Seattle Times Story....

REBUILD?
REMODEL?
MOVE TO QUEST FOR GOOD?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/huskies/333325_stadium27.html


or maybe even move the stadium?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/thiel/333339_thiel27.html

The current site is the only site Husky Stadium will ever exist on short of a massive earthquake liquefying the land its built on. Rebuild is too expensive, so it will be renovated. I would be surprised to see 2-3 seasons played at Qwest.

Tit for tat. Time for the Seahawks to give their old landlord some free rent for a couple years.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It could cost about 450 million to refurbish, and probably not much more to rebuild. I think it's a cool stadium, but think about the possibilities if it were gone!! That whole area could become one of Seattle's most beautiful waterfront neighborhoods, with a connection in incoming light rail and location right next to UW. Think about it, all those parking lots gone... waterfront park...

I dunno. Huskies are really well loved around Seattle and certainly at UW. It would be a huge hit to their pride to be the ONLY top 20 school to not have their own stadium. I'm inclined to say status quo and just remodel, but with 150 million for the cheapest rennovation option, 450 for the most expensive, and a vast swath of empty parking lots sucking up the waterfront space, I can't say I'm turned off to the idea of razing it and building something beautiful there.

150 millionwould just be the replacement of the lower bowl....Im thinking it will eventually cost as much as quest...whatever they do. I think they should just tear it all down and rebuild a new stadium that is spectacular. lighting would be a cool improvment like quest has if they redid the roof. haha :)

REBUILD! REBUILD!

The current stadium has an incredibly outdated design, needs more capacity, and needs to fit into the future plans for the UW area.

I would like to see a modern stadium that is sleek and made out of glass. For example, the roof could be glass and/or with solar panels. That reminds me, a future stadium should be "green". Then we could boast that we have the first "green" stadium in the world (I think....). Also, the new Husky Stadium should include underground parking, better access to transit (such as the future light rail station), and a huge plaza outside to fit plans for the SR 520 Pacific Interchange.

In the long run, I believe a new stadium is the most feasible option.

Then we could boast that we have the first "green" stadium in the world (I think....).

Wouldnt be the first. Washington Nationals new stadium in DC is going for LEED certs.

Rebuild the stadium! The stadium is in very poor shape and needs to be torn down to replace with a new one. The problem is does the University have $450 million to do that?

Rebuild the stadium! The stadium is in very poor shape and needs to be torn down to replace with a new one. The problem is does the University have $450 million to do that?

You bet! With the increased tuitions and cutting the pay of school administrators, who make too damn much, we could build a new stadium in no time!

School administrators make far less than they would in the private sector. If anything, we should raise their salaries, as well as the professors'.

As for tuition, that's a tough one. Many students are on the financial edge already and higher tuitions would exclude them. Others could handle increases but would need to go into hock or work numbing hours to do it. For the moderately well off, it's easy to think about some sort of means testing, but then we'd lose some of them to out-of-state schools. It's the State's job to help as many people as possible get educated, both for them and for the health of the state economy.

So no, I don't agree with either of those. Gotta think things through.

Rebuild the stadium bu life it higher so the field is at montalke blvd level...that way we could have a very good view of the water!!

Rebuild it.

I really dont think a rebuild is going to happen, so im for a remodel.

I'm sure most of you have seen these, but here are some sketches of what the Husky Stadium remodel could be like:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20061201/450WASHINGTON_FACILITIES_FOOTB.jpg

http://www.footballstadiumdigest.com/images/husky_stadium_new.jpg

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2006/11/30/2003455700.jpg

I like what I see!

it looks the same to me...

it looks the same to me...

The remodeled bit would be the big new grand stands on the street side replacing the single deck bowl (the single deck bowl is still the original bit of the stadium from the 1920's if im not mistaken).

The east scoreboard would be replaced by smaller score boards in the corners to give a clear view of the lake. Also the track will be removed and the seats moved closer to the field. Possibly the bleachers on the lower bowl will be replaced by seats, while the new upper deck on the west end will keep the overall capacity approximately the same. There's also going to be some skybox/club level stuff, way more bathrooms and concessions and probably enclosure of the concourses. Should be nifty. I think a lot of structural work needs to be done, since the stadium is quite old. Should be major work.

Tear it down? :ohno:

MOVE IT??? :bash: :bash: :bash:

Come on people, Husky Stadium is incredible. It is not going ANYWHERE!!! I know Seattle has something against sports teams but how can you justify tearing down and/or moving Husky Stadium?

I do like the rennovation idea. I don't find it completely necessary though. If rennovations are done that would be really exciting.

DO NOT TEAR IT DOWN OR MOVE IT!!!

I LOVE that students can walk (sometimes stumble lol) to the stadium on game day. The idea of having to go downtown for a Huskies game is disgusting. UCLA fans have to go like 30 miles for their home games, let's not make a similar mistake.

From a logical standpoint it makes no sense to rebuild a football stadium when we have a state of art facility 6.1 miles away. I'm well aware of the history and all, but there is a bit of disconnect here. If this is going to be privately funded, that's all well and good, but at what cost? Imagine what an endowment of $450 million for scholarships could do for our region?


If we didn't have the remarkable Qwest Field, I could see throwing some more money at Husky Stadium, but honestly, we should be more careful with our resources than this. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.

I'm on the fence. I have an emotional attachment to Husky Stadium (not a grad, just a Seattleite) but Qwest makes a lot of sense.

Renovate! The design is outdated, but fits UW.

If we didn't have the remarkable Qwest Field, I could see throwing some more money at Husky Stadium, but honestly, we should be more careful with our resources than this. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.

I don't know how much the Seahawks and Sounders would like that...

I don't know how much the Seahawks and Sounders would like that...

My understanding is that it has to be available to other uses. We are, after all, paying for it. Not for free, of course, but I'm sure that there could be a reasonable accommodation.

We just can't keep spending money hand over fist.

Qwest is underused. It would be nice to have another six days of activity there. As for soccer, aren't they planning their own stadium anyway?

If only each student would give up $10,000, it could be built!

Qwest is underused. It would be nice to have another six days of activity there. As for soccer, aren't they planning their own stadium anyway?

Not that I know of. If we were to be awarded an MLS team, I think they would push for one. Otherwise I dont think the sounders have that much pull

Don't you think that with Paul Allen's affection for the Huskies that he'd make accommodation for them?

I remember having my graduation ceremony at that stadium just two years ago.

I voted 'rebuild'.

a rebuilt stadium i bet would be horse shoed and everything.....but just ultra modern with a cool roof and everything. I think a rebuild would be awesome and we would have the nicest stadium in the country.

Again, yes, a rebuilt or brand new stadium would be great! At $400 million dollars that could better be spent on other things, however. Folks, how much do you think Qwest Field is used now? There really do need to be better uses for this money, don't you think? If people are worried about drunk College students getting to games, light rail will stop there and get them to the Union Station area.

I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade here, I'm a Husky alum myself, but honestly, building these palaces to sports is just silly to me. Qwest Field is a publicly (mostly) funded stadium, let's make them use that.

the feeling at quest field would be totally different. its all seahawk. There wouldnt be a UW logo on the center of the field and the seats are all seahawks colors. sorry, but when the huskies have a down year.....quest field would make it that much worst....people wouldnt care to go...the experience would be completely different.

I think it would cool if they built a gigantic parking garage next to the stadium, and then freed up that vast sea of parking for high-density development.

A parking garage something like this-
http://www.cambridgearchitectural.com/Files/ProjectFiles/10/Images/MainPhoto_Large.jpg

would free up turning this-
http://www.floridastars.org/icons/NPB/parking_lot.jpg

into this-

http://www.urbanphoto.net/24van/photos/14.jpg

http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/jpgs/granton-cam2d_cc03.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/399895397_a289e79f27.jpg

http://www.hawkinsbrown.co.uk/images/portfolio/Large_Template_2.jpg

Right in the middle of UW, connection to light rail, U-Village next door...

That could be one of Seattle's hottest neighborhoods!

The parking lot I am talking about takes up roughly 5 city blocks-

Yellow is new parking garage, purple is new high-density, residential/street-level retail development (i'd say 10 stories or so on average), green for new waterfront walkway/greenspace.

http://students.washington.edu/quail64/lightrail/stadium%20redevelopment.jpg

I like it. Use some of the land for new dorms/student housing, sell the rest of the land to help with stadium financing, and we'll build a huge mixed use development (with a grocery store damnit!) called "Husky Point"

It's a great idea, but some difficulties.

The two purple areas on the right are currently playfields or marsh, I forget. They won't be going anywhere, nor should they.

The price of development would be influenced by the fact it's a former peat bog and by the difficulty of building below-grade.

I'd be happy (very) to see a garage plus some new woodframe student housing and staff/faculty housing on those lots. With a parking level or two, a little convenience retail, and five or so levels of housing, you could get 2,500 or 3,000 units depending on what type of unit.

PS, the five purple parcels on the left seem to be around 16-20 acres. Those are much larger than typical blocks.

some new dorms would be nice, the ones now are not in the best of conditions.

Tear it down? :ohno:

MOVE IT??? :bash: :bash: :bash:

Come on people, Husky Stadium is incredible. It is not going ANYWHERE!!! I know Seattle has something against sports teams but how can you justify tearing down and/or moving Husky Stadium?

I do like the rennovation idea. I don't find it completely necessary though. If rennovations are done that would be really exciting.

DO NOT TEAR IT DOWN OR MOVE IT!!!

I am with you Seattle Husky. I can't believe all the Cougar fans that are allowed to vote and make comments about Husky Stadium (j/k).

One of the best parts of being a UW student were the Friday and Saturday activities leading up to the big game on Saturday. Students have a better tie-in with their school's football team if they can actually get to the game. Qwest Field is not the best choice for the UW Football team even if the Cougars like to play there from time to time. The UW Football team belongs on the UW Campus--renovate the Stadium.

:banana:

An interesting idea, though I was thinking of something a little less ambitious, like having a LEED-certified multi-floor parking garage covering nearly half of the current parking lot, with the remainder being turned into another play-field, perhaps a place to put the track (from the Husky Stadium) on.

The rest of the grounds immediately adjacent to the future parking garage should remain much the same as they are now.

GO DUCKS!!!
lol

GO DUCKS!!!
lol

arrrgggh!

woof!

go ducks? ha ok. That idea for covering the parking lot with condos and garages wouldnt do so well with husky fans. concidering thats the primo area for tailgating. ALSO, i park there during school! hahaha

Tailgating has zero importance compared to using land properly.

Tailgating has zero importance compared to using land properly.

Tailgating also implies large numbers of people driving to the game. I thought in environmentally conscious Seattle, that would be something we'd want to avoid.

On one hand I agree. On the other hand, football fans tend to at least carpool, so they're not as bad as, say, the average commuter.

We should have a much better system of park-n-ride buses to all pro and college football games. Thankfully both stadiums, as well as Safeco, will have rail by 2009 or 2016.

We should have a much better system of park-n-ride buses to all pro and college football games. Thankfully both stadiums, as well as Safeco, will have rail by 2009 or 2016.

There is actually quite the impressive bus ridership to the Husky games. At the Boise State game this season (ranked team, close to selling out it looked like), montlake, and the streets in front of the medical center were packed full of buses that were packed full of people coming from park n' rides.

Yes, but they could do better.

I don't know about Husky games, but I hear the buses after Mariner games are jammed with standees. Double the buses and you'd both allow people to sit and encourage many additional people to ride buses.

Tailgating has zero importance compared to using land properly.

There has to be SOME surface parking, you can't do away with ALL the tailgating, that's inhuman. Have you no soul, NO SOUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:lol:

Besides we do plenty of this:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: without having to pay lots of this $$$$$ in the parking lot. Last I checked you can't BYOB to the games.:ohno: :ohno:

So?

Who says six-year-olds never contribute to the world? They gave us that excellent phrase.

yes, busses are full after husky games..a lot of people have to stand.

Tailgating has zero importance compared to using land properly.


Tailgating is using the land properly. Those people who tailgate are some of the UW's biggest donors. Those tailgates are one of the best events that draw alums back to campus. If they kill Husky Stadium and the tailgate scene, they kill a significant part of the university and its community. The dense development belongs in the U-District and the land by the lake should be preserved as open space.

Yes, but they could do better.

You should look into Husky games. They do an amazing job with transit. They do by far the best of the local sports teams.

From a logical standpoint it makes no sense to rebuild a football stadium when we have a state of art facility 6.1 miles away.

The UW does not have a facility 6.1 miles away.

I'm well aware of the history and all, but there is a bit of disconnect here. If this is going to be privately funded, that's all well and good, but at what cost? Imagine what an endowment of $450 million for scholarships could do for our region?

Athletics and academics at the UW are pretty much seperate. If $450,000,000 is going to a stadium, I gurantee that money would not have done to an endowment. If you like large donations, a renovated Husky Stadium could be the greatest investment ever. Like it or not, when UW football is rolling, donations to academics rises.

If Husky football moves to Qwest Field permanently, I vow never to give another dime to my alma mater, and I am not alone. Don't worry, the Huskies are not moving to Qwest Field, nobody at the UW is that stupid to commit program suicide and piss off alums.

I voted for remodel. The stadium doesn't need to be spotless, it just needs a renovation, the track removed, and luxury boxes added to increase revenue. Husky Stadium is a major asset to the UW and this talk about getting rid of it is crazy.

You should look into Husky games. They do an amazing job with transit. They do by far the best of the local sports teams.


Yes, but they could do better.

^ Really? How? What's your negative experience? I have been a Husky ticket holder for over a decade, and never had a problem with transit, parking, or traffic. Husky games, despite being the largest regular sporting event in the city, are by far the easiest to get in and out of. About the only suggestion I have of improving transportation at Husky games is reversing the express lanes.

Yes, but they could do better.

yeah! light rail station.

^ Really? How? What's your negative experience? I have been a Husky ticket holder for over a decade, and never had a problem with transit, parking, or traffic. Husky games, despite being the largest regular sporting event in the city, are by far the easiest to get in and out of. About the only suggestion I have of improving transportation at Husky games is reversing the express lanes.

More bus routes (park-n-ride expresses) and a train would do wonders.

The neighborhoods still scream bloody murder about fans parking in their areas.

More bus routes (park-n-ride expresses) and a train would do wonders.

Metro adjusts to need. Week #1 there were issues at the Federal Way P&R that have been fixed.

Also, I don't think turning the Burke Gilman Trail back to rail would be a popular idea, so I don't think the train is coming back.:)

The neighborhoods still scream bloody murder about fans parking in their areas.

When doesn't that neighborhood scream bloody murder? It is zone parking, except way up at Interlaaken and in Laurelhurst, so neighborhood parking isn't the issue. I am sure the traffic and shutting down Montlake for busses is the big complaint, but unless they are older than 87 years old, Husky Stadium was already there before they were, so they knew what they were getting themselves into when they moved into the area.

The UW gives all ticket holders a "Transportation Pocket Guide." Here is the online version:

http://www.washington.edu/commuterservices/get_to_uw/football/

Also, I don't think turning the Burke Gilman Trail back to rail would be a popular idea, so I don't think the train is coming back.:)

hmm, you're right. good thing they are building the light rail station there!

Metro doesn't have enough funding to fill need. Even with the 20% bus service improvements we recently funded, mostly to occur in 2009, 80% of the improvements will be on suburban routes per County mandate. This is great news for the suburbs, but it also means many in-city routes will continue to be underserved. I'm not sure about the formula when a route crosses the city limits, but I suspect part of it counts against that city 20%.

Maybe my neighbor comment is outdated. But it wasn't long ago that it was a big issue. The zone restrictions are in response to the problem they had. I suspect there are still plenty of fans who risk getting their cars towed by parking illegally.

Your neighbor comment isn't outdated. They are the biggest, loudest, and most powerful NIMBYs in the city. As for parking, why park in zone parking and risk a $44 ticket when you can easily take the bus from downtown, Ballard, Sand Point, & eight area park and rides for free with your game ticket or park for free just east of campus in Laurelhurst?

The best way to get to Husky Stadium is by boat. USC fans are veteran visitors to Husky Stadium and know how to get there:

http://sportsforum.ws/imagehosting/194700fa33dc804.jpg

I like the images of the remodel...Lets do that!

It'll never happen but a lake washington husky ferry system was be kind of badass. Step on in Bellevue or Kirkland, step off at the game. Get sloshed along the way;)

^ The party boat from Fishermen's Terminal is pretty cool:

http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/chinooks.html

wichone is the husky stadium?

I have been to the Safeco Fild at its opening (in the 1999) and it was great, I have been to the old Football Stadium but I know that it doesn't exist anymore

^^ Husky Stadium is located at University of Washington campus. You can see it from I-5 bridge (Hood Canal bridge?) or 520 bridge.

oh I see, so it i not downtown

^^ It is just north of downtown Seattle area.