STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
These Internet petitions are strange things, but I think we can agree this one's for a worthy cause. It's a petition to the UC leadership and the City of Berkeley urging the prompt renovation of Memorial Stadium and the construction of the High Performance athletic center. Check it out and feel free to add your John Hancock. Let's get this project built.
posted by Tightwad @ 1:37 PM
6 Comments:
Thank you for putting this on the front page! 1600 names in less than two days, let's get it going. Go Bears!!
TH, where do I get that picture of Memorial? Love it.
I can't sign. I want a retrofit, but I don't feel good about this project. The down sides have just not been sufficiently vetted and reconciled. (e.g, I'm not happy about the loss of trees, I'm not happy about the loss of tightwad hill, and building *anything* else on top of a fault line is just nuts.)
Furthermore, I'm not sure that the development costs are not going to swing back and hit Old Blues in the face financially and in terms of elitism. I say that as a current impoverished slightly Old Blue, but even if I had the money (and someday I will) I would turn in my blue shirts if Memorial Stadium should go the appalling way that Haas Pavillion. (Moving the students off the court?!?! Making them wear sponsors' logos on their clothes?!?! In Berkeley?!?!) I was there for Harmon's Last Stand, but I've never set foot in the new arena and have no intention to until these things change.
Maybe if I knew more I'd feel differently, but to my knowledge there's just not that much out there about this project, which itself gives me pause.
Cathy, what's the alternative and would the alternative be justified in terms of cost (since we'd be looking at new construction)?
To clarify, I'm not saying that Memorial Stadium should be moved. There's not really a good alternative location, and, anyway, that horse left the barn 80 years ago...
What I mean is that the additional bells and whistles, like the athletic center or whatever, are ill-advised in that location. In fact, I thought that long ago the University decided not to continue to develop the stadium for that very reason. They used to honeycomb the area below the west seats with offices and such until someone pointed out what a dumb idea that was, so it takes particular chutzpah to go back on that decision. The thought had been that while the stadium was an inevitably fairly risk-laden structure, there's only so many days when it's occupied. But building other structures that are used daily is another story entirely.
I'm also generally irritated that there has not been more transparency about this project, and I'm significantly troubled by the arrogant way it's been handled by the University. The complete refusal to consider how other stakeholders will be affected (e.g., Berkeley neighbors, Old Blue traditionalists, etc.) is a complete embarrassment to me as an otherwise proud supporter of this school.
(Also, I'm concerned by this rush to break ground before the full details of the project have been worked out, which strikes me as an appallingly bad idea under any circumstances.)
So I'm not saying I can't support a retrofit, but I am saying I can't support one that they've gone about trying to do this way.
Cathy, put down the crack pipe, open your mind...
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