MVC First Exhibition Attendance

[Scouter]

The very fact that BU IS getting the project done that is bringing an incredible student athletic center (the Markin Center) then subsequently the new arena for 4,500, training facilities, and athletic department facilities is----given the opposition, hostility (go back and read KW), and limitation of all factors like parking, infrastructure, etc...

Pretty sure KW wasn't opposed or hostile toward the new facilities being built. So maybe you should read his stuff again. In fact, there's a pretty good chance he helped pay for them.

[Bradleyguy10]

the difficulties in acquiring the property (which unlike OSF's projects they did not already own
and unlike the Civic Center projects they couldn't just grab by the eminent-domain ruse),
the re-zoning, the planning & preparation, and then getting the finances & actually doing the project
so that it can be completed in just a couple short years time - have not been told and mostly
because Bradley is a private institution and the way they and news about them have been treated
so negatively in the local press, they have chosen to keep 99% of it quiet.
But if it were known, then you might agree. Other than OSF's $280 Million addition that has been in the works
for the past 4-5 years and is still a couple years away....and maybe the Civic Center and its upgrading,
then give me your short list of building projects in and around Peoria that are more impressive and successful
given that NOT ONE PENNY of taxpayer & public money has been ferretted from the people in the city & the state in order to get it done.


btw-- the Civic Center upgrade cost $55 million and the cost to build it in the first place was about the same, yet
BU's complete campus upgrades will probably end up at over $100 million all privately funded.
Did you notice the city and some individuals are trying to get a museum built downtown with private funds...
But they are asking for big bucks from state, local, and federal sources......the project started out around
$20 million numerous years ago...and has now ballooned to over $50 million and is going NOWHERE!!!
All told....they've been at it for nearly a decade, and ....ahem.....just tell me how successful they've been to date????

Sure it's nice for Peoria and the Peoria area, but I was more referencing the "state" comment.

It is also impressive it's funded privately and all that other jazz, but let's stay real here. It's a recreation center. Believe me I"m as excited as anyone but zoning regulations and that stuff is more like "diplomacy" than engineering. The actual engineering part of the project I bet was pretty run in the mill.

In Peoria...I'd say the Michel bridge is a pretty good engineering feet. The water/wastewater treatment facilities are pretty big. The twin buildings I'm sure was a big deal. The fermentation plant probably had loads of engineering through out the years...I'm not really sure what it does now though besides put off a bad smell.

Did you know Peoria used to be the #1 maker of alcohol in the WORLD. That was probably masterful "engineering" for it's time

[BU Firsty]

Looks like cpacmel accomphished his goal of irritating BU fans. But IMO a fan of a team, with a student population much larger than Bradley, which in the past has been lucky to draw 6000 fans to games except when Bradley comes to town, shouldn't talk about BU's lack of attendance at an exibition game.

Exactly right Chico... I did not even read most of the posts, just was scanning until I came to yours and didn't go further. Capmal had one objective in mind when s/he started the thread (and I guess accomplished that). Attendance is not an issue for the Braves.

[tornado]

In Peoria...I'd say the Michel bridge is a pretty good engineering feet. The water/wastewater treatment facilities are pretty big. ...

yes, those are all nice feet but hardly in the same ballpark as they were built with public funds and way, way overbudgeted, and then over spent.

[Bradleyguy10]

You are right...and I did credit you and agree with you that it is impressive how BU got this done with no public funds...that truly is amazing. But I'm going to salvage my argument by saying I'm not looking at funds just at pure engineering...

[ph]

Since T seemed to use "building" as a verb, not the noun, I'll go on another tangent.
I'd imagine that a new Caterpillar model takes as much or more more planning, government regulations, and new engineering breakthroughs and hours than BU's project..

I will say, What Bradley is accomplishing is impressive and noteworthy for an entity of Bradley's size, resources and power.

In terms of advanced engineering principles and planning (including disecting 2 of the largest downstate hospitals) the I-74 project would win. Yes it is publically funded, but the timely and safe flow of commerce allows private enterprise to operate more profitably. I kinda like Ohio's governor's decree that all highway construction projects must maintain at least 2 open lanes in both directions at all times during the project. He decided that traffic delay's from closed lanes were costing the state's private economy too much.

[tornado]

Let me get this straight...
....in response to me complimenting BU's building project, and calling it one of the most successful, you are claiming the next new model of Cat tractor trumps the BU project and proves the BU project is some two bit hack job not even on par with making a Caterpillar tractor.....right?

I guess there's never an end to the ludicrous

[ph]

Let me get this straight...
....in response to me complimenting BU's building project, and calling it one of the most successful, you are claiming the next new model of Cat tractor trumps the BU project and proves the BU project is some two bit hack job not even on par with making a Caterpillar tractor.....right?

I guess there's never an end to the ludicrous

I will admittedly say I am jaded from watching too many "Modern Marvels" shows. But growing up in an engineer's household, I appreciate those massive efforts. Bradley accomplished enough planning/politicking/working with the public/fundrasing to make my head explode.

Per their 2007 annunal report, Cat spent $1.4 billion on research and development. Heck, most examples of "Modern Marvels" pale to that budget. You would be mistaken if you think building a tractor is just a bunch of union guys bolting parts together. I am sure Cat employs more engineers than most architecture / civil engineering firms.

I am not saying this to degrade Bradley's accomplishments. All together it is amazing what this central Illinois community does!

[SFP]

I am not saying this to degrade Bradley's accomplishments. All together it is amazing what this central Illinois community does!

I say let's leave it at that!

[Phantom]

Interestingly enough, I just did a quick search for tickets for isu's home opener and you can still purchase 10th row, lower bowl, end-court tickets.

The best available tickets for Bradley's home opener are in the 21st row of the upper bowl!

2 reasons for that...

1. The north & south ends of the arena (upper & lower bowl) are always the last seats to go. Once the season tix holders' seats have been taken, they start selling seats from midcourt-out (excluding the 6 student sections of course), so the end seats are always the last to fill up.

2. The bulk of our game attendance is walk-up, or tix purchased within a day or two of the game. Bigger games---you guys, SIU, etc. sell better in advance, but even then the end seats are still usually the last ones taken.

[shaunguth]

Ok...well right now you can still have your choice of 11th row mid-court upper bowl tickets or 10th row end-court lower bowl tickets for your opener.

The best seats available for Bradley's opener are in the 22nd row mid-court upper bowl.

However, I do like the isu pricing as their 11th row mid-court upper bowl seats are only $8 compared to the $20 we pay at Carver, which I guess makes it even more astounding that Bradley drew 3000 more fans on average last season.

[Phantom]

The 6500 we averaged last year considering we were 25-10 might not sound great, but it was a major step forward from the 5100 we averaged the year before. Now THAT was bad! What was even better to see was that our fans were into it again and we got the arena loud & energetic all season. Our student section was also the biggest, loudest & rowdiest it's been since the 90s, so all that was great to see & hear.

Our fanbase is very fickle...kinda famous for it. Plus, before last year we had hit rock bottom. Enthusiasm was pretty much zero and we couldn't give tix away. Now there's finally new life and a genuine exictement about our program again for the first time in several years. What hurt our attendance average was the early season games that only got about 4500 or so. From mid-December on, our crowds were consistently pretty good. Hopefully with another strong season this year our average will be better.

Also, if 11th row upper bowl mid-court is the best available right now for our opener, that's not too bad considering that's more than halfway up in the upper bowl and students will be on Thanksgiving break for that game.

[shaunguth]

2 reasons for that...

1. The north & south ends of the arena (upper & lower bowl) are always the last seats to go. Once the season tix holders' seats have been taken, they start selling seats from midcourt-out (excluding the 6 student sections of course), so the end seats are always the last to fill up.

2. The bulk of our game attendance is walk-up, or tix purchased within a day or two of the game. Bigger games---you guys, SIU, etc. sell better in advance, but even then the end seats are still usually the last ones taken.

You had me going there for a minute, but I guess there were plenty of good seats available even after the walk-up sales. You can even take a used basketball to any game this weekend and trade it in for a free upper bowl ticket when you buy one.