Trustees Vote to Build 5 More Dorms-No More IPF?

[mrydel]

How cost effective is it compared to property in University Park that could be used for profitable purposes like dorms or for educational purposes to attract more students?

I am talking about using land already owned by the University and already used for FB practice. Look at the cost savings there alone and see if you do not have enough to build an attractive, blending structure.

[ponyscott]

Put it there, and make it look like Crum, plus with that proximity you can have tunnel btw stadium and field...

Nick the problem with that is it would be too expensive to build and would never be cost effective.

You could say the same about Crum

Not even close....it houses both men and womens Bball and provided much needed relief for the womens Volleyball team as well and is a different situation. And you guys that just say 'its donated' is silly.....the donations are tough to get nowadays and to build what is really a single use facility and make it out of really expensive masonary materials would be tough to finance with donations. The practice facility should be cost effective like everything else.

[CalallenStang]

Ponyscott, it could also be used as an indoor practice facility for soccer, lacrosse (which is a club sport), etc. etc. etc.

You're being short-sighted if you think it's going to be single-use.

[mrydel]

I just can not comprehend the argument about the cost of brick when you have to consider the cost and value of land.

[SMU89]

No other option will be better financially than negotiating a workable agreement with HP.

The money saved can be utilized to enhance something else like Moody.

Now any monies HP receives might be redistributed via Robin Hood

[CalallenStang]

HP has no incentive to negotiate a workable agreement with us, and we will not gain any tangible recruiting benefits from using their facility.

[SMU89]

You're pretty definite on both those with no specifics.

[RumFirePony]

I'm glad the school is doing well and I hope we can add an IPF. I am a little concerned the school is growing so much that it is going to lose the great smaller (as in you can walk anywhere) atmosphere that I enjoyed when I was in school.

Regarding the Master Plan map a few pages back - Does anyone know what the long range gray buildings are South of University Blvd and East of Airline Road? It looks like a pretty large quad. Also the two long buildings on SMU Blvd?

[Samurai Stang]

You're pretty definite on both those with no specifics.

Common sense alone demonstrates Calallen is correct on this matter. HP has nothing to gain from taking pity on SMU and making its facilities available to us.

When money is raised on large projects, the donors donate to a specific project. Ford donated for a stadium. It was not as though he was surprised that that was where his money was used. Not building an indoor practice facility does not necessarily make more funds readily available to renovate Moody. It is a far easier thing to rally boosters in support of a project for a team that is actually winning than it is for one that is not. SMU should not use the success of the football team as a fundraiser for other athletic pursuits until after football itself is taken care of.

The football team is improving, and that momentum must be continued with competitive facilities. Strangely, football players are not usually swayed to commit to one university over another due to the quality of the basketball arena.

Until basketball demonstrates any remote success, claiming that its needs should supersede that of football is foolish. Is an improved Moody the answer to basketball? No, just as Ford was not the solution to SMU's decades long football woes. Coaching must come first, then be supported by facilities. To do otherwise is to repeat the mistakes of our past.

[SMU89]

Common sense says that like all other institutions HP needs money. Their facility is underutilized as they don't use it 24x7. Why not generate needed revenue?

For SMU, a tie-in to our surrounding community and their children is a plus for attendance.

As far as recruits, we have a facility.

Donors expect their money to be spent wisely -- that's how they got it. Someone willing to stroke a large check will be more appreciative of seeing their money go farther -- Moody was clearly stated only as an EXAMPLE - the donor will be well capable of making their choice.

[Samurai Stang]

Common sense says that like all other institutions HP needs money. Their facility is underutilized as they don't use it 24x7. Why not generate needed revenue?

For SMU, a tie-in to our surrounding community and their children is a plus for attendance.

As far as recruits, we have a facility.

Donors expect their money to be spent wisely -- that's how they got it.

HP does not need money in the same sense that Lincoln High School needs money.

Winning is the greatest means by which a team increases its attendance. To assume that Highland Park parents are more likely to bring their children because SMU pays rent in order to use the high school's indoor practice facility is simply ridiculous. One might as well claim that the barrage of PIPs at basketball games would lead to increased ticket sales. It did not.

Lastly, you really believe it would impress recruits if SMU was leasing time in a high school's practice facility? Many of the current players, such as Padron, went to high schools that had such facilities of their own. Your plan makes SMU less-competitive than many high school programs, and you believe it is attractive those wanting to play at the college level. I simply do not understand that.

[SMU89]

You have a reading comprehension problem and make false and unrelated claims to my statements.

please call the university and let them know you are willing to write a check for land and a building.

[CalallenStang]

I'm glad the school is doing well and I hope we can add an IPF. I am a little concerned the school is growing so much that it is going to lose the great smaller (as in you can walk anywhere) atmosphere that I enjoyed when I was in school.

Regarding the Master Plan map a few pages back - Does anyone know what the long range gray buildings are South of University Blvd and East of Airline Road? It looks like a pretty large quad. Also the two long buildings on SMU Blvd?

I think it's a new Fraternity Quad.

[CalallenStang]

Common sense says that like all other institutions HP needs money. Their facility is underutilized as they don't use it 24x7. Why not generate needed revenue?

In order for it to be a permanent workable solution, both SMU and HP have to have the facility for their use at the proper times. SMU schedules practice at a certain time; HP schedules practice at a certain time. When SMU uses HP's facility at the current time, they have to re-schedule practice and some student-athletes have to miss classes.

Highland Park ISD and SMU were in talks to build a new baseball stadium a year or so ago. HP decided not to undertake the project because they felt that they had nothing to gain from sharing a facility with SMU. If you don't believe this story, you can verify it with Dr. Turner on the 'Vard next week.

[SMU89]

For most here, the statement - negotiating a workable agreement with HP - is crystal clear.