AUSTIN | Moody Center (U.T. Basketball Arena) | Complete

[the Genral]

It should only seat 8 to 9K so it will at least look half full. Texas fans are so fickle.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

That's one massive parking garage! Also something else is U/C directly North of DF stadium?

Tennis complex, I believe.

[Geckos_Rule]

Originally Posted by the Genral

It should only seat 8 to 9K so it will at least look half full. Texas fans are so fickle.

I was thinking about that, and how big it could be. I just checked, and UT basketball averaged around 12,000 per game this year, up from 11,000 last year. So they definitely could go up to 11,000 without worry, but much more than that and I agree with you. One thing I hate about the erwin center is how empty it feels most games.

[smt1]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Looks like they're really going to change the street orientation, too. Good. That cylindrical water tank thing is fugly. It looks like it will be hidden behind a bunch of new buildings soon.

And with that, it looks to me almost all of Red River will be restored to it's O.G. configuration (before the early '70s):
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc...East-00368.jpg http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc...idge-00368.jpg

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by drummer

Btw, Google Earth has been updated to a couple months ago so you can see the construction of the massive parking garage among other things around Austin.

I have Google Earth and I've updated to 7.1.8.3036 and I still don't see the garage or any updated images. It's not on Google Maps, either.

What am I missing?

[drummer]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I have Google Earth and I've updated to 7.1.8.3036 and I still don't see the garage or any updated images. It's not on Google Maps, either.

What am I missing?

Hmm...I'm not sure. The imagery of the Austin area is 1/8/2017 for me. Mine automatically updates, so maybe there's a setting for that? I don't have time to look into that but if I do later I'll let you know if I find anything.

[drummer]

Hey, does anyone know if the massive garage will have any sort of pedestrian bridge crossing I-35? I was just thinking that this thing probably serves multiple purposes - baseball, softball, tennis, track/field, football, etc., a likely new basketball arena, but also general commuters during the week. That said (assuming I'm right), a significant chunk of of its use will be for folks needing to cross the highway. Are they intending for these folks to just walk across using the sidewalks on MLK and Manor/Littlefield? I suppose folks do that already, but that will be a large number of people with the size of the garage...just wondering if there is a pedestrian crossing (bridge) planned or something....

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by drummer

Hmm...I'm not sure. The imagery of the Austin area is 1/8/2017 for me. Mine automatically updates, so maybe there's a setting for that? I don't have time to look into that but if I do later I'll let you know if I find anything.

Figured it out. It was stuck on a previous date. I used the deal at the bottom to scroll to the most current photos (1/2017). Thanks

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by drummer

Hey, does anyone know if the massive garage will have any sort of pedestrian bridge crossing I-35? I was just thinking that this thing probably serves multiple purposes - baseball, softball, tennis, track/field, football, etc., a likely new basketball arena, but also general commuters during the week. That said (assuming I'm right), a significant chunk of of its use will be for folks needing to cross the highway. Are they intending for these folks to just walk across using the sidewalks on MLK and Manor/Littlefield? I suppose folks do that already, but that will be a large number of people with the size of the garage...just wondering if there is a pedestrian crossing (bridge) planned or something....

I'm sure they are anticipating that folks will park there and walk across 35. I agree. A pedestrian bridge would definitely be warranted.

They could also be anticipating the building of further facilities east of 35?

[smt1]

Originally Posted by paul78701

I'm sure they are anticipating that folks will park there and walk across 35. I agree. A pedestrian bridge would definitely be warranted.

They could also be anticipating the building of further facilities east of 35?

Yeah, the Tennis Courts will be relocated there as per the East Campus Master plan:
http://campusplanning.utexas.edu/mas...P-20150812.pdf

I imagine between the capitol area and the medical districts proper there will be a lot of net parking spaces created by obliterating more surface lots in future years.

[Syndic]

Some people can't see the aerial view of the garage's progress but here is where it's located.



You can see it in some spots on street view.



It's massive and has this weird section jutting upward. I'm guessing that's where a big sign will go.

[The ATX]

It can also be seen (barely) in the upper left corner of the Aloft construction webcam. It looks to be 8-stories based on the stairwells that stick up higher than the completed parking levels.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Syndic

If they stuck a pedestrian bridge connecting roughly between the garage and the tennis center (on that small road that goes to the access road) on the east side, and then connecting to the small road just south of Myers stadium, that'd be ideal. Obviously this map is different from the more recent one with the proposed basketball arena location and realigned streets on the west side. A pedestrian bridge would help to recreate the grid over/under I-35, joining MLK, Manor, and Dean Keeton as E/W routes for folks. UT has always said that their main focus is moving people E/W rather than N/S when they speak of mass-transit needs, so that could help them do just that, and possibly more safely than on the car-clogged roads.

[Syndic]

The existence of I-35 is obviously the main reason that UT never expanded to the east side. It seems crazy that they would build this without a plan for safely ushering pedestrians across a dangerous road. Maybe they have published literature/studies about this. I don't know. A sky bridge seems extreme but ideal. I don't see how they would construct one without seriously impacting traffic flow.

Imagine them capping I35 right here and making the campus one big contiguous thing.

[The ATX]

For better or worse - I think MLK will serve as the skybridge.

[lzppjb]

I have crossed 35 at Manor and MLK numerous times. It's not that bad.

[wwmiv]

I tend to believe that a large pedestrian bridge connecting the two halves of campus is inevitable with time.

[brando]

Chip Brown reporting:

I'm told the new basketball arena, expected to have a capacity closer to 12,000 than the Erwin Center's 16,000, planned to be built just south of the Mike A. Myers track and soccer stadium, is currently projected to cost $110 million. Previous athletic director Steve Patterson had said he expected a new basketball arena to cost roughly $450 million. ...

This is the first potential "inside" information that addresses the likely cost and capacity but take it with a grain of salt since it comes from a ut sports site. Chip Brown has a checkered past with this stuff.

This definitely creates a problem for the city of Austin. It might lose the ability to host a lot of non UT events without a standard larger arena. It will also be even more difficult from non students to get to and park in a new arena that is on campus particularly because the light rail train that would have gone by failed a couple years ago. There has been a lingering question of what to do with an increased hotel tax with a needed convention center expansion getting the most emphasis by outside groups as oppose to building a new arena or partnering with UT for a bigger arena. I'm torn because I see the need for both. The city would benefit greatly from expanding the convention center but you want people to have the opportunity to see a lot of cool touring acts in a big arena. Renovating and expanding the Travis County Expo arena is also on the table but that is so far away. Arenas are typically very close or reasonably close to the city core. I would love for the city to build a standard nice arena that most cities have but without the possibility of ever getting a regular tenant like a NFL or NBA team, it raises the question of if they could fill it with enough events during the year. Austin's minor league hockey and basketball teams do not draw nearly enough fans to justify an arena like that. It would have been cool to build it on the Austin American Statesman land which is being shopped to developers or next to the domain. You have the kind of commercial development in shops, restaurants and bars to support a big arena like that. Rockrose street at the domain is pretty cool. There is also Metro Rapid bus service to the Domain and you'll see express service down the new toll lanes of MoPac to get you across the city to the domain/north austin very quickly. That is if it is ever finished.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by brando

Chip Brown has a checkered past with this stuff.

I strongly disagree with this opinion! Chip is more deeply imbedded in the inner workings of the University than pretty much anyone else. The fact that the AAS and other web-bloggers take his info and run with it telling enough.

One cannot be right all of the time. However, if Chip reports it, it's pretty close to 100% spot on at the specific time he receives said information.

[GoldenBoot]

With regard to the arena...it's initial capacity will be about 12,500 (for basketball). However, it will be designed to be expanded to roughly 17,000 if and when it is needed in the future.