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Former Michigan Speaker of the House to head Southwest Michigan First in Kalamazoo
https://wwmt.com/news/local/former-michi...-kalamazoo

Kalamazoo in the past has not been very interested

Do it!

WHY do it? You want "crowds" of 200 at Bronco basketball games? If you thought the students were apathetic before, move the games off campus and see what you get, especially with a struggling team.

(02-12-2021 09:11 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  WHY do it? You want "crowds" of 200 at Bronco basketball games? If you thought the students were apathetic before, move the games off campus and see what you get, especially with a struggling team.

It would be good for Kalamazoo to have a new arena. I'm assuming it would be the end of Wings Stadium, which is a dump. Yes, Bronco hoops will continue to draw no crowds if they continue to suck. That's on our Athletic program to fix it. Not the arena.

New "SW Michigan First" leader is a guy who has never lived here? Yeah... I'm sure he knows exactly what we need. Waste of money. Invest in other things like affordable housing and education

I have so many questions about the new Kzoo arena I don't know where to start. Who would be the main tenant? The university has not publicly committed to participating in any new downtown arena project. The university has also demonstrated it doesn't want to invest in improvements to Univ Arena and may want part of a new arena to get upgrades for the men's and women's bball teams on the cheap.

What does the hockey program want? Hockey probably has a ton of leverage here, they're in a strong league and doing well enough. They've got a much better setup at Lawson than the basketball teams have at Univ Arena. But new revenue sources are always attractive to athletic departments and the program may be tempted with a brand new facility. One thing is for sure is that the ice will definitely suck much more at a shared downtown facility than it would at Lawson where only WMU is the main tenant. Not that anyone really cares about that.

What about the Wings? How would WMU balance any sort of regular tenancy with the Wings, who will want 41 home games and will not be wanting them all during the week to accommodate traditional college hockey weekend night scheduling? The Wings already own their own facility and property. What do the Wings want?

I understand that a properly developed and planned small arena be very beneficial for downtowns. The Van Andel Arena has been great for GR and its downtown. But arena developments can also be huge albatrosses to both the community and taxpayers.

I don't want WMU to have any long term connection to an arena project if it sucks, which I guess is what I am kind of afraid of. UNO hockey decided it didn't like playing at the huge downtown arena in Omaha and instead had a donor help build them a new small on campus arena. I don't think WMU would have that as a backup plan if a downtown arena relationship went south.

The school needs to make a decision w/in the next decade on how it wants to handle University Arena & Lawson. Our problem is both are old & outdated. I'd hate to have to play our games at Wings West.

It's a good thing the K-Wings are in a similar predicament.

(02-13-2021 01:20 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  I have so many questions about the new Kzoo arena I don't know where to start. Who would be the main tenant? The university has not publicly committed to participating in any new downtown arena project. The university has also demonstrated it doesn't want to invest in improvements to Univ Arena and may want part of a new arena to get upgrades for the men's and women's bball teams on the cheap.

What does the hockey program want? Hockey probably has a ton of leverage here, they're in a strong league and doing well enough. They've got a much better setup at Lawson than the basketball teams have at Univ Arena. But new revenue sources are always attractive to athletic departments and the program may be tempted with a brand new facility. One thing is for sure is that the ice will definitely suck much more at a shared downtown facility than it would at Lawson where only WMU is the main tenant. Not that anyone really cares about that.

What about the Wings? How would WMU balance any sort of regular tenancy with the Wings, who will want 41 home games and will not be wanting them all during the week to accommodate traditional college hockey weekend night scheduling? The Wings already own their own facility and property. What do the Wings want?

I understand that a properly developed and planned small arena be very beneficial for downtowns. The Van Andel Arena has been great for GR and its downtown. But arena developments can also be huge albatrosses to both the community and taxpayers.

I don't want WMU to have any long term connection to an arena project if it sucks, which I guess is what I am kind of afraid of. UNO hockey decided it didn't like playing at the huge downtown arena in Omaha and instead had a donor help build them a new small on campus arena. I don't think WMU would have that as a backup plan if a downtown arena relationship went south.

All good points.

My hope is a downtown arena would be the men's & women's hoops teams' home. Then WMU could invest in upgrades to Lawson. Lawson is a recruiting tool and national hockey guys like Dave Starman hype it up. Western would be crazy to give that up. University Arena does nothing for the hoops teams.

I'm sure the K-Wings could figure out a way to work around hoops schedules. Many schools & pro teams do that.

I'm embarrassed about that clown Chatfield representing Kzoo's interests. It's blatant political positioning to go after Upton's seat. The Board of Directors should be ashamed.

Many people think that 3 teams will work in one arena. You can do it with basketball and one hockey team. You can’t share ice with a division one hockey team and a semi pro hockey team. I don’t know of an example where two hockey teams share ice. You can’t swap out ice designs, boards, advertising, logo placement, branding, etc.

(02-13-2021 05:14 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  I'm embarrassed about that clown Chatfield representing Kzoo's interests. It's blatant political positioning to go after Upton's seat. The Board of Directors should be ashamed.

Is Upton planning to retire soon?

(02-13-2021 07:23 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  Is Upton planning to retire soon?

Chatfield is from Levering, which is near Mackinaw

(02-13-2021 08:02 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(02-13-2021 07:23 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  Is Upton planning to retire soon?

Chatfield is from Levering, which is near Mackinaw

Yes, but he's establishing residency in KZoo.

(02-13-2021 08:22 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(02-13-2021 08:02 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(02-13-2021 07:23 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  Is Upton planning to retire soon?

Chatfield is from Levering, which is near Mackinaw

Yes, but he's establishing residency in KZoo.

Didn't think of this. Wow.

(02-13-2021 08:22 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(02-13-2021 08:02 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(02-13-2021 07:23 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  Is Upton planning to retire soon?

Chatfield is from Levering, which is near Mackinaw

Yes, but he's establishing residency in KZoo.

That is wild. Can't wait for Upton to chime in on this.

I can't believe so many people here are against a downtown arena. The arena and rink on campus are DUMPS. I get that people love the intimacy of Lawson but it's falling apart. A downtown arena would be HUGE! Think about the marketing between local bars/restaurants and WMU athletics. Would change the game in a great way for WMU athletics.

(02-15-2021 12:19 PM)BJBCM Wrote:  I can't believe so many people here are against a downtown arena. The arena and rink on campus are DUMPS. I get that people love the intimacy of Lawson but it's falling apart. A downtown arena would be HUGE! Think about the marketing between local bars/restaurants and WMU athletics. Would change the game in a great way for WMU athletics.

Go ask WMU hockey players, NCHC rivals, Lawson Lunatics, & college hockey fans what they think of Lawson. It's special. It can also be renovated. UM & MSU have done that to Yost & Munn.

A downtown arena would still be great for concerts, other events, WMU hoops, & the K-Wings.

Definitely renovating Lawson should get the biggest look. I'd love to see an expanded 'entry' & new lighting in the actual arena (always feels so dark to me).

If I recall, the actual building just went thru a bunch of renovations not too long ago. It's not falling apart. It's just old & outdated. But who knows, they could've just been quick, cheap patch-jobs.

Not sure if basketball playing downtown is feasible. That'd mean 3 arenas (Lawson, downtown for at least men's basketball, & UA for the other sports that use the gym). Not sure if the school can afford that. IDK, I like UA. I feel like the bigger problem is Lawson, tho I'm know in the minority in that opinion.

The school must be exploring some options w/ the building, w/ the closure of Gable....

Looks like Kalamazoo saw right through the political smokescreen

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/202...ction.html

(02-16-2021 08:31 AM)Flashboski Wrote:  Looks like Kalamazoo saw right through the political smokescreen

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/202...ction.html

Wow, that happened fast.