St., and College Sq. Similar to what happened in winters of old when ice jams would pile up against bridge piers and a river in flood would back up and overflow upstream of the bridge.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 3, 2021 8:08:54 GMT -5
Realistically, we know that a Rink or any permanent buildings will not be built on the Freshmen Field due to the flood plain and EPA requirements.
I enjoy the view up the bluff from McKeon Road, and hope it remains uncluttered with new structures. However, hoping one day to see several major upgrades to Fitton.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Jul 3, 2021 9:41:30 GMT -5
In addition to the Army Corps and the EPA I imagine you'd get fierce opposition from the Worcester Conservation Commission. In my experience CC's often get very zealous people to serve on them, and why not, the protection of wetlands is an important matter.
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 3, 2021 11:40:29 GMT -5
What will the current softball field space be used for once the softball team moves?
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Post by HC92 on Jul 3, 2021 11:45:34 GMT -5
Absent a massive donation from the next Luth family, we are not building a new rink on freshman field or anywhere else. Even then, I suspect we’d use the existing rink space with an expanded footprint.
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 3, 2021 12:45:00 GMT -5
Freshman field seems like a logical place for intramural football and/or parking for Fitton Field. No?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 3, 2021 13:43:32 GMT -5
There is one soccer field on Freshman Field now, and with softball moved, they might squeeze in a half-field, or three quarter field. Reconfiguring the top of the hill results in the loss of two grass practice fields, one is apparently used quite a bit by soccer to help protect the grass turf on Smith Field. The factors that are apparently important in selecting the best type of artificial turf for soccer. blog.usgreentech.com/sports/creating-the-ideal-synthetic-turf-soccer-field^^^ Would not be a factor in lacrosse.
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Post by DiMarz on Jul 3, 2021 14:53:45 GMT -5
There is one soccer field on Freshman Field now, and with softball moved, they might squeeze in a half-field, or three quarter field. Reconfiguring the top of the hill results in the loss of two grass practice fields, one is apparently used quite a bit by soccer to help protect the grass turf on Smith Field. The factors that are apparently important in selecting the best type of artificial turf for soccer. blog.usgreentech.com/sports/creating-the-ideal-synthetic-turf-soccer-field^^^ Would not be a factor in lacrosse. Soccer fields with synthetic grass are not a good fit...Players get burns from sliding on the surface, and the newer fields that have the ground up rubber in them are bad. Players still get burns, the grindings get in the players shoes, socks, shorts...Plus, on a sunny day the turf gets hots, adding another level of pain...Stick to real grass, it doesn't get beat up like a football field, and the p;ayers are safer....
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