Thanks for posting the image......that helps all of us!
Thanks. Never really paid attention to where the columns were.
Hilton update...
- Thread starter MartyFine
- Start date
The concession space will actually extend slightly beyond the old "smoking decks" that this expansion is taking place on. It will extend past the existing area by a couple of feet. That is why they cannot just extend the glass directly upward. I originally hated the extensions that came out when the restrooms were added on years ago. I got used to it and now don't even notice. I think that will be the same with this project.
Adding suites to Hilton would in my opinion help offset the lack of space concerns that Jamie Pollard has with Johnny's. If suite holders could have access to those before tip-off (where alcohol is offered) you don't need to expand Johnny's. I know Jamie really doesn't want to offer broad alcohol sales so this seems like a way to combat that.
Lets say said suite project costs $15M to complete (complete guess). If you borrowed that entire amount to complete the renovations. You need to cover an approx. $2M annual debt pmt. ($15M initial balance, 6% rate, and a 10yr loan term)
For a comp suite price I'll use the Jack Trice Club Suite tickets @ $1500 for football ($250/seat per game for 6 home football games) plus a $5K annual donation.
Lets play around and say that the price per suit ticket is $250 per game (16 home basketball games in 2018-2019). I'll guess 20 seats per suite (2 rows of 10 seats). There are 10 sections where suites could be put parallel to the court with the best views (2 taken out for the camera and operations booth that sits at mid court on the south side of mid-court). That's $800K in income just on tickets alone (250x20x16x10).
You make the mystical donation $50,000 annually for the entire suite (current directors level gift is $5,000-$12,500 per seat for lower level) that's $2,500/seat per seat anually and 1/2 the cost of the current donation and get $500K in donation income right there. Total new income would be hypothetically $1.3M. You then only need to come with $700K approx in other areas to service the debt payment.
Thoughts?
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Suites with 20 seats plus the area behind them are awfully big. I would think splitting that in half would be more than big enough for most needs. Maybe have a pair of double suites splitting center court and the rest 10 seat suites and you have 12 - 10 seat suites and 2 - 20 seat suites. That is assuming you are able to capture all of the area behind them. I'm not sure how much mechanical you would have to be working around. Aren't most of the concession stands that would be abandoned on the corners and ends?
You still have to contend with the stairs leading down from the balcony. You can straighten them out or have them turn 90 degrees rather than 180 so they dump out into the outer concourse but they still take up some of the suite space behind the seating. Having them turn 90 degrees might help minimize the amount of our new wide concourse they eat up.
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I am not a construction engineer nor have I seen inside any doors in Hilton so that's a good point. If you put in suites on every section of the corners and ends, excluding Johnny's that's 11 sections
Can't do it in the corners unless you provide ADA seating elsewhere. Hilton already seems to be at the bare minimum of ADA spaces.
I'm in favor of a "loge box" arrangement. 6-10 seats each, 2 per sideline section, raised enough to be able to be seated and not be blocked by people standing in the top row of the parquet. (Each parquet row has 17 seats, for reference.) Edges flush with stairways/aisles (forces people to go to outer concourse). Rear walkway/access. Plexi dividers front/sides. Rear divider connects to balcony overhang. ...BUT, it would depend heavily on what they're actually doing to the concourses/stairwells with this current project.
If the balcony stairwells were straightened out so that they dumped directly into the outer concourse they would only extend a foot or two beyond the existing wall - assuming no landing is required on that stair. I don't know what kind of clearance you would have when you got to where the existing wall is on the stair landing.
Or just use the entire inner concourse (and concession) space for suites wherever there isn't a staircase. Take out a few half rows at the top the the middle section for traffic on the middle aisle.
Just one old man's opinion, but doing anything that removes the inner concourse would ruin a significant part of the Hilton gameday experience! Part of the experience is watch the players warm up from the concourse, walking around and meeting and talking to old friends while being able to see the players.
Also removing this inner circulation would also negate the benefit of widening the outer concourse as that takes the full brunt of everyone in the building rather that being somewhat divided
You would need to have direct links from each aisle of the lower seating to the outer concourse plus direct links from the stairs from the upper seating to the outer concourse.
In other words, you would need to totally redesign Hilton and remove part of what makes it special.
As I said, just one old duffer's opinion.
Also removing this inner circulation would also negate the benefit of widening the outer concourse as that takes the full brunt of everyone in the building rather that being somewhat divided
You would need to have direct links from each aisle of the lower seating to the outer concourse plus direct links from the stairs from the upper seating to the outer concourse.
In other words, you would need to totally redesign Hilton and remove part of what makes it special.
As I said, just one old duffer's opinion.
