Performing Arts Center

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wiu712
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Neckfansince71 wrote:The plan not only includes improved seating and a fancy pressbox but also a football building in the north endzone!
The north endzone seems to be a better location for a Football Building as opposed to putting it behind the west grandstand.
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ST_Lawson
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wiu712 wrote:
Neckfansince71 wrote:The plan not only includes improved seating and a fancy pressbox but also a football building in the north endzone!
The north endzone seems to be a better location for a Football Building as opposed to putting it behind the west grandstand.
I agree with that....also it'd help block the wind that sometimes whips through the "bowl" from the north.
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WIU0812
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Hopefully the west stands also include a large club area which can be utilized for many people and perhaps like 4 private boxes or something similar to this, I still remember going up in ISU's new club area which holds quite a few people with large glass looking over field and it was awesome. Also, I was really hoping they would completely redo the stands from scratch and move it to the edge of the track with bathrooms and concessions under/inside the stands like most college stadiums have. You are correct about the designing of the stands as I saw where they were soliciting design companies in January to take look and make offers on designing the new stands. It also seems as if they would be aiming at a start of this year immediately following the last football game which is how many of these projects happen, that is assuming that the funds for this have been set aside. I could definitely see them having a design team design both the stands and the north side building at same time, but only building them 1 at a time starting with stands.
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WIU0812
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Looks like the school will be building a flat parking lot where the band practice field is currently at. Please see the article below from McDonough Voice.

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... /140609341
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Neckfansince71
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I learned yesterday at the "golf outing" that construction of the CPA can not start until after January 2nd because WIU is looking for a "single prime contractor", a lesson the administration learned with the rehab of Memorial Hall. This requires a larger down payment of money, something the state will not have until after the first of the year. The parking lot construction will also include southwest corner entrance-way landscaping and development. It will be a few years until the dust finally settles. A new science building will be next! ;)
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ST_Lawson
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WIU0812 wrote:Looks like the school will be building a flat parking lot where the band practice field is currently at. Please see the article below from McDonough Voice.

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... /140609341
So the marching band will practice where now? (not asking you specifically, just asking the question...hopefully it's something that the people "up top" have thought about)
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WIU0812
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I would have to assume it would be over near the softball field somewhere now. I see why they went this way it is the cost difference of about 1 Million for the flat parking lot and most likely around 5-8 Million for a parking deck of the same amount of spaces.
LocalYokelFan
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NFS71,

As a guy with at least a little construction knowledge, why does hiring a single prime contractor require money down? That makes very little (maybe no) sense. A single prime contractor just means that the University executes one construction contract with a general contractor to complete the entirety of the work; that contractor has the responsibility to hire and manage subcontractors to complete work they can't perform "in house." Honestly, design-bid-build with a single prime contractor is the most common, straight-forward construction delivery method and shouldn't require any unusual "money down".
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WIU0812
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I would have to say they are going to be waiting for the parking lot to get done. There will be a lot of displaced parking once they destroy the existing lot and they will need this also for storage of materials. Usually they will bid and it will range from 30 to 60 days at least before work even begins due to signing of contracts and insurance requirements. I would say that a January start date would be about right, but main reason would be waiting on other construction to finish.
wiu712
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ST_Lawson wrote:So the marching band will practice where now?
I heard today that the new parking lot at Adams & Western Avenue will only occupy a portion of that field. There is suppose to be enough remaining space for the marching band's continued use.

It is suppose to be "ready to go" for August's Band Camp.
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