Ole Miss building a new arena? Things should be interesting in the state...

[dawgstudent]

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According to multiple sources, Ole Miss officials have moved
forward on plans to build a replacement arena for basketball. The project,
according to sources, would likely cost in the range of $85-90 million. The
project would be financed via federal bonds, state bonds, corporate naming
rights and then private donations. The remainder would be financed. The project
would be a multi-use facility that would also house a replacement for the
Turner Center and a small food court. There is some speculation that ground
could be broken in the next 12 months and the building could be built in 18-24
months, depending on the location that is ultimately chosen.

Again, the project is still in the very early stages, and the plans are almost
certainly fluid and subject to change. I'm headed to Atlanta today and will try
to touch base with some Ole Miss officials there about these developments.

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[EAVdog]

I believe the project was for a practice facility, multi-purpose space, and food services as well. Veazy had included some case studies that were great but all of them were in the hundreds of millions of dollars budget wise. Their concept was very ambitions and frankly I'd be surprised if they can generate funding in the short term given the current economy.

 

[RebelBruiser]

The Tad Pad will be a parking lot within the next 5 years I would bet.

From my limited sources, it's in the plan. Now they just have to figure out how they are going to do it, put it on paper, and get the money.

I've said before if we're going to try to compete at basketball, I want us to make a full push at it, don't do it halfway. Either choose to try or just don't try at all. Appears we're going to try since we recently completed a practice facility and are in the planning stages of a new arena.

For the record, I was hearing that a stand alone arena, not a multipurpose, was still on the table as well, which would obviously be cheaper but wouldn't address the Turner Center.

 

[thatsbaseball]

nm

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Drill holes in the roof of the new facility?

 

[jacksonreb1]

s

 

[rem101]

never lose a party

 

[RebelBruiser]

but I would assume around what jacksonreb says.

For basketball, I can't ever see a need for more than 10-12K. Given the number of midweek games and the fact that games are only 2 hours long, you have to have a decent size population within an hour's drive to be able to justify anything much larger.

I'd like to see it more around 10k built somewhat intimately with fans close to the court. I think that makes for a tougher place to play.

 

[SyonaraStanz]

[No message]

 

[Bob Sacamano.sixpack]

I guess they can now have basketball games in an arena that is 3/4 empty instead of 2/3 empty.

 

[gtowndawg]

I like it. Has a ring to it.

 

[thatsbaseball]

NM

 

[AssEndDawg]

<span class="post-title">No, we already have a practice facility.</span>

No. You have a practice court. A single court that can be practiced on when you are having a rain out in the Tad Pad. I'm sorry, but you can't call that a practice facility.

 

[independencebowlmainstay]

<span class="post-title">No, we already have a practice facility.</span>

No. You have a practice court. A single court that can be practiced on when you are having a rain out in the Tad Pad. I'm sorry, but you can't call that a practice facility.

As usual, you have no clue what you are talking about. Walk into the the BPF at Ole Miss and tell me it's a court. It's a tremendous facility.

As for the financing of the project, it is all but done. And the seating is around 9200. Not 12k.

 

[clintstone]

<span class="post-title">No, we already have a practice facility.</span>

No. You have a practice court. A single court that can be practiced on when you are having a rain out in the Tad Pad. I'm sorry, but you can't call that a practice facility.

As usual, you have no clue what you are talking about. Walk into the the BPF at Ole Miss and tell me it's a court. It's a tremendous facility.

As for the financing of the project, it is all but done. And the seating is around 9200. Not 12k.

Just ask them. The Basketball practice facility is as good as or better than Kentucky's, the Indoor Practice Facility is as nice as any in the country.