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Tazewell Co talking about a new stadium again


BeaverHokie
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This seems to get dragged out every few years.  I have no idea about the politics on the VA side, someone else can fill in details.  I'm a civil engineer, and while I've never designed a stadium, I can't imagine that a decent one could be build for less than a million dollars.  Site grading, drainage, seating, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible seating, restrooms, field house, concession stands.

 

http://bdtonline.com/local/x789523263/Tazewell-BOE-studying-creation-of-athletic-field

 

I think it would be interesting for someone to work up a feasibility study, to see more than some ballpark (no pun intended) numbers.  One of the cheaper possibilities could be where the stadium used to be next to Graham High.  I remember many, many years ago (like 30) that Graham Middle played there.

 

Thoughts?

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That's the first time I've ever heard the Tazewell County School Board referred to as the Board of Education. But them again, it's the BDT...

M

 

Nitpicking aside, over time, a new stadium will be more cost efficient than paying the fee to rent Mitchell every year. You don't need a feasibility study to tell you that. The question is really "when". The stadium's life must factor into this equation: it must last long enough to be feasible. One should factor in the idea of school consolidations into the picture.

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Building a new stadium will cost well over $1,000,000.  BH, you forgot scoreboard, lighting, and a pressbox facility.  Also, if it isn't built at one of the schools, you'll have the cost of land acquisition, road and parking requirements, etc...

 

Then after its built, there is the cost of maintaining one, insuring said facilites, utilities, etc...  I sure hope they consider those costs as well when making their decision.

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For what you could build a decent stadium for, you could play at Mitchell for about 100 years.

 

If the restrooms have solid gold toilets, perhaps.

 

A conservative estimate is 30-40.  I think GMan's estimate, too, shoots it too high by a good $250K.  Remember, with public procurement, absent exigent circumstances, lowest bid wins.  If you can do it for $1M, someone else can do it for $750K...

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Bleachers ain't cheap fellows.  I recently read about a private school in Central VA spending $330,000 just for home bleachers from the 20 yard line to the 20 yard line, 15 rows deep.  That included a press box but no concession stands or bathrooms.  All new bleachers have to be enclosed and ADA approved.

 

The same school put in an artificial surface for another $800,000.  No new seating for the visitors side.  I'd be afraid to guess at the additional cost of a lighting system, scoreboard, bathrooms, concessions, etc.  After reading this, I'd say $1,000,000 for a decent stadium isn't unreasonable.

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For what seems like the 10,000th time here are facts that need to be kept in mind.

 

Roanoke City just build 2 new stadiums in the last 3-4 years.  Cost of each around $5,000,000.  That is with field houses, concessions, lights and the lot.  At $37,000 per year, you are looking at way over 100 years for this to be cost feasible.

 

Shoot, I am willing to bet that the feasibility study will cost more than $37,000.

 

If the concession is an issue, negotiate with the City to allow the boosters to have a concession stand for GHS games.

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For what seems like the 10,000th time here are facts that need to be kept in mind.

 

Roanoke City just build 2 new stadiums in the last 3-4 years.  Cost of each around $5,000,000.  That is with field houses, concessions, lights and the lot.  At $37,000 per year, you are looking at way over 100 years for this to be cost feasible.

 

Shoot, I am willing to bet that the feasibility study will cost more than $37,000.

 

If the concession is an issue, negotiate with the City to allow the boosters to have a concession stand for GHS games.

 

THIS.

 

Just like you've said, how many times is the TCPS going to keep at this?

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I guess roanoke city got the ones with the solid gold toilets then.I don't know why they are using this as an excuse anyway. The blue field and Graham band boosters have a contract with the city of bluefield to do the concessions at their respective home games. If I'm not mistaken, its for 20 percent and runs thru may 2014.

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The entire point is moot, since Tazewell County's school system is BROKE. Well, not broke, but is a money sieve. TCPS could close the money-hemorrhaging loopholes and fund a stadium in 5 years. It hasn't so far, and it won't. It's not a coincidence that there hasn't been a new school built in the county since a decade before I was born.

 

The cost in the end (using places with higher standards of living is comparing Yellow Delicious to Granny Smith) is irrelevant, when you get to the brass tacks. TCSB is woefully mismanaged from a monetary perspective, which is why even the feasibility survey is just throwing more money down the hole.

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If they were to look at getting turf for a new stadium that's roughly a 1/2 mil price tag by itself but then that doesn't last forever.  Most of these turf companies only give a 8-10 year warranty with that stuff.

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Adding a little bit to this.  If Tazewell County pays $37,000 per year, that's a pretty decent bargain.  If they had to raise money, or secure financing, what would the annual principal/interest payment be on something like a new stadium?  Just using a crude mortgate calculator, but if a million dollars were borrowed (and contrary to some opinions, that would be a bargain of a stadium), at a rate of 3% and paid back over 20 years (pulled that out of thin air, no idea what actual terms and rates would be), the annual payment would be about $66,000 ($5550 times twelve).  Not included in that total is insurance and maintenance.

 

Let's say they only needed to borrow $500,000, 20 year term, that is about $33,000 per year, not including maintenance and insurance.

 

A half-million dollar stadium isn't gonna be much of a stadium.  Natural grass, naturally, and not a lot of money left for amenities.  That half-million dollar stadium will cost as much as the lease at Mitchell.  There is no savings to be had by building a stadium, unless Tazewell County believes the rent is going to go WAAAAY up.  I'd like to see someone reputable finally do the feasibility study to show that Mitchell is a good deal. 

 

A little bit about just grandstand seating.  Varies by region, but not a lot.

 

Runs from about $100 (visitor side) to $175 (nicer, not the crappy style) per seat, aluminum.

 

http://plaintalk.net/2010/01/school-board-hears-costs-of-building-outdoor-stadium/

 

Go small, and build a 2500 seat home side, and that is $250,000 to $437,500 just for the home bleachers.  Not included:  visitor bleachers, pressbox, restrooms, lighting, concession stands, parking, maintenance.

 

 

I suspect none of this has to do with money, it's civic pride, or a turf war, or something...

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I think Tazewell Co.'s problem here is the fact that the Graham cheerleaders nor band can sell from the concession stands which I don't totally understand why something can't be worked out with the powers to be.

 

Plus, there are ways to raise money other than doing the concession stand.  Besides, for every game other than the Graham-Beaver game, they probably wouldn't make that much anyway.

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For what seems like the 10,000th time here are facts that need to be kept in mind.

 

Roanoke City just build 2 new stadiums in the last 3-4 years.  Cost of each around $5,000,000.  That is with field houses, concessions, lights and the lot.  At $37,000 per year, you are looking at way over 100 years for this to be cost feasible.

 

Shoot, I am willing to bet that the feasibility study will cost more than $37,000.

 

If the concession is an issue, negotiate with the City to allow the boosters to have a concession stand for GHS games.

 

 "feasibility studies" ....Somebody basically comes in and looks around and tells you what you already know....then you pay them to tell you what you already know...

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Let's see....$1,000,000 / $37,000 per year = 27 years (for the dollar store stadium)

 

I think $1,000,000 is a low ball estimate...... I'd say CPF is not too far off.... 100 years to get a "decent" stadium... They do have 2 fields that could be in consideration beside the high school...(at least they wouldn't have to worry about a field)..

 

I don't see why they don't just leave it as is....The Graham and Bluefield gate receipts pay for the use of the stadium.

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Ran across this from earlier from last year... "Madison County school officials decided to spend $350,000 to replace the corroded Eddie Dean Field at Booster Park bleachers at Madison County High School’s football field. The project will also expand seating at the stadium by 360 seats – it will go from the current 740-seat total to 1,100 seats."

That includes a new press box, since they basically removed the old bleachers and put up a new grandstand.

 

Basically $320 per butt. At $4 a ticket, that'll take 80 games... at 5 per year, that'll be 16 years... to pay for itself.

(I picked $4 as a 'profit' AND average after kids/student discounts and freebies, like the band).

THEN you can start paying off the field, restroom building, etc.

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So, if you built a 3,500 seat stadium (2,500 seats for home side and 1,000 seats for visitors side) at $320/seat, it would cost $1,120,000.  And that doesn't include any of the extras...lighting, scoreboard, field, concession, restrooms, dressing rooms/fieldhouse...

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