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The old Engelstad Site


The Sicatoka

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To the east and north of EERC are residential areas...how long do you think it would take to convince people to move out of their homes?  Money to buy the property doesn't convince everyone, and the buyout process could extend for years.  These are people's HOMES.  It will be most beneficial for everyone if the EERC is allowed to expand into the area occupied by the Old Engelstad arena.

NEWS FLASH: The EERC already owns land to the east and has been discussing the possibility of expanding in that direction for years. Also, the land north of the EERC where its last expansion took place was once a residential area occupied by single-family homes.

Put it over on the Bronson property...there is plenty of room, and besides, Ralph's original idea was to eventually have all the sports facilities located over there. 
The plans I've seen for the Bronson land appear to show that it's pretty much been spoken for and an indoor athletic facility isn't among the anticipated uses. And I've never heard that Ralph planned to have all the sports facilities located near the hockey arena. The plan I've always heard was that the Bronson property would primarily be used for housing and businesses (not that it was Ralph's decision to make in the first place).

Do some research before you make the EERC out to be a hazard to everything within a three block radius.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe you need to do some research. Did you know that main building in which coal gasifcation experiments are conducted was designed to channel an explosion upward? If experiments on coal gasification technology are potentially explosive, so are experiments on hydrogen technolgies.

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For football, the indoor facility needs to be right next to Memorial Stadium and the grass practice field, otherwise a new grass field and outdoor artificial turf field need to built next to the indoor facility.
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  • 3 months later...

From the last draft of a new UND Strategic Plan, it would appear that the indoor track/football facility is the #3 priority for athletics:

Primary Action Strategies

1. Sustain positive working relationships with REA and Alerus organizations through interlocking participation in athletic program and facilities operational governance.

2. Continue to explore optimal NCAA classification positioning for UND through the establishment of a task group to explore (a) strategies for influencing the improvement of the NCAA classification system, e.g., extending the opportunity for schools to split Division I and Division II levels of different sports as is now done in hockey, and (b) explore rationale, opportunity, and financial means to move all UND athletic programs to the Division I level as currently organized.

3. Continue to build an exceptional array of athletic facilities, e.g., removing the “old Engelstad Arena” and building a new indoor practice and track facilities on that or an alternative site.

4. Establish a substantial endowment for athletics as part of a University-wide capital campaign in conjunction with the University’s 125th anniversary.

5. Integrate, more fully, the marketing of athletics with the marketing of the University.

The long-term plans for construction projects:

UND's Strategic Plan - Table of New Buildings / Facilities

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2. Continue to explore optimal NCAA classification positioning for UND through the establishment of a task group to explore (a) strategies for influencing the improvement of the NCAA classification system, e.g., extending the opportunity for schools to split Division I and Division II levels of different sports as is now done in hockey, and (

Unlikely, at least for schools that want to move up in FB

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hydrogen lab going up by old REA this spring

The director of UND's energy center says he plans to build a new hydrogen research lab near the old Ralph Engelstad Arena without tearing down the aging former hockey arena.
Early designs had put the footprint of the building on a portion of the old arena, suggesting that the arena would need to be razed.

Later, Groenewold said that the proposed 15,000-square-foot hydrogen center instead could be built next to the arena. But, with between 50 and 100 additional workers needed to staff the lab, the arena still might have to be razed for more staff parking spots, he said.

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I wonder if this means that the REA area is being set aside for a practice/track facility. I hope that is the case and there will be an announcement soon!

I believe your question is answered in the story.

Another UND division, the Athletic Department, has had its eye on the space now occupied by the old arena as a possible location for a new indoor sports practice facility.
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That is my point - I hope that is "the rest of the story". Obviously, the statement in itself is old news - the Athletic Department has been talking about a practice facility on that site for a long time.

Without major renovations to the place what can you really practice. We already have a wonderful practice facility in Hyslop that currently has same if not more amenties and without paying additional to heat the place. Essentially there is only a 200x85 foot surface. To me that seems limiting. Basketball and volleyball, like I said can practice at the Betty and Hyslop. Run around the concourse for track? There is a track inside Hyslop. If you ask me it makes the most sense to tear it down unless they plan on totally redoing it?

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Without major renovations to the place what can you really practice. We already have a wonderful practice facility in Hyslop that currently has same if not more amenties and without paying additional to heat the place. Essentially there is only a 200x85 foot surface. To me that seems limiting. Basketball and volleyball, like I said can practice at the Betty and Hyslop. Run around the concourse for track? There is a track inside Hyslop. If you ask me it makes the most sense to tear it down unless they plan on totally redoing it?

There are plans drawn up to tear down the old REA and construct a new building large enough for the football, baseball, soccer teams to practice indoors (a necessity in ND climate) plus it could hold indoor track meets. The Hyslop is not large enough for teams to really practice in plus its track is an embarrassment.

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So your basically saying, as of now, the building is basically going to be torn down regardless. Why do people insist then in it being in the exact same spot at the old REA, when in reality it could go a number of places?

Yes, the building is worthless! It would cost millions to refurbish it - for any type of use. Therefore, it sits on valuable land and the Athletic Department would like this new practice facility to be close to Memorial Stadium, where the FB team is headquartered.

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Yes, the building is worthless! It would cost millions to refurbish it - for any type of use. Therefore, it sits on valuable land and the Athletic Department would like this new practice facility to be close to Memorial Stadium, where the FB team is headquartered.

Dang, you posted that right as I deleted my post. I was going to reread this thread.

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  • 1 month later...

From today's Herald, seems there is still some issues to be resolved on an indoor training facility:

An indoor practice facility and an indoor track would be popular in the North Dakota climate, Buning said.

"I could imagine that indoor grass practice space would be probably more popular than a sheet of ice in this town," Buning said, "because there's six or seven rinks in town, but there's no indoor grass space.

"So you'd have every soccer team and whatever running around."

He said separate indoor tracks and training facilities would be best.

So a new football-oriented training facility (weights/lockers) gets built near Memorial, but an indoor track/field gets built somewhere else, maybe with other partners, where it can easily be rented out?

"One option is you build them. Another option is you turn the Alerus into a practice facility and you pay to use it versus building one."

Is a deal being discussed with the Alerus?

"At some point, is there Stage II of the Wellness Center where you add a new building that has a new pool in it?

"Is that new pool in addition to this one (Hyslop) or is it a replacement?"

It would also seem that any future conference affiliation (and required sports offerings) would need to be known prior to making a final decision.

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  • 1 month later...

Seems like tiny Presentation College of Aberdeen is way ahead of the curve on the indoor training field:

Presentation officials intend to pursue plans to construct a large indoor practice facility on campus.

PC president Dr. Lorraine Hale, whose legacy might well be as a builder of both visible structures and bonds with the community, is firm in her belief that a practice facility is needed for this area, especially in the winter.

Under Hale's leadership, Presentation College has built the Strode Center, suites for on-campus housing and soccer fields.

Presentation officials believe ties between the college and the community could be strengthened further with community use of the indoor tennis courts and practice areas in the proposed building.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeenne...ts/13684741.htm

Still waiting for UND's proposal.

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Seems like tiny Presentation College of Aberdeen is way ahead of the curve on the indoor training field:

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeenne...ts/13684741.htm

Still waiting for UND's proposal.

UND's proposal is "waiting in the wings". Along with the DI decision, UND is completing an evaluation of all its facilities. I guess this makes sense, if the decision would be made to make the move in the next couple of years, that would likely have a bearing on how many facility issues are addressed.

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  • 2 months later...
Yesterday, WDAZ had a story Wrecking Ball For The Old "Ralph"?, which is available for viewing today on the In-Forum site. In the story, EERC Director Gerald Groenewold stated: "Mr. Buning has said he has no interest in that property at all, he
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Wow - I had certainly hoped that a new practice/track facility would end up on that property!
!Caution! Long-Wordy-Post Ahead

The proposed EERC expansion would bring in many new jobs in what is currently a critical research area (energy technologies). This would mean many more millions of dollars in research funding for UND, high paying jobs, a boost for the local economy, attracting bright young minds, etc. How can anyone miss that this is the best option for the University and the community?

An indoor practice facility would benefit the football team and track/xc teams...maybe golf too. Softball and baseball would have most of Hyslop all to themselves then. Why does this make sense? The athletic department is already stretched pretty thin as far as dollars go. Why build a brand new building for millions of dollars? Football already has an outdoor practice facility with a weight room, team rooms, etc., as well as a natural grass practice field. Memorial Stadium hasn't been used as a competition site for track & field since the high school state meet last year (and it will never host another one), and UND hasn't hosted a competition (save for the NCC multi-events last year, just a handful of athletes) for over three years.

*Moreover, as much as many of you would like to say you do, you don't really care about having an indoor track for the running programs. "The football team needs an indoor practice field for their off-season!" we all say. In the meantime the distance runners are getting driven in a van out past Thompson on the frontage road in -10F weather and told "see you in nine miles!" (I've done it many times, and sometimes its not so fun.) The middle distance and sprints (and sometimes long distance too!) are doing workouts in the two-person-wide concourse of the old Engelstad, with corners so sharp you feel like you're going to roll an ankle with every step. My teammates and I have dreamt of UND having a new indoor facility...ahhh, a 300m track, 80 yards of infield, decent team rooms, showers that work, etc. etc. Coming in from a workout with your hat frozen to your head from sweat makes you wish you were in shorts, zooming around an indoor oval. But I have learned to look at it realistically. A new building on the site of the old arena gives you Hyslop with only baseball, softball, and swimming/diving. That's a lot of square footage for only a few people, especially since the building most likely won't be used much for recsports and wellness anymore. Add a handful of classrooms, and you have one of the largest buildings on campus with very few tenants. From Hyslop to the old Ralph is quite a long way to stretch the few remaining athletic programs and having only one competition facility (that may host a couple indoor track meets per year - very little revenue.)

How about this: IF we have money for it, put a new indoor facility where Memorial Stadium is now. The stadium is old and in disrepair. You could put a 5 or 6 lane track around the outdoor practice field. Since it is obvious that UND doesn't care to host any track meets anymore, not having an outdoor competition site won't be a problem. Football will be displaced for a while, but I'm sure they can make-do in Hyslop for a while. This still leaves Hyslop practically empty, but at least we aren't foolishly taking up three huge pieces of valuable land for athletics. If the new building were made large enough, everything but the pool area of Hyslop could possibly be cleared or demolished for new construction.

Give the EERC the use of the land that the old Engelstad sits on because the EERC will make the best use of it.

*sorry for the rant :) but I had to say something

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